Walking Dead 1. Chapter 1

….. Chapter 1….

_Hey._

_I know it's been a while. I'm going to be honest. I forgot about you. After the farm we were always moving. But something happened, something good finally. We found a prison. Daddy thinks that we can make it into a home. He says that we can grow crops in the fields, raise pigs and chickens. We can stop running, stop scavenging._

_Lori's baby is just about due. She'll need a safe place when it comes. The rest of us… we just need a safe place to be. I woke up in my own bed yesterday, in my own room. I'm still keeping my gun close. I've been afraid to get my hopes up that we can stay here. The thing is, I've been starting to get afraid that it's easier just to be afraid. _

_But this morning daddy said something. ''If we don't have hope what's the point of living.''_

_So I unpacked my bag and that's when I found you. So I'm going to start writing in you again. And I'm going to write this down now because you should write down wishes to make them come true. _

_We can live here. We can live here for the rest of our lives._

_…..._

Beth could feel the tears burning behind her eyes as she tore the page from her journal. She could barely believe how delusional she had been… how stupid. Crumpling the paper up into a ball, she tossed it into the small fire Daryl had created for them. Several other pages followed but she didn't dare read the contemplations that were upon them for fear of breaking down.

On the other side of the fire Daryl sat unmoving. They had barely spoken a word to each other since escaping the prison, and that suited Beth just fine. It hadn't taken her long to realize that she was going to have a difficult time being out here alone with someone as cold and detached as the surly redneck. The man barely looked at her sideways, making it clear that if she was looking for comfort she couldn't be stranded with a person more ill equipped to provide it.

Being stuck out here now with Daryl only served to make it painfully clear how very little she actually knew about him. They had first met on her daddy's farm and although it had never been said outright, Daryl had made it clear that he was someone to be left alone. He had kept mostly to himself, even preferring to camp away from those he had arrived with. Back then it hadn't much mattered to Beth - she had Jimmy, her farm and her family and couldn't much be bothered with someone who couldn't be bothered with her.

By the time they had made it to the prison, Daryl had taken on more of a leadership role amongst the group, replacing Shane as Rick's right hand man. When Lori had died, Rick had understandably fallen into a state of despondency, disappearing for days at a time without a word. His extended absences officially forced Daryl into the position, a level of responsibility he had neither asked for nor wanted. He had risen to the occasion however, and ever since then seemed hell bent and determined upon proving himself worthy of the respect he had earned.

And that was what made his current state of detachment so completely frustrating to Beth. Even now, as she attempted to make eye contact with him through the embers floating from the fire, she could plainly see the resigned expression on his face hadn't changed at all the whole time she'd been sitting there waxing nostalgic. In the past she had seen Daryl rage at the slightest perceived transgression and although she had never wanted to be at the brunt of that anger, right now she would take it over this painful indifference.

''We should do something.'' She said quietly, glaring at him.

Nothing.

''We should _do_ something!'' She repeated louder, causing his eyes to snap away from the fire to gaze unseeingly up at her.

Beth quickly continued now that she had his attention. ''We aren't the only survivors… We can't be! Rick… Michonne… they could be out here. Maggie and Glenn could've made it out of A Block…''

Daryl's gaze dropped again. He obviously didn't put much stock in the faith she had that these people – _their friends_, were still alive.

''They could've!'' Beth stressed, watching as his eyes seemed to glaze over again.

''You're a tracker.'' She stood up, getting more furious by the moment. What the hell was wrong with him?! ''You can track… C'mon! The sun will be up soon and if we head out now…''

Again, nothing.

Beth went around the fire to where Daryl's knife was stuck in the dirt and reached down to yank it out, her anger palpable. ''Fine! If you won't track, I will!''

Turning on her heel, she stalked off into the dark woods. Once out of view, she paused to peer back through the thick underbrush to see if anything she'd just said had induced any sort of reaction from Daryl. He was still just sitting there staring despondently at the fire. Beth bit down on the corner of her nail, a nervous habit she had culminated over the last few months. She couldn't believe he would just let her wander off into the woods at night. He knew damn well that she couldn't track to save her life!

It didn't take long before being alone in the darkness began to play tricks with her mind. Everything around her sounded like it was crawling, growling or heading her way. Beth glanced around nervously. She was almost scared enough to want to give up the whole ruse and go back to the light of the fire but her legs refused to cooperate. Deep down, she was still hoping that he would get off his ass and prove her wrong.

She almost could've cried when, in the distance, Daryl slowly pulled himself to his feet with a barely audible sigh of annoyance. He kicked some dirt over the fire before snatching up his crossbow and headed to where she was waiting. As he approached, she schooled her features to general indifference, her jaw locked in place. Beth briefly wondered how he knew he'd find her standing there as he held out his hand for the knife held loosely in hers. She passed it to him without a word. He stalked off into the darkness and Beth was left rolling her eyes at his exasperating behavior before following in his wake.

…..…...

The sun was rising and even though he was exhausted beyond belief, Daryl felt obligated to give a cursory glance over the foliage covered ground as he trudged along behind the girl. Like most terrain, it was littered with tell tale signs that could be read, small clues that the untrained eye would easily dismiss. Luckily for the two of them, he didn't possess the untrained eye.

Squatting down, he swept his hand through the dead leaves at his feet until he found what was distinctively a set of footprints imprinted in the dirt. They were small but fairly clear. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't hear Beth come up behind him to peer curiously over his shoulder.

''They could be Luke's… or Molly's,'' She said matter of factly, causing Daryl to jerk back at her unexpected close proximity. If Beth noticed, she didn't show it as she continued, ''… whoevers they are, it means they're alive!''

Annoyed, Daryl ground out, ''Nah, it means they were alive four or five hours ago.''

Beth released a huff of frustration before snapping out, ''They're alive!''

Daryl didn't feel like arguing. What chance did a couple of fucking kids have out here when himself and Beth had already had to run for their lives twice already. Scanning the ground again, the signs in the dirt gave him a much better idea about what may have happened to whoever left the footprints behind.

He ghosted his hand over a roughened patch. ''See that? They picked up tha pace right there. Got out 'n a hurry.'' As he stood up, his gaze did a perfunctionary sweep the surrounding tree line for walkers. He found himself unconsciously doing that a lot since they had been out here. ''Anyway, things went bad.'' No need to sugarcoat it.

''You know, it wouldn't kill you to have a little faith.'' She sounded disgruntled.

''Faith.'' He had to bite down on the snort of derision that threatened to escape him. Daryl realized that he really didn't know Beth well enough to decipher if she was being childishly delusional or just plain naïve. Only someone who hadn't seen the stark reality of the new world order could have the balls to talk to him about faith. Either way, he figured it was as good a time as any for a reminder of the actuality of things.

''Faith ain't done shit for us. Sure as hell didn't do nothin' for your father.''

He had barely finished the contentious comment when Beth turned to glare at him heatedly. It might have been overkill, but Daryl couldn't bring himself to feel bad for saying it. She had obviously been sheltered and protected by her family for her entire life, and he'd be damned if he was going to step in and fill the void vacated by her father and sister. If this is what it took to make that clear, then so be it. Still, when her stunned gaze didn't waiver, he was slightly surprised to find himself wishing he hadn't been quite so harsh.

Beth turned away from him to pull some berries from the bush next to her, sparing him from having to say something he'd likely regret to counteract the point he'd been trying to make.

''They're alive,'' Her voice was short and clipped, ''and they'll be hungry when we find them."

Daryl stared at her stiff back and quickly came to the conclusion that the girl was obviously no happier being stuck out here with him then he was with her. They were both going to have to get over it though if they were going to make it out of this clusterfuck alive. In a lame attempt at a peace offering, he dug his bandana out of his pants pocket and held it out to her, tapping her lightly on the arm to get her attention. Beth glanced over before taking the rag from him, seemingly suspicious of the hidden meaning behind the straightforward gesture. As she placed the berries she had collected in it, Daryl walked away, not feeling much inclined to explain his sudden change of demeanor. Not that it would have mattered anyway.

….

**I am not a professional writer by any means but I do love all things TWD, especially the dynamics that existed between Daryl and Beth. The episode "Still" was one of my favorites and I always wanted see what it would be like if it was fleshed out some more - explore the thoughts that the two of them may have had over the course of the episode, add more dialog and possible circumstances in which they would find themselves. Some things have changed, while others have stayed the same… and in the middle, there is still only Daryl and Beth - two prison survivors who will find something kindred in a world that God forgot.**

**I do not own anything TWD and do not intend any copyright infringement. I'm just a fan.**


	2. Chapter 2

….Chapter 2…...

Beth could smell the dead walkers on the ground long before she could see them. As they approached the small clearing, the strewn bodies of a man and a woman slowly came into view. Although the gruesome sight of death still turned her stomach, she didn't dare show any sign of it. She strongly suspected that Daryl already found her to be nothing more than an annoying hindrance and she didn't need to add more fuel to the fire. In the short time they'd been out here, the disappointed looks he would randomly shoot her way made it clear that he would've been long gone by now if she wasn't with him. Beth gave him credit that he didn't just dump her on the side of the road and take off, prison loyalties be damned.

Daryl obviously didn't think the walkers decaying in the dirt to be of any threat. His crossbow was loaded but pointed at the ground as he slowly approached a nearby bush to check for signs in its leaves. With nothing better to do, Beth stood behind him, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other and feeling not for the first time to be of absolutely no use whatsoever. Daryl's intense gaze continued to dart around and Beth found herself gritting her teeth when the reason for his concerned look wasn't immediately forthcoming.

''What?'' She managed to ask in as even a tone as she could muster. Had he always this hard to communicate with? He obviously knew something and it wasn't like she could read his mind.

When Daryl looked over, it was as if being unfortunately reminded that there was another person around and that he wasn't out here alone as he'd prefer. If he had heard the frustration hidden in her voice, he didn't show it. Beth figured it was probably more to the point that he honestly didn't care.

He sighed heavily before shaking his head. ''That ain't walker blood.''

And there it was again.

It wasn't the first time since leaving the prison that Beth had heard that defeated and perfunctory tone from him. Over the last day she couldn't help but notice that Daryl seemed to have all but given up on finding their friends alive. She, on the other hand, wasn't so quick to throw in the towel on them yet, believing wholeheartedly that Rick, Maggie and everyone who made it out of the prison were out here somewhere.

Ignoring him, Beth followed the track marks leading away from the dead pair on the ground. The solid outlines in the dirt seemed to be a good indication that they were made by humans, and she pointed them out to Daryl as if to dare him to prove her otherwise.

''The tracks keep going, they fought them off.''

Daryl glanced down. ''Nah, them there's walker tracks,'' He quickly dismissed, ''They're all up 'n down here, least a dozen of 'em.''

On the verge of telling him what she thought of his defeatist attitude, Beth suddenly heard the faint sound of snapping behind her. She yanked her knife from her belt, but it was too late. A lone male walker burst through the surrounding trees and immediately set upon her, its boney fingers digging into her arms as its teeth tried to lock onto her shoulder. Arching away, she could see Daryl attempting to get a clean shot with the crossbow and she shoved hard against the walkers chest to help clear a path. Her small hands were no match for its ferocious hunger however, and all she ended up doing was caving under its weight, causing her to cry out as her arms gave.

Dropping the crossbow, Daryl ran over and tackled the walker to the ground using the back of its ratted shirt. Clambering back to her feet, Beth picked up the knife she had dropped and ran over to help. With the slightest nod of acknowledgement, Daryl pulled the squirming body on top of himself. The walker groaned in protest before Beth sunk her blade into its exposed forehead, killing it quickly before yanking the knife out with a spray of decaying blood.

Daryl tossed the walkers limp body off of his own with a grunt before pulling himself to his feet, panting heavily with the exertion the last few moments had required. He barely looked at her before reaching down to pick up the discarded crossbow at his feet, shaking the leaves off that clung to its wires impatiently.

Beth thought briefly about saying thank you, but was soon dissuaded of the notion as he walked away, not even sparing a backwards glance to see if she was bothering to follow or not. She shook her head to herself as she wiped the knife off on her jeans, sliding it back into its holder at her hip. Even though Daryl had just saved her life, Beth couldn't help but wish that she had gotten out of the prison with someone, _anyone_ else.

…...

Putting a hand to his brow, Daryl covered his eyes as he looked up into the light that flittered through the thick foliage of the surrounding trees. The hunter in him knew that the sun would be setting in a few hours and they'd need to figure out some kind of shelter for the night. Food too, he was quickly reminded as his empty stomach churned under his belt. He could probably kill a squirrel or two but that would require a fire to cook them. If push came to shove, he'd eat one raw but Beth didn't look like the kind of person that would appreciate that particular redneck delicacy.

Realizing that he was also responsible for feeding the girl threw Daryl right back into the bad mood he'd been trying to hold at bay for the last 4 miles. The way he figured, she wouldn't have lasted this long if it weren't for him anyway so she should be damn grateful to eat whatever the hell he put in front of her. Daryl shot an accusatory glance over his shoulder and, as if on cue, Beth stumbled on a tree root only to catch herself awkwardly. It did nothing but confirm what he already suspected. She was lost as shit out here, a spoilt little princess without a castle. She didn't have the faintest idea how to survive on her own, having to consistently rely on those around her to keep her safe.

For the umpteenth time today, Daryl couldn't help but wish he had made it out of the prison by himself. He would've gone back once the walkers had dissipated, grabbed the bike and hit the fucking road. Rick… Carl… there was no telling what had happened to them. Weren't no traces of them out here, that's for damn sure. As far as he knew, they could be just as dead as Hershel, everyone from the prison could be.

Guilt began to gnaw at his insides as he attempted to convince himself that he was better off on his own anyways.

An open area in the trees ahead caught his attention and Daryl changed direction to lead them towards it. Once clear of the overgrown brush, the two of them found themselves at the old train tracks that ran through the area. They weren't new to him, he had seen them one time before on a supply run with Michonne. Daryl squinted against the full sunlight as he approached the edge of the embankment that lined the tracks.

Beth came to a stand still next to him and they both gazed wearily down the length of the tracks only to see a small group of walkers gorging heavily on some dead bodies. Daryl could feel his empty stomach drop, knowing without having to be told that the poor unfortunate souls that lay gutted and bleeding in the dirt were likely from the prison. Beside him, Beth swallowed heavily as she too came to the same conclusion. He pulled the crossbow up to his cheek and approached the carnage with caution.

His bolts made short work of wasting the walkers, none of whom had even bothered to look up from their meal as he had made his way closer. When all were as dead as their previous victims, Daryl went around and collected the bolts from each one, plucking them from the rotten skulls methodically. As he attached the last one back on the Horton, he glanced over to see Beth hovering just outside of the kill zone. There was a look of horror etched on her face and he followed her line of sight to see a small, gore covered shoe lying in the bloody debris, a shoe that could only belong to a child.

Luke.

Daryl blindly stared at it until the natural self protective mechanisms that had served him well kicked in like a sledge hammer, mercifully suppressing every thought and memory he ever had of the friendly little kid. Squaring his shoulders determinedly, he stalked away from the bloodbath without a word, not sparing Beth or the other victims a second glance.

He had barely made it twenty feet before the tortured sounds of Beth's sobs stopped him in his tracks. Despite everything in his nature that told him not to, Daryl looked back to see her crying forlornly over the mangled corpses. Her normally unreadable features were now a mask of hopelessness, despair and fear.

Daryl dropped his gaze uncomfortably, not used to being exposed to such naked displays of female emotion and not having the personal experience or fortitude necessary to deal with it. So he just waited where he stood. Waited until she had depleted herself of her grief, waited until she pulled herself together to defeatedly trudge her way over towards him.


	3. Chapter 3

….Chapter 3…...

_We're not going to die. _

_None of us. _

_I believe now for daddy. _

_If this doesn't work, _

_I don't know how I'm going to keep going._

….

Beth's legs felt like dead weight. The initial burst of adrenaline that had fueled her veins was beginning to wear off, causing her to stumble clumsily as she attempted to keep up with Daryl. He was running full speed ahead of her, weaving his way illogically around the fallen logs and hanging branches like he had a map of their locations. All around the two of them, the groaning sounds of the dead were closing in and she could feel her already labored breathing begin to hitch as panic took over. The darkness of the woods that surrounded them didn't help matters, making what was probably a few dozen walkers behind them seem like thousands.

In the distance, Beth could see Daryl disappear in the thick brush. By the time she reached the same spot, she was so desperate to catch up that she didn't even slow her momentum, crashing noisily through the branches only to collide forcefully into his back.

''Tha fuck Beth!'' Daryl whispered furiously, steadying himself as he turned to glare at her. Gasping for air, Beth swallowed heavily and took a step back, still relieved to have found him despite his shitty attitude.

Daryl's gaze shifted to quickly scan the desolate road in which they found themselves. In the dim light given off by the moon, Beth could see for herself that it was all but empty except for an old dilapidated white sedan that sat abandoned nearby. In the distance the walkers were closing in, Beth could hear them fighting with the overgrown foliage that littered the forest floor as they attempted to follow them. On the verge of freaking out, her eyes swung to Daryl only to see him indicate with a stiff tilt of his chin to head for the vehicle.

As Daryl kept his crossbow trained on the darkness of the woods around them, Beth yanked the cars door open and slid into the drivers seat. In the dark, her fingers fumbled around the steering column, searching for keys or exposed wires… anything she could use to start the damn thing.

There was nothing.

She could sense Daryl's harried glances dart in her direction as she quickly felt along the floorboards and checked behind the visor.

The fearful look on her face was enough to spur Daryl into action. He ran to the rear of the car and yanked the trunk open with a grunt. Following, Beth immediately climbed in and scooted over as far as the small space would allow to make room for his much larger frame. Daryl swung himself in and slammed the lid down behind him as he hunkered down. Using his bandana, he tied the lid of the trunk to the body of the vehicle before honing the sights of the crossbow on the crack in between.

Beth managed to pull her knife from its holster as the first of the walkers shuffled aimlessly around the car. It was quickly joined by more, creating a seething mass outside that snarled and groaned as they searched for the meal that had just previously been there. In the claustrophobic space, Beth squeezed her eyes shut as her imagination vividly took over. The visions of starving walkers tearing away the flimsy metal barrier to rip her and Daryl to pieces flooding her mind and completely running away with her.

Breathing much heavier than was necessary to draw air, her anxious gaze fell upon the man in the trunk with her. As if sensing she was on the verge of panicking, Daryl held up a calming hand, never once breaking the stoic concentration that was necessary to keep the crossbow steady in his grip. Beth nodded slightly in acknowledgement and loosened the death grip her fingers had on the blade in her hand while releasing an slow even breath.

After what seemed like hours, the walkers outside the vehicle began to wander off, shuffling away none the wiser to how close they'd been to the flesh they'd been so ravenous for. Upon realizing that Daryl had no intent on letting the two of them out of the trunk just yet, Beth found herself unintentionally studying him in the dim moonlight that streamed through the rusty holes of their hide out.

Carol had once said that she thought Daryl was a good looking guy and at the time Beth distinctly remembered thinking that the older woman had lost her mind. Now as they were crammed together into so tight a space, Beth could see a faint glimmer of what she was talking about. There was a possibility that Daryl could be attractive but it wasn't easy to see it past the attitude problem and the perpetual layer of grime. She did have to begrudgingly admit however, that she was grateful that he didn't act like most people would in the face of such dire circumstances. If anything, the man seemed completely unfazed by the predicament in which they found themselves.

When the last tortured moan faded into the distance, Daryl's gaze unexpectedly swung over to lock with hers. Under the weight of his sharp blue eyes, it took Beth a few breathless moments to realize that they were actually staring at each other. She could feel her face suddenly heat up under his scrutiny and she quickly looked away under the pretense of making herself more comfortable. In her peripherals she could see Daryl return to peering out through the slim opening he was utilizing, leaving Beth vowing to keep her eyes to herself going forward.

…...

The early morning sun bled through the cracks and crevasses of the trunk, making the girl next to him shift around uneasily as the temperature inside the compacted space became uncomfortable. For his part, Daryl still sat with the crossbow locked in his aching grip. Although the walkers were long gone, he wasn't taking any chances. Damn things seemed to be getting smarter by the moment. As the ready supply of fresh meat walking around dwindled, they would often take to lurking quietly out of sight until the slightest tell tale sound drew them in like a swarm of decaying locusts.

From the corner of his eye Daryl saw Beth push a damp strand of blond hair away from her face. He chewed at his lower lip before releasing a stilted sigh under his breath. As the horde had closed in on them, he had almost expected her to turn into one of those hysterical females he was so confounded by, the ones that completely lost their shit in the face of such a thing. Instead she had followed his lead without question, and by doing so had ensured that they both made it to live through the night. She was still a pain in his ass but she had managed to hold it together for the most part, thankfully proving him wrong.

Daryl flexed his numb fingers around the Horton's trigger as his mind wandered back to what had transpired between them a few hours ago.

The sensory instincts he depended on so heavily while hunting had involuntarily tingled under his skin, quietly alerting him to the fact that he was being watched. It was an uncomfortable feeling and for reasons he still didn't understand, he had glanced over only to find the girl staring at him intently. What the hell had that been about? Luckily she had looked away and by doing so had spared him from having to actually ask the question out loud. It was probably a good thing too because he had a tendency to be an asshole when he was uncomfortable.

Some time later, Daryl decided that the coast was as clear as they could hope for it to be and he slowly lowered the weapon in his hand. The small action was all the incentive Beth needed to reach over and untie the rag that kept the trunk lid in place. He squinted against the glaring sunlight as the top sprung open and waited as she stiffly climbed out over his legs. Once she was clear, he gingerly got out himself, his eyes scanning the road to find it as empty as it had been when they'd first encountered it.

Beth stretched out her back before looking at him questionably, ''Why don't we…''

''Grab them bags right there.'' Daryl cut her off, knowing she was going to insist on the two of them tracking yet another useless set of prints that would only lead to more blood soaked disappointment. After the carnage at the train tracks, there was no fucking way he was doing that again. Time to face facts… the two of them were on their own. The brooding look on his face must had said as much because Beth only squared her shoulders with a glare before doing as he said.

''Get whatever ya can from this thing,'' He bent over and picked up a dented hubcap before shoving it into the plastic bag she had handed him. ''Settin' up a new camp.''

He heard her sigh under her breath but chose to ignore it. Between them, they managed to pick a fair amount from the old sedan – mirrors, glass, speaker wires for traps. Beth even found a bottle of water wedged under the drivers seat. Everything went into the bags.

When the car was stripped of everything Daryl deemed useful, he picked up the crossbow from the ground before slinging the heavier of the two bags over his left shoulder. He turned to see Beth standing there expectantly, waiting on him. Her chin raised defiantly under his silent regard and the slight movement caused Daryl to briefly wonder if she somehow knew that he found her to be, for the most part, an impediment. It wasn't like he'd done a stellar job of hiding it. He didn't feel the need to speculate about it further as he headed out down the empty road, leaving Beth to follow along behind him.

…..

Daryl held up the broken bolt and flexed it in his hands. As much as he tried to convince himself that the fracture that ran its length was the reason that there wasn't a dead squirrel on the end of it, deep down he knew the truth. He was on the verge of losing it.

What the hell.

He was hungry and exhausted beyond belief but he needed to get his shit together. The situation was getting more dismal by the hour. He had the two of them wandering around aimlessly out here and for what? Weren't like there was a chance of finding anyone from the prison alive. As far as Daryl knew, him and Beth could be the last two walking meals wandering the face of this godforsaken planet.

He snapped the bolt in his hands before throwing its pieces into the dead leaves at his feet. At some point real soon he was gonna need to do a supply run to restock, knowing without looking that he was now down to four. That wasn't good. Daryl ran a dirty hand over his brow in frustration before digging his fingers into his temple. Four bolts and a useless girl… Christ, this sucks.

Out of the corner of his eye saw the leaves shifting on the ground as a mud snake slithered its way out of its lair. Daryl watched its progress disinterestedly until his thoughts drifted back to a distant buried memory he had of his brother.

It was a long time ago and Merle had gotten busted for stealing a case of beer from the local liquor store. He was in the deepest of shit with their Pa and, in an effort to avoid the inevitable ass whupping he knew he had coming, had decided to hide out in the woods just past the county line until the old man cooled off. Daryl had been with him and even though he had been only 11 or 12 at the time, was already well set on the path of following in his older brother's delinquent footsteps.

Two days out and hungry, Merle had caught a redbelly water snake with nothing but his bare hands and a rusty bowie knife, skinned it and cooked it until it was a charred mess. ''That'll put hair on ya balls Darylina!'' He had cackled like the asshole he was, watching as Daryl attempted to choke down the tough pieces of meat. It had tasted like shit, but it was either that or starve.

As Daryl watched the snake weave its way around the debris on the ground, he pulled out his knife. The way he reckoned, beggars can't be choosers.

….

**Thank you for taking the time to read ''What Still Lies Ahead'' to this point. This is my first time writing… well, anything! and I'd like to hear how I'm doing. If you care to post a comment or review - thank you very much. If not, again thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

…...Chapter 4….

Once they had made it back in the thick of the woods, Daryl had quickly picked a place he deemed suitable for them to set up camp. At least Beth could only assume that was the case as the man had merely dumped his bag of car parts on the ground before taking off without so much as a by your leave. Since she was left to her own devices and with nothing better to do, Beth decided to try to set up the camp herself. If she did a decent job maybe Daryl would see that she could be an asset out here after all. She doubted it, but it was always a possibility.

After digging a pit, Beth used a piece of broken glass she had taken from the old sedan to start a small fire. The concentrated sunlight caused the dry batch of moss she was using for tinder to smoke slightly before finally catching on. Elated, she leaned down to blow lightly on the pile until it until her meager efforts flamed to life. Adding larger twigs, Beth gave a moment of thanks that she had paid attention in girl scouts. After all, it wasn't like Daryl was being forthcoming with his knowledge of fire building, so she was fairly proud of the fact that she'd been able to do it all on her own.

As she hung the rusty hubcaps from the nearby trees, she glanced around to see that there was still no sign of her companion. She didn't give it much thought other than to hope that whatever it was that he was doing, it included finding the two of them something to eat. She was so hungry that even the tough squirrel meat she had always secretly despised sounded appealing. Footsteps crunched behind her, effectively breaking Beth from her reverie and causing her to whirl around as she fumbled clumsily for the knife at her hip.

''Jus' me.'' Daryl felt the need to state as she stared at him wide eyed, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. As he stepped into the camp, Beth couldn't help but notice the large snake coiled up in his hand. It was missing its head and was in the process of bleeding profusely down the leg of his pants.

''What's that?'' She asked, unable to help herself and hoping against the odds that it wasn't what she thought it was going to be.

A look of exasperation flittered across Daryl's face before his features quickly slipped back into their normal standard surliness. ''Mud snake.'' He grunted out, not feeling the need to expand further upon the obvious. Daryl dropped the crossbow in the dirt near the fire before pulling his knife from its holster. Deeming the conversation over, he went to work on the snake carcass, skinning and gutting it silently while keeping his back to her.

Beth plopped down on a nearby fallen log and watched half-heartedly as he laid each piece of meat he cut on a rock by the fire, grimacing as the blood ran down its crevasses to puddle in the dirt. She wished she had the nerve to ask him how he knew such a thing was even edible, but she didn't dare voice the question out loud. Daryl had a way of making her feel like an idiot during the best of interactions, she wasn't about to purposefully put herself out there to draw his ire.

Pausing, Daryl glanced over. ''There a problem?''

''Are you really going to try and cook that?'' She asked skeptically, trying her best not to sound as grossed out as she felt at the notion.

He stabbed the blade in his hand forcefully into the dirt, making it clear what he thought of such a question.

''If ya got somethin' better in mind, have at it.'' He growled dismissively.

Not having a suitable response, Beth decided to keep to herself as Daryl tended to the meat on the fire. It had been so long since she'd eaten anything that the smell of the food in the air was making her stomach churn painfully. Daryl dropped to his haunches and stabbed his knife into one of the smaller pieces, pulling it from the flames to poke at it with his finger. It must have been done to his liking because he indicated over to her with a nod of his head and held it out expectantly.

Beth swallowed heavily at the sight of the piece of flesh now dripping hot fat onto the ground by his boot. She was seriously contemplating whether she was actually hungry enough to warrant eating such a thing. Of all the times their group had been on the run, they'd never had to resort to eating something that slithered in the dirt. A slight smirk crossed Daryl's face as he circled the food in her general direction, much like one would a meaty bone to a dog.

''This or nothin'.'' Daryl said, sounding vaguely amused.

Her eyes narrowed at that. The daring tone in his voice spoke to everything competitive in her nature and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug look from his face. Standing up, she swept the dirt from the back of her jeans with her hands before striding over to where he was squatting by the fire. Well, wasn't like there was much choice in the matter, she consoled herself as she gingerly plucked the cooling greasy meat from the end of his knife.

Daryl shook his head indifferently before returning to tend to the rest of the food on the flames. Determined to ignore him, Beth sat down to pick at her dinner with her nails, trying to find any parts of it that wasn't burnt or raw. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to put it in her mouth, biting down to find the meat gristly and barely edible. Fighting her gag reflex, she made herself keep eating, not knowing when she'd get the chance to eat again. Every congealed chunk she swallowed felt like it was laying in her stomach like rocks. As she was finishing, she could honestly say she didn't feel any better for eating the meal than she did when she was starving.

Beth looked over to see Daryl foregoing his fingers, instead attempting to tear into the tough meat with his teeth. She took a deep breath, deciding it was as good a time as any to say what had been on her mind for a while. ''I need a drink.''

Without breaking his concentration, Daryl picked up the water bottle by his feet and tossed it over.

''No,'' She said, ignoring the bottle as it landed in the dirt. ''I mean a real drink… as in alcohol.''

Daryl had gone back to gnawing on the piece of snake flesh in his hands and seemed content to ignore her without so much as a second thought. Beth picked delicately at the last of the charred meat in her own before continuing tentatively.

''I've never had one… like, a real one… because of my dad,'' She paused as she searched for a reaction of any kind from him. ''But he's not exactly around anymore so…I thought maybe we could go find some?''

The only sound that filled the air was the wet noise of Daryl licking his fingers in between greasy bites. Mentally rolling her eyes, Beth released a huff of frustration under her breath as she glared at his profile. While it was typical Daryl that he would act this way, she was getting tired of being treated like an inconvenience that wouldn't just go the hell away. Beth pulled herself to her feet. She wasn't going to be deterred and she was past caring what repercussions her actions may incur from the redneck anymore. She was doing this and the way she figured, anything was better than sitting there a moment longer in the stagnant, defeated mentality that permeated the camp.

''Ok, well… enjoy your snake jerky.'' She said, grabbing her knife from where she left it before heading out of the camp the way he had come in.

Beth traipsed determinedly through the thick of the surrounding woods before stopping to glare back at nothing in particular.

''Jerk.'' She muttered furiously under her breath.

The man had some nerve to act like he was the only one who had lost everything when the prison fell. It wasn't like it was his father he had to watch get decapitated by some deranged asshole.

Beth could feel the tears welling in the back of her eyes.

It was impossible to even grieve with someone like Daryl around. He seemed to hone in on the slightest hint of weakness, exploiting it to justify his own misgivings. All she wanted was just a moment to forget what happened, forget about this hellish existence. To just lose herself…

A sudden sharp movement to her right immediately caught Beth's attention and her eyes darted nervously into the tangled foliage for the source. Four or five walkers appeared in the distance, stumbling clumsily as they attempted to traverse the uneven forest floor. Her breath hitched in her throat as she pressed herself against the nearest tree. Had she been seen? She pulled out her knife and peered carefully around the tree trunk. They were heading in her direction but not with the uncanny speed that a potential meal usually invoked.

Knowing she could take down a few on her own but not all of them, Beth picked up a nearby rock and tossed as far away from herself as she could manage. It landed with a noisy thud, providing just enough of a distraction to make the walkers change course. As she watched them meander away, Beth couldn't help but slump against the tree in relief. The last thing in the world she wanted to do was call out to Daryl because she had gotten into a situation she couldn't get out of on her own.

Unexpectedly and as if summoned, Daryl appeared as if out of thin air with his crossbow set high in his arms. Beth gasped and swung around with her knife still gripped tightly in her hand, the relief she had felt previously diminishing under his intense glare. The two of them faced off as each assessed the situation at hand. Seeing that the threat had past, Daryl lowered the crossbow and without a word disappeared back into the trees. Confused, Beth was left staring after him, wondering why somebody who obviously couldn't care less if she lived or died felt the need to even come looking for her in the first place.

…..

Daryl threw the inedible portion of his meat into the dying fire and glanced over to where Beth had left the camp. Wiping his hands down his pant leg, he worried lightly at his bottom lip as he contemplated what it was about the girl that dug so aggressively under his skin. He didn't recall feeling that way about her when they'd been at the prison, but then again, their interactions had been understandably minimal. To him she had just blended into the background, not adding or detracting from anything important, nothing really but another mouth to feed.

It had been pretty damn clear that she had something on her mind but Daryl didn't care enough to try and coerce it out of her. Her nervous fidgeting had already put him on edge and he was wound tightly enough as it was, the tension coursing throughout his body pushing him to a breaking point that a lack of sleep wasn't helping. It all spelled bad news. Not trusting his own antagonistic nature, he decided it best to ignore her. Whatever she needed to say, he figured she'd get to spitting it out sooner or later.

And when she did, it hadn't remotely been what he'd expected. A fucking drink?! Did she think this was some kind of joke?

Daryl pulled himself to his feet and kicked some dirt over the last remnants of the fire with more force than was necessary to get the job done. Beth had been gone for a while now and the part of him that wanted to not give a shit warred with his own damndable conscience. Both were aware of the fact that one person alone was no match for the amount of walkers that roamed freely through the area, especially if that one person was nothing but a slight girl. Frustrated, Daryl snatched up the crossbow. As he followed her tracks out of the camp, he resigned himself to the fact that he'd have a hard time living with himself if he lost the last person left from the prison due to her own stupidity.

She hadn't been that hard to find, not to a tracker like him. If the imprinted footsteps hadn't been enough, the stark contrast of her pale hair to the green of the surrounding foliage would have been a dead giveaway. She had just managed to distract a small group of walkers using a rock and was hiding behind a tree as she waited to see if her diversionary tactic had worked.

Goddamn it.

Daryl hefted the crossbow up to his cheek and approached cautiously, being mindful to keep an eye on the retreating backs of the walkers while scanning the area for others. Fuckers always seemed to travel in large herds now, the smaller groups congregating together as the end of the world dragged on. The dead corpses meandering away were either the tail end of one, or a precursor to another. Either way, there was no way in hell the two of them would be staying out here tonight.

The moment she sensed his presence, Beth had swung around and froze in place, her knuckles white around the handle of the blade in her hands. When his unexpected appearance finally registered, a questioning look flashed across her features. Daryl wasn't inclined to explain himself and he sure as shit wasn't going to say that he'd been looking for her, so instead he just turned around and headed back the way he came trusting that she'd follow.

As they got closer to where their things were, Beth began vocalizing the ideas she had formulated about where they could possibly go looking to find her a drink. Hefting the crossbow higher onto his back, Daryl tuned her out as he picked up the pace. Girl was mistaken if she thought he had changed his mind about joining her on her stupid escapade. He stepped into the makeshift camp and paused only when Beth ran head-on into the line of hanging hubcaps, causing them to clang together noisily.

''What the hell?!'' She snapped angrily, taking a step back. ''You brought me back! I'm not staying in this suck ass camp!'' She threw a middle finger up in his face and spun around to leave.

Enraged, Daryl grabbed the offending hand before she had a the chance. What the fuck!

''Hey!'' He barked. ''You done had your fun!''

Beth yanked her hand from his grip wildly. ''What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you feel anything? Yeah, you think everything's fucked… I guess that's a feeling.''

She glanced past him to where the fire pit had been. ''So what, you want to spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and eatin' mud snakes? To hell with that! We might as well do something!''

Daryl didn't know what to say in response so he did what he did best and said nothing at all. It was the first time he'd ever seen an inkling of conviction from her and it was throwing him off. He was the type of person that preferred to take people at face value and found it unnerving when they switched up what he believed about them to be true only to adopt a completely different personality. The Beth in front of him was not the meek and unremarkable Beth he had always pegged her for, this was a different girl.

When no reaction from him was forthcoming, Beth squared her shoulders before stating, ''I can take care of myself and I'm going to go get a damn drink.''

As she walked away, Daryl was left looking around the camp she had set up. She was right about one thing, he _did_ think everything was fucked. That's 'cause it was. They had been unbelievably complacent at the prison, and it had fallen out from under them in a moments notice. Hershel had died as a result and the guilt of it was eating him alive.

Now he was stuck out here with the man's youngest daughter, a girl who seemed hell bent on joining her father with this pointless and reckless compulsion.

Daryl walked over and grabbed the half empty bottle of water that still lay where he had tossed it earlier. It didn't take much of an effort to see that there was nothing else in the make shift camp worth taking. Curling his lip derisively at it, he headed out. This whole situation had done nothing but suck ass since the moment he'd been thrown out here.

It didn't take him long to catch up to Beth. Much like before she seemed to be waiting for him quietly in the wings while he contemplated getting with the agenda. Fuck it, he thought as he walked past her to silently take the lead. Wasn't like he had anything better to do and he could straight up use a goddamn drink himself.

….

**Reviews and comments are always welcome. Thank you for reading "What Still Lies Ahead" to this point :)**


	5. Chapter 5

….Chapter 5…..

''Golfers like to booze it up, right?''

Though not really expecting an answer, Beth still glanced back at Daryl as he warily emerged from the trees behind her. The two of them had seen signs for the Pine Vista Country Club on the main road and now that the building was finally in sight, she was finding it hard to suppress the flare of hope that was rising painfully in her chest. From afar, it looked like the break they desperately needed. Looks could be deceiving though so she waited patiently as Daryl surveyed the area, still somewhat surprised that he had conceded to come along to do so in the first place.

Daryl gave a cursory glance around only to pause as his eyes narrowed on something in the distance. Beth followed his line of sight to see a group of walkers making their way across the overgrown grass of the golf course. She released a defeated sigh under her breath. Was there anywhere that wasn't infested with these godforsaken things?

''C'mon.'' She uttered, heading in the opposite direction to where the club stood abandoned.

Daryl hesitated only for a moment before following. After seeing the walkers, he must have decided it to be the only viable option. Even she knew that their odds were better with anything that might be inside the building than what was obviously out here.

Beth's eyes darted around nervously as she tentatively approached the stairs leading to the clubs front doors. There was a dead body wedged against them that looked like it had been rotting in its own filth for quite some time. Daryl's fingers on her arm stopped her in her tracks and she jerked slightly under the unexpected touch on her bare skin.

''Hold up.'' He said gruffly.

Puzzled, she took a step back and searched his face. ''Why? There might be a few people inside…''

He removed his hand to hold it up placatingly. ''Jus'… hold up.''

Daryl cautiously made his way over to the body and bent down to shimmy out the bloodied golf club that was clutched in the dead mans grip. Once he had it, he checked the doors quietly only to find them locked from the inside. A rumbling groan behind them had them both turning around to see that more walkers had joined the ranks of those that were ambling closer. Daryl ran down the steps and headed around the side of the building, leaving Beth to follow quickly in his wake.

The second door they found was slightly ajar and Daryl held a finger to his lips before he carefully opening it. The normal protocol for entering an unknown building was to bang on the closest window, wait and see what responded. The speed of the approaching walkers made that impossible so they both hastily entered, Daryl leading the way with the golf club held high in striking position.

Beth shivered as the cool air of the rooms dark interior struck her. That was right after the god awful smell. She found it hard to remember a time now that hadn't been permeated in some way by the stench of the dead, unable to even recall the fresh summer breezes of the Greene farm at this point. Releasing the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, Beth blinked rapidly in an attempt to adjust her eyes to the sudden dimness. When everything came into focus, she regretted it almost immediately.

As Daryl wedged the golf club through the handles of the door to create a makeshift lock, she glanced around the shadowy carnage of the room. It was only when he clicked on a small flashlight he had found amongst the strewn wreckage that the extent of hell of which they found themselves came into full view.

The floor was littered with gutted carcasses and discarded body parts, all of which had decayed disgustingly into the once plush carpets. Camping gear and empty wine bottles were strewn all over the place, mixed in with personal belongings and lines of hanging clothes. There were muffled groans coming from somewhere and Daryl shone the beam to the ceiling to see five walkers hanging by the neck from the rooms upper rafters.

''Stupid sons 'a bitches.'' He muttered as he shrugged the crossbow from his back.

Two of the more livelier ones attempted to claw pointlessly in their direction, but none were any kind of a threat. Beth cringed at the sight of their empty swollen faces, their eyes unseeing and ghostly in the gleam of the flashlight as they hung there lethargically.

''Why'd they do that?'' She whispered, swallowing against the bile rising in her throat.

Daryl swung the light back to the floor, descending those hanging above back into darkness.

''Guessin' they didn't know we're all infected,'' He said quietly as he finished his sweep of the room. ''Tried ta end it before the real shit started. Probably been holed up here since tha beginning.''

Since nothing else seemed to be unnaturally moving about, they both took a moment to look around more carefully. Beth grabbed a discarded flashlight of her own and found herself at a large table covered with trash and burnt out candles. There were torn out pages from coloring books with the used crayons still laying next to them. Shifting carefully around the broken glass, she picked up an ornate coin and wiped it off with the edge of the tablecloth. It was imprinted with the words 'Washington D.C.' and had a picture of the capital building on it. Beth shoved it into her pocket. She also took a lighter, a tube of chap stick and an old postcard she found of the Country Club taken in its better days.

The sound of jingling drew her attention and she shone her beam over to see Daryl haphazardly shoving piles of money and jewelry into an old backpack. He seemed almost frantic as he scooped up the strands of pearls and diamonds, throwing them in next to the wads of $100 bills until the bag was bulging at the seams.

''Why are you keeping all that?'' She asked, confused. Money had no more value in the new world than did the paper it was printed on.

The noisy walkers outside arrived to bang incessantly at the door, causing its hinges to bulge under their combined weight as they pressed against it. Daryl swung the bag onto his back with a grunt before grabbing the crossbow which was laying on the floor next to it. Beth ran ahead of him into the adjacent room and he followed, stopping only to slam shut the large ornate doors behind them. As their flashlights cut into the darkness, Beth resigned herself to the fact that now they had no choice but to head deeper into the bowels of the building, all while beginning to seriously regret ever bringing them here.

…..

Daryl pushed against the blood splattered door with his shoulder until it gave enough for the two of them to squeeze by it. He held the flashlight against the handle of the Horton as he quickly swept the room, making sure to touch upon every hiding spot that could be concealed by the fallen racks strewn about the place. His light fell on the large grill that lined the back wall. In front of it was a long, filth covered prep table. They were in the kitchen.

Behind him, he could hear Beth cautiously opening the cabinets, the beam of her flashlight randomly crossing his as she swung it around during her search. Even though she was being as quiet as she could, the sound of the hinges squeaking to a close pierced through the silence surrounding them. Daryl glanced sharply over his shoulder only to see her apprehensively approaching the doors that lead to the kitchens large pantry.

''Get ya knife out before ya go in there,'' He uttered quietly, figuring that he wasn't her keeper. ''Ya wanna be ready if one of them bastards gets tha jump on you.''

She nodded mindfully in the glare of his flashlight before pulling her blade from its hip holster. As she disappeared past the swinging doors, Daryl continued forward on his own, stepping over the piles of debris on the floor while avoiding the charred remnants of a body that someone had obviously tried to burn. The narrow beam of light created distorted shadows in the dirty stainless steel of the kitchens appliances and he gripped the crossbow a little tighter in his hand.

There was an old sheet hanging on the wall ahead and he approached it carefully, stepping around the dozens of empty cans that were stacked precariously on the floor. The light in his hand showed the grungy fabric swaying slightly, as if caught in a breeze. Using a limb of the crossbow, Daryl cautiously lifted the edge to see a set of ill fitting swinging doors underneath that were tagged as 'In' and 'Out'. The cool air that pushed between them was tainted with the stink of death.

A commotion from the pantry suddenly shattered the silence, causing his heart to drop out from underneath him.

Shit! Beth!

Quickly tracing his way back across the space, Daryl barreled through the double doors using the back of his shoulder before swinging the crossbow up and over to point it down the narrow hallway. In the distance he could hear a walker snarling ferociously as Beth noisily fought with it and although he couldn't actually see the girl herself, the beam of her flashlight sporadically cut across the long hallway, jerking violently in the struggle.

Rounding the corner, Daryl arrived just in time to see her stab at the large male walker with the broken remains of a wine bottle. The damn thing took two jabs to the face and still kept lunging at her. Before Daryl could intervene, Beth pulled her knife and sunk it into the walkers decaying eye socket, shoving the body away from her as it slid heavily to the floor. Gasping for breath, she winced under the glare of Daryl's flashlight.

''Thanks for the help.'' She managed to ground out.

Daryl dropped the beam before saying seriously, ''Ya said you could take care of yourself… you did.''

A brief look of hurt flashed across her features before she swallowed against it determinedly. As he turned around to head back out the way he came in, Daryl wondered if he had done the right thing, letting the girl handle it on her own. She obviously couldn't fight for shit. That was going to have to change and quickly because there were no guarantees that he'd always be there to step in and save her ass. Still, the look she had given him had felt like a punch to the gut. He couldn't begin to say why, so he chose not to read to deeply into it as he led them both back to where the sheet hung in the kitchen.

….

After pushing past the doors, they found themselves in a long hallway that led directly to the clubs gift shop and pool. It would have been a straight shot through if not for the fallen trophy cases tilted haphazardly in the way. The carpet beneath them all was littered with broken glass and dark, unidentifiable patches of gore that had crusted over. Daryl briefly considered trying to set each heavy case back against the wall in their original positions but was quickly dissuaded when the trophies scattered inside collided together noisily on his first attempt.

Dropping to his haunches, Daryl shone a light under the closest one. He was able to make out a traversable path clear through to the other side. It would be tight in spots but do-able as long as they worked together.

''Gonna have ta go under 'em.'' He said resignedly, not looking forward to having to crawl over the glass that twinkled unappealingly in the glare of the flashlight.

Beth saw it too and just nodded in agreeance.

Daryl handed the crossbow to her before taking out his knife. Using the flat of the blade, he swept away as much glass as he could before shimmying carefully under the first massive cabinet. Once clear, he reached under for Beth to pass him the crossbow before she followed his lead. They repeated the process past all of the cabinets, only stopping to move aside any heavy trophies or debris that had fallen in the way.

The whole process had taken longer than he liked, but Daryl considered the sacrifice worth it as the two of them had managed to make it through almost silently. He held no illusions that there weren't more walkers in the building and the last place he wanted to encounter them was in some shitty little narrow hallway with unmovable objects blocking them in front and behind. When they finally got to the gift shop doors, Daryl found he was able to breathe a lot easier for being out of the tight claustrophobic space.

The gift shop itself was unremarkable and fairly untouched. After the initial sweep, they both drifted off to look around and see if there was anything remotely salvageable. Daryl fumbled around with the register only to find it locked shut. The tip jar next to it was full though, so he stuffed the crumpled dollar bills into his pocket. He came across some coffee stirrers and quickly shoved one in his mouth with the hopes that chewing on it would ease the severe nicotine withdrawals he was having. He had yet to come across any discarded smokes in this place and the cravings were making him edgy and antagonistic.

He was looking in one of the display cases when Beth came out of the changing room dressed in a new yellow shirt and a white sweater. She smoothed the shirt over her hips and looked up to catch him staring. Immediately realizing he was doing so, Daryl turned back to what he was doing.

If Beth had an inkling that he was suddenly uncomfortable, she didn't let on as she asked if it would be ok if they could rest where they were for a moment.

''Don't see why not.'' Daryl said, not bothering to look up.

Beth sunk down in a nearby chair and stared pallidly across the room. Wandering over, Daryl placed the Horton quietly on a nearby table before shrugging off the backpack to set it next to the weapon. Settling himself on a dilapidated bar stool, he bit around the straw in his mouth and also studied the grotesque sight in front of the two of them with barely concealed disgust.

It was the decaying torso of a woman, adorned garishly with expensive jewelry and a sign around her neck that said 'Rich Bitch'. If the sentiment wasn't jarring enough, the fact that she had been cut in half and placed on the lower part of a mannequin spoke volumes. It was a surreally disturbing sight and Daryl didn't want to speculate about the chain of events that might have led up to such a thing.

Beth seemed in a trance as she looked at the woman too. When she got up from her seat to tentatively approach the withered figure, Daryl wasn't really surprised. The one thing he knew about the girl was that she still had an inherent belief in the goodness of people and held to the faith that they were still worth while. Daryl supposed it came from the luxury of living a sheltered life. To him, the world they lived in now wasn't much different than the one he used to know, only now the true nature of the ugliness was exposed for all to see.

Reaching out, Beth attempted to cover the sign with the tattered remains of the woman's own cardigan, pulling at the fabric gingerly before entreating to Daryl, ''Help me take her down.''

''Don't matter,'' He monotoned. ''She's dead.''

Beth shot him a look. ''It _does_ matter!''

Daryl released a huff of reluctance before grabbing a dusty tablecloth from one of the piles of old linen stacked on the floor. He shook it out and tossed it over the woman's mutilated carcass. His good deed done, he sat back down to watch as Beth attempted to neatly rearrange the fabric, taking as much care with the endeavor as she would for someone she knew personally. Weren't nothing but a damn waste of time if you asked him. When she finished, she slumped back down defeatedly in her seat, seemingly content to never look at her own handiwork ever again.

''Told ya,'' Daryl said derisively, removing the straw from between his teeth to indicate towards the corpse with it. ''Don't matter for shit. Ain't no different from tha other rich bastards laying 'round this place. Don't see ya givin' _them_ a damn private memorial.''

Beth's eyes narrowed. ''None of these _people_ asked for this Daryl.''

''Pffft,'' Daryl put the straw back in his mouth. ''Says you.''

''What's that supposed to mean?''

''Don't mean nothin'. Fuckin' forget it.''

''Why are you acting like that then?'' She asked, her tone rising in frustration as she sat up defensively.

''_Why_?!'' He snapped furiously, surging out of his seat to snatch up the backpack from where he had tossed it earlier. ''I'll tell ya why! Whole world goes ta hell and what'd these dumb asses do? All went runnin' for their stupid uppity country club like a bunch 'a chicken shits, that's what!''

Digging his hand into the bag, Daryl pulled out a fistful of hundred dollar bills with a snort of derision. ''An' what'd they bring with 'em, huh? Nothin' but a shit ton 'a cash like they could buy their way outta this!''

Daryl angrily threw the money across the room and watched as it flittered down on the stale air. Breathing heavily, he turned around only to see Beth staring at him wide eyed. It must not have been the answer she was looking for. Even in death, these people were saturated with a sick sense of entitlement that only being rich and privileged could afford. Beth couldn't possibly understand how much he hated them, she had never known what it was like to be looked down upon your entire life by people just like them.

Ignoring the confusion written on her face, Daryl closed up the back pack before slinging it over his shoulders. Picking up the Horton, his gaze fell on hers. ''They got what was comin' to 'em.''

Beth stood up and paused a moment before saying determinedly, ''No they didn't. No one deserves… _that_.'' She indicated to the dead woman perched on her morbid pedestal before moving to sweep past him.

Daryl stared at the draped figure and struggled to find an ounce of sympathy at the pathetic sight. It did nothing but reaffirmed his belief that this world was now all about survival of the strongest. No amount of money or wealth was going to change that fact. The piece of white trash that hadn't been deemed worthy of a second look would be the one surviving in the end.

''Yeah? Well someone here thought they did.'' Daryl uttered scathingly.

Justified, he glanced over his shoulder only to find he was all alone. Beth had already left the room.

…..

**Thank you so much to all who have taken a moment to review "What Still Lies Ahead" to this point. Seeing that I have never attempted anything like this before, your encouraging words were exactly what I needed to hear! It's great to see that people are following the story as well! More to come soon!**

** No TWD copyright infringement intended, just Bethyl forever.**


	6. Chapter 6

….Chapter 6…..

Beth was following the signs to the gym when Daryl caught up to her.

''What tha hell. Ya jus' gonna take off like that?'' He griped as he moved past her to take the lead.

He obviously wasn't interested in a response and she wasn't inclined give one. Daryl's cold, pessimistic outlook was proving to be a tough pill to swallow for Beth. She was hanging by a tenuous thread to the belief that there was still a degree of human decency left in the world and he seemed determined to do nothing but crap all over it. She wasn't as naïve as he thought. Since leaving her daddy's farm she had seen enough god awful things to begin to doubt in the notion herself, but if she couldn't dare to hope then what was the purpose of living?

The argument they'd just had made Beth wonder how someone who would've gladly laid his life on the line for any member of their own group could harbor such resentments for the lives of others. She didn't know anything about who Daryl was before the turn, but figured that his personal experiences had to play a factor in the convictions he swore by now.

Somehow he had managed to convince himself that the fall of the prison meant nothing to him and Beth guessed that a defense mechanism like that would be very effective - it ensured that he didn't need to care. And it obviously worked, she hadn't seen an ounce of emotion from the man when they'd come across the carnage at the train tracks, which was such bullshit because she knew Daryl had cared about Luke and recalled the little boy idolizing the hunter in return.

The grandfather clock at the end of the hallway began to chime loudly, abruptly jerking Beth from her reverie. She instantly froze in place as Daryl swung around, his flashlight held high to pan down the length of the dark hallway. He held up a finger as he listened intently for any sound that could permeate the air around them. They stared unblinkingly at each other as they waited for any potentially unwanted fallout from the unexpected noise. Instinctually, Beth placed a hand over her heart. It was thudding so loudly she was sure Daryl could hear it above the din.

The metallic ringing finally ceased leaving only the hushed sound of their own stilted breathing behind. Slowly, the sounds of the walking dead began to stir from the adjacent rooms as surely as if the clanging timepiece had been a dinner bell.

''Shit!'' Daryl whispered urgently, ''Move!''

He gave Beth a shove to get her going and she ran to the doors leading to the gym only to find them locked. As she glanced furtively over her shoulder to see the beam of Daryl's flashlight illuminate the multitude of walkers that had begun to congregate out in the hallway, their dead gazes instantly honing in on the two of them.

''Daryl!'' Beth said frantically, ''It's locked!'' She yanked on it for emphasis.

''C'mon, get over here!'' He cut off the flashlight, plunging everything in the narrow corridor into blackness.

Disorientated, Beth was suddenly blinded by natural light as Daryl kicked open the door that led to the gyms locker rooms. The high windows provided the first glimpse of the outside they'd seen in a while and it was a stark contrast to the perpetual darkness that had been a constant for the last few hours.

Once inside, Beth quickly glanced around. There was trash scattered everywhere and the rows of broken lockers led to the tiled bathroom and shower units and not much else. Daryl ran in after her and upon seeing the dead end in which they found themselves, pulled the crossbow from his back just in time to take down the first walker to stumble in behind them.

With no time to reload, Daryl quickly grabbed a random golf club that was laying amongst the debris on the floor and swung it at the head of the next walker through the door just as it lunged for him. Beth winced and did her best to stay out of the way as Daryl proceeded to wail on it and the subsequent ones that followed, attacking each one more violently than the last. He was like a man possessed, grunting with each swing as he took out his fury on them until his chest was heaving with the exertion.

By the time Daryl was finished, everything in the small room, including Beth, was splattered with a sheen of decaying blood. Panting heavily, he yanked the club from where it was wedged in the head of the last walker he had taken down and looked over to see Beth staring at him pallidly.

Stunned by the naked display of aggression, Beth slowly looked down at herself to see the white sweater she had picked out was now covered in a layer of gore. She swallowed heavily as her eyes slowly rose back up to the person in the room with her. It was hard to see any of the Daryl she thought she knew in the man that was staring back at her unapologetically. It was like he was a complete stranger. Beth shrugged the dirty sweater off and let it fall amongst the rest of the trash on the floor. Having no words, she picked her way tentatively around him to make her way to the door, disappearing back into the darkness without a backwards glance.

…...

Daryl tried to blink away the last remnants of the red haze that had clouded his vision as he watched Beth leave the room. Looking around, he had no idea how many walkers he had killed, only that his rage had needed an outlet and they had inexplicably represented everything that had caused it. The adrenaline surging in his veins only added fuel to the fire and he had found himself swinging the club with such velocity that his muscles were left trembling in its wake.

He didn't expect someone like Beth to understand… hell, Daryl barely understood it himself. The consequence of a shitty childhood, the anger inside him was a consistent that burned long before the end of the world had created a need for it. While his time at the prison had tempered it to a degree, it would always be something that dwelled within him, simmering just beneath the surface.

And it had scared her, Daryl had seen it in her face.

It was a part of himself that he struggled to keep hidden, much like the scars that ran the length of his back. The last vestige of a redneck asshole with no place to go and nothing to lose. He never thought it would be Beth that he'd lose his shit in front of like that though. The shocked look in her eyes had been like having a bucket of ice water thrown in his face, dissipating the anger induced fog as it attempted to remind him of the person he was, not the one he used to be.

Of course Beth couldn't have know any of that, how would she? Much like a deer trying to escape the lions den, she had circled carefully around him to high tail it the hell out of there, leaving the carnage and the man that had caused it behind.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Daryl reached over the corpse at his feet to pull the discarded crossbow out from under it. Fuck it, what was done was done. There wasn't a goddamn thing he could do about it other than to get over it and move on.

Daryl glanced around one last time and decided to do just that, figuring it best to mentally leave what just happened in the room there with the dead bodies that were littered in it. If Beth had something she wanted to say about it… well, he'd try his best to quell his natural tendency to fly off the handle and just deal with it then.

As Daryl went in search of the girl, he just hoped she wasn't holding her breath expecting to hear some kind of apology. He was done traipsing around this shithole and wasn't much in the apologizing mood.

As it turned out, she hadn't too gone far. Back tracking down the only hallway they hadn't already covered, Daryl rounded the corner to find her standing there staring off into the distance. Looking past her, he saw that they'd finally reached what had been the purpose of this whole endeavor to begin with, the golf clubs private bar.

''We made it.'' Beth said quietly.

She turned around to face him. ''Look, I know you think this is stupid and it probably is, but… I don't care. All I wanted to do today was lay down and cry but we don't get to do that so… beat up on walkers if that makes you feel better. This is what I need to do.''

Keeping any response he might have had to himself, Daryl followed her into the spacious area and wandered aimlessly around the dirty tables while she headed directly to the bar itself. The sunlight filtering through the torn newspaper taped to the windows was enough to see by so he turned off the flashlight and shoved it into his back pocket. Beth began searching through the bottles behind the counter, shaking random ones to see if they had anything left in them. With nothing better to do and with ample time to kill, Daryl picked halfheartedly through the clutter that covered every other viable surface in the room. Since he was still on the hunt for some smokes, this was as good a place as any to continue looking for them.

While digging around, his gaze happened upon a simple picture frame that was hanging haphazardly on the wall. Stepping over to take a closer look, Daryl saw it was a poem of some kind that had been painstakingly handwritten in another language, maybe Latin or French. For reasons beyond him, he hefted up the crossbow and broke the glass out of the frame using the butt of the weapon. He didn't understand a damn thing it said but it seemed a shame to leave it here to rot along with everything else in this dump.

At the unexpected noise, Beth bolted up from behind the bar with her hand at her chest. Daryl ignored her as he peeled the delicate paper from its backing to roll it up and shove it into the backpack. He closed the bag up tight before shrugging it back over his shoulders.

''Did you have to break the glass?'' She asked with a hint of sarcasm as she walked around the bar, bottle in hand.

''No.''

Daryl was bending over to pick up the Horton when a familiar flash of red and white caught in his peripherals. Sure enough it was a pack of Marlboros, stashed inconspicuously under a box of old playing cards. Yes! Grabbing both, he spoke over to her, ''You have your drink yet?''

Beth sat down on one of the tall bar stools and set the bottle down gently in front of her. ''No… but I found this,'' She rotated the bottle with her fingers until the label was readable. '' 'Peach Schnapps'.''

Daryl slipped the cards into his vest pocket before pulling out one of the cigarettes to tap it on the back of his hand. There were only four left in the dilapidated pack but it was still a whole hell of a lot better than the zero he had a moment ago. As soon as it was lit, he pulled the smoke into his grateful lungs, feeling his temperament leveling out almost immediately as the nicotine worked its way though his deprived system.

Beth indicating to the bottle as he walked past her, ''Is it any good?''

''No.'' Daryl huffed around the cigarette hanging from his lips.

Disgruntled, she stared after him. ''Well, it's all that's left.''

Turning around, Daryl practically tossed the crossbow onto the pool table to have it land in a cloud of dust. What the hell was the girl looking for, permission? As far as he was concerned, they had found about as much as he could've hoped for in this place with the pack of smokes tucked in his pocket. This was her deal and it wasn't like there were a whole lot of options to be so goddamn picky about it.

Pulling the cigarette from his mouth, Daryl gave an impatient wave of his hand, ''Best get ta drinkin' it then.''

''You don't want to have some?'' She sounded somewhat forlorn.

''Fuck no.''

Beth shrugged off his gruff response and then started hesitantly picking through the broken glassware that was all over the bar top, trying to find anything suitable to drink out of. Daryl watched her for a moment. If anything, she looked even more lost sitting by herself at that huge bar than she had before when they'd been traipsing around aimlessly outside.

Wandering over to the dartboard, Daryl plucked the darts from where they were stuck and stepped back into position to throw them. As he pulled the last drag from the smoke, his gaze was drawn to the smug faces of the golf clubs highest paying contributors that hung on proud display right next to the dartboard he was aiming for. Changing tactics, Daryl lobbed the darts at each of the smiling photographs, using a lot more force than was necessary to get them to stick and not feeling much better for the effort it required.

''You 'bout done yet?'' He asked impatiently as he stared at the targets.

When no response was forthcoming, he gave a cursory glance over his shoulder only to see Beth crying quietly over the dirty bottle in her hands. Instantly uncomfortable, Daryl dropped his eyes and turned away. What the hell? Had he caused that? Was this going to be a daily thing because he wasn't much good at handling tears.

Looking back over, he saw that Beth seemed tired and defeated as she attempted to stifle the sobs that racked her slim shoulders. The girl wasn't cut out for this anymore than he was cut out to exist among the people who had frequented this shitty ass country club. Neither one of them belonged here.

Flicking the cashed cigarette butt away, Daryl strode over to where she was slumped in her seat and snatched the bottle from her grip. He smashed it to the floor as Beth sniffled at him in confusion.

''Ain't gonna have ya first drink be no damn Peach Schnapps.'' He muttered.

Grabbing the Horton from the pool table, Daryl shoved open the back door before indicating back at her with a tilt of his head, ''C'mon.''

Beth hesitantly got up and wiped the tears away before following him out the door. There were minimal walkers on the backside of the property and it didn't take them long to traverse down the hill to get to the dense coverage that the surrounding tree line provided. As he took lead, Daryl noticed Beth seemed relieved to be out of the place, despite the fact that he had prevented her from accomplishing her goal. He'd be straight lying to himself if he said he didn't feel the same. It had been a toxic environment for them both and they were barely hanging on as it was.

As he made his way through the trees, Daryl began to worry at the skin around his thumb. While he knew where he was taking them, there was no saying if it would prove to be any better than the place they just left. But then again, how the hell could it be any worse? He would just make sure they kept their shit together - that meant no flying off the railings for him and no more teary breakdowns for her. At this point, it was about as solid a plan as he could hope to muster.

The two of them were just gonna have to make it work… after what they'd just been through, how hard could it be?

….

**Thank you to those who were nice enough to review Chapter 5 of "What Still Lies Ahead". My perception of the episodes "Still" and "Alone" was that Daryl and Beth gradually, almost unnoticeably, start to develop feelings for each other when neither one of them were expecting it. Before came bonding, acceptance and trust though. My writing of their story reflects that.**


	7. Chapter 7

…..Chapter 7…..

It had only taken as long as the walk down the embankment for Beth's initial relief at leaving to be completely eclipsed by the weight of her own guilty conscience.

There was no denying that everything that had happened at the country club had been her fault. It was because of her that they had been there, because of her that they had almost been over run. Even worse, her insistence had forced Daryl into coming along. The man knew a fools errand when he saw one and it galled her to know how right he had been - the whole thing had turned out to be unbelievably risky and dangerous, just like he knew it would be. She had put their lives on the line for nothing but a childish whim.

As they picked their way through the woods, Beth further struggled with the fact that yet again, Daryl had been witness to another bout of pointless crying. She had tried her damndest to stem the flow of tears for fear of how the surly redneck would react. The effort required to do so had been her downfall and they had managed to find traction anyway. It had not been her intention to end up at the bar sobbing like that and Beth still was confused as to what had come over her. She had just been pushing herself and fighting so hard to get that drink that once she had it, she had just crashed and burned.

To his credit, Daryl had managed to take the crying situation in stride despite the fact that weepy females were generally known to be the bane of his existence. Even more surprising was the fact that he hadn't gone out of his way to make her feel like crap about it, for which Beth was grateful. Maybe the man had a beating heart under that rough exterior after all…

''Ya gonna keep draggin' ass back there all day or what?''

….then again, maybe not.

The impatience in his tone made Beth look up to see that he had managed to get a fair distance ahead of her while she had been lost in thought. She picked up her pace to catch up to where he was waiting.

As she approached, Daryl lowered the crossbow to point it at the dirt beneath their feet. With a wave of his free hand indicating that she pass on by, he muttered, ''Ain't got much further ta go but I wanna get there before the sun sets.''

''Where are we going anyway?'' Beth asked as she made to walk by him. Now the two of them were back out in the open, she was curious as to where he could possibly have in mind that hadn't been an viable option for the last few nights they'd been stuck roughing it in the elements.

Daryl let out a huff as if the question was completely unnecessary. ''Jus' said it ain't much further. I'm guessin' you'll see it when we get there.''

She stopped in her tracks before turning around. ''Well, how much further?''

''What does it fuckin' matter?''

Beth's brows drew in disconcertion. He didn't need to be so damn rude about it! ''Jeez Daryl, I'm just asking.''

Done, he stormed past her, hefting the Horton over his shoulder as he went. ''Well, don't! I ain't in tha mood ta be answering a bunch'a questions right now!''

''You don't have to bite my head off!'' Beth could feel the blood in her veins beginning to boil as she fell into place behind him, ''I'm in this as well and deserve to…''

_''Deserve!''_ Daryl spat as he swung around angrily. He stalked back towards her and Beth had no choice but to take a step back as he pointed his finger aggressively in her face. ''Here, lemme ask _you_ a question! Did I deserve ta almost get killed back there jus' so you could get shit faced drunk? Huh… _Did I_?!''

Beth dropped her eyes. Everything inside of her that demanded that she stand up for herself could not compete with the undeniable fact that he was justified in what he was saying. ''You didn't have to go,'' She said in a small voice after a few moments. ''I told you I could take care of myself.''

Realizing that the full blown fight he was itching for wasn't going to be forthcoming, Daryl's anger immediately depleted. After a few moments he ran a hand down his face before saying resignedly, ''What, like I was jus' gonna let ya run off on ya own just 'cause ya stubborn?''

Somewhat encouraged by his much calmer tone of voice, Beth swallowed at her pride before tentatively approaching him. Her lower lip slid worriedly from between her teeth and she chewed at it nervously, ''Listen, I feel badly enough about everything as it is. If you only came because I made you, then… well, I'm sorry… and I can understand why you'd be mad about it.''

She looked up to find him staring at her mouth before his gaze darted up to meet hers. A look of confusion flittered across his face and he blinked as if to refocus on the subject at hand, leaving Beth wondering if he had even heard her poor excuse of an apology at all. Thrown off by the sudden strange turn in the interaction and with nothing better to say, Beth asked again, ''So… umm, where are we going?''

Daryl took a step back as she looked at him questioningly. ''We're here,'' He grunted, tilting his chin over to indicate not far from where they stood. ''Jus' past them trees.''

Beth looked over to see nothing but the trees themselves. She guessed she'd just have to take his word for it.

''C'mon.'' He said as he began walking off ahead of her as usual. Beth was quick to follow, not wanting to be left behind again. This time though and for the first time since leaving the prison, Daryl actually looked back over his shoulder just to make sure that she was.

…...

What the hell?

Daryl flexed his tired fingers around the handle of the crossbow and hefted it back up against his chest. It was a damn good thing he could rely on his inherent sense of direction to lead the two of them to where they were going because his brain felt like it had checked out of reality. He had just run a gamut of emotions all in one seemingly insignificant argument, the extremes of which somehow managing to confuse the shit out of him.

Granted, it didn't take much to get him riled up. It was a Dixon character trait that both brothers were well known for and neither had felt the need to rectify over the years. The last time Daryl had gone from zero to pissed off like that had been with Shane in front of the Greene family's barn. The two of them had gone at it over the finding of Sophia and had ended up nose to nose before being forcibly separated by Rick and the rest of the group.

In that particular instance his anger had been warranted and fully reciprocated by Shane in return. The former sheriff deputy and Rick's right hand man had some serious fucking issues of his own and been more than willing to step up to the plate. Daryl preferred it that way. If he was going to unleash on someone, he did it best when that kinetic energy was thrown right back at him. The red haze it induced fueled the fire and dulled the conscience.

The situation that had just happened with Beth though was completely different. As soon as she had started getting lippy Daryl had felt his skin begin to tighten. His vow of keeping himself in check was about to tested and her declaration of entitlement was all it had taken to trigger him off the deep end. The next thing he knew, he was right there in her face laying down the guilt trip they both knew she had coming.

Yeah, by then he had wanted the fight... Hell, he practically felt himself unraveling for the excuse to have it. He was beyond frustrated and tired and his nerves were so frayed that he almost ached with the need to unload on someone. The walkers in the locker room had appeased for a while but now with just the two of them out here alone, there was only her.

Instead of indulging him though, Beth had conceded and apologized, completely throwing him off balance. It wasn't the usual reaction Daryl typically got in such scenarios, in fact he couldn't recall a time where it had ever happened. It had doused the fury inside of him almost immediately, leaving him mostly at a loss on how to respond.

Even though his natural tendencies veered towards reacting first and thinking later, Daryl still liked to believe he never just did so without justification. To him there was always a reason, an incentive that lead him to act the way he did. While it was frustrating that most people would choose to not hear it because of his usual antagonistic method of delivery, it was also understandable.

And of all people, she had heard it.

Daryl shot a glance over to see Beth silently picking her way through the dense foliage just like he was doing. As they crossed over an abandoned dirt road, he acknowledged that the apology itself wasn't the only thing that had him stewing in his thoughts right now and he could scarcely believe he was still dwelling on the other.

The girl had nervously dragged her bottom lip through her teeth and for reasons beyond his comprehension, the small inconspicuous gesture had drawn his attention and hadn't let go until she had done finished talking and was looking at him like he had suddenly grown two heads.

Christ, what had _that_ been about?

Daryl mentally dismissed the vision from his mind. His reaction had been completely unintentional and besides, Beth was the last person he would look at in _any_ kind of way. For one, she was Hershel's daughter - one of the few men Daryl respected in a world where not many people could make such a claim. Secondly, the entire notion of it was just plain wrong on levels he couldn't even begin to fathom… Seriously, how fucking old was she anyway? Sixteen? Seventeen?

''Motorcycle mechanic.''

Daryl looked over. ''Huh?''

Beth smiled as she fell into place next to him, ''That's my guess… for what you were doing before the turn. Did Zack ever guess that one?''

If Daryl's mind had been aimlessly wandering, the mention of Beth's former boyfriend was a stark reminder of the reality that had preceded their current situation. In the short time that Zach had been with them, the kid had been hell bent to find out what Daryl did for a living before everything went to shit. He had come up with all kinds of jobs, ranging from fairly normal to the outright ridiculous. Motorcycle repair guy had been one of them.

Daryl used the limb of the crossbow to move some low hanging branches out of the way and stepped aside so she could pass by. ''Don't matter, hasn't for a long time.''

''It's just what people talk about… y'know, to feel normal.'' She shrugged, looking somewhat put out that her guess hadn't elicited more of a response from him.

''Yeah? Well it ain't never felt normal ta me.'' He uttered as he took the lead again.

As the surrounding trees began to thin, Daryl could finally make out the dilapidated house he was looking for ahead in the clearing. The timing couldn't have been better as far as he was concerned. With Beth's attention now focused on it as well, she no longer felt the need to make idle chit chat in a vain attempt to engage him into doing the same. He never much understood those people who liked to fill the air with the sound of their own voices just because they could. If there was a point to be made, he liked it to be done quickly and preferably in as few words as possible.

The two of them picked their way around the piles of junk and decrepit vehicle parts scattered around the edge of the property until they reached the dirt driveway that led around the home itself. Daryl's gaze swept for walkers only to have it fall on Beth as she looked over the rundown structure skeptically.

''I found this place with Michonne,'' He said by way of explanation. ''Two of us were lookin' for the Governor out in these parts.''

''I guess I was expecting a liquor store or something.'' Beth said, following behind him as he lead the way to a ramshackle shed located just off of the main house.

Daryl peered in through the screen covering the small broken window in its door before swinging it open. ''Nah, this is even better.''

The still inside was shrouded in darkness and covered in cobwebs but, for the most part, was exactly as he remembered it. The crates of dusty mason jars sitting on the workbench next to it were untouched. Daryl propped the crossbow against the door jam and hefted the top one off with both hands.

Goddamn hillbilly bathtub juice.

Beth was standing in the doorway confused, ''What is that?''

He shoved the crate into her arms before bending over to pick the Horton back up. As he swept past her, Daryl hoped she was ready for the drink she'd wanted so bad that it had almost cost them their lives. It didn't get more real than the shit she was holding.

''Moonshine.'' He muttered, pulling the weapon up to his cheek as he headed towards the porch surrounding the main house.

…...

**Thank you to all of you who have read or ****reviewed this story to this point. Your words of encouragement have been amazing! More to come!**


	8. Chapter 8

…Chapter 8….

Trudging along behind Daryl, Beth swallowed heavily as she looked down at the jars sloshing around in her hands. She had been told many a horror story about folks losing their minds after drinking too much moonshine. One of the old timers in her home town had sworn up and down that he had seen Jesus driving his tractor while he had been drunk on it. Was this really what Daryl had in mind?

Daryl stopped suddenly in front of her, causing Beth to almost run into him. ''Gonna sweep tha place. Stay here.''

Beth managed to nod as she adjusted her grip on the crate. As he disappeared around the side of the structure, she had a moment to wonder why the man always felt the need to instinctually shut down on anyone attempting to get to know him better. He had just done so to her like it was second nature and probably didn't even think she had noticed.

The way Beth figured, if the two of them were going to be stuck out here together, it was probably best that they start trying to learn something about each other. Daryl was trusting that she'd have his back in a fight and she was depending on him to guide her through this, all of which was happening without either one of them really knowing the other to warrant such confidence. She had hoped that continuing on with Zack's guessing game would've been a good segue way into that. Daryl obviously hadn't felt the same.

Beth heard the screen door open and Daryl appeared out on the porch only long enough to say ''S' clear'' before disappearing back inside again. She nudged the crate up with her knee before traversing the rickety steps to follow him in, being mindful not to let the jars chink together.

The inside of the shack was just as run down as the outside if that was possible. There was trash and dirty dishes all over the place that had nothing to do with the apocalypse, the people who had lived here were just disgusting slobs. The breeze that fluttered through the broken windows was probably the only thing preventing the place from stinking like mildew and pet odors. It rustled insistently at the tattered strips of wallpaper that hung from the tobacco stained walls.

Beth carefully slid the crate of jars onto the kitchen table, using its edge to move aside the overflowing ashtray in her way. Shaking out her stiff fingers, she gingerly sat in the dirty chair next to it as Daryl picked through the jars to pull one out. He spun the lid off to pour a shot of the contents into an empty glass before setting it down in front of her.

''That's a real first drink right there.'' He said, stepping back. Beth wrapped her fingers around the glass but made no move to pick it up, prompting Daryl to ask, ''What's tha matter?''

''Nothing,'' Beth was quick to reply, swirling the liquid in the bottom of the glass. ''It's just… my daddy always said bad moonshine can make you go blind.''

Daryl waved a hand dismissively. ''Ain't nothin' worth seein' out there anymore anyways.''

Well, she couldn't argue with that. Podunk moonshine wasn't exactly what she had in mind for her first drink but she guessed it was better than nothing at all. Besides, the two of them had gone to a lot of trouble to get to this point so there was only one thing left to do.

Beth took an apprehensive drink, only to come up coughing as it seared down her throat. Her eyes began watering instantly as she struggled to catch her breath.

''That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!'' She gasped up at Daryl as the alcohol burned a path to her empty stomach.

She wiped the water from under her eyes before picking up the glass again. It smelled like turpentine and tasted like it too, but Beth could already feel its effects creeping into her bloodstream. Now she knew what to expect, she took another shot.

It still managed to steal the air from her lungs, but not nearly as bad as the first time. ''Second times better.''

Daryl's brows drew together as she reached for the open jar to pour herself another round.

''Best slow down, that shit'll creep up on ya.'' He warned.

She looked up at him expectantly, ''This one's for you.''

Daryl shook his head. ''Nah, I'm good.''

''Why?'' Beth asked, looking back down at the glass in confusion.

''Someone's gotta keep watch 'round here.''

''Oh what, you're my chaperone now?'' She asked snarkily. The two of them hadn't seen a single walker since leaving the country club and they both knew the chances of running into any this deep in the woods was remote. If he didn't want to have a damn drink with her he could just say so.

''Jus' drink lots 'a water.'' Daryl muttered, walking away to leave her sitting alone at the filthy table.

''Yes sir Mr. Dixon!'' Beth said with a mock salute, only to be met with the sound of the front door screen closing behind him.

…..

Beth gritted her teeth and finished the drink she had poured for Daryl before glancing over her shoulder to see that she was indeed alone. She mentally shook her head as she looked back down at the empty glass in her hand, completely confounded by the man. Seriously, what was just one drink? It wasn't like either one of them had anything better to do and they were both stuck in this rat trap, at least for the night.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little surprised he had declined. Her daddy always said to never assume things about people, but she totally had Daryl pegged as the type that had seen more than a few dive biker bars in his day. It only proved that every time she thought she had him figured out, he would do the opposite of her preconceived notions. As she sat there, Beth could feel her thoughts begin to get hazy the longer she pondered upon it.

The alcohol was making her light headed and she knew the fact that she hadn't eaten in a long time wasn't helping. She decided that it wasn't a bad feeling though. Everything felt a little muddled around the edges but it dulled the ache of her muscles as they attempted to loosen. With a sigh Beth got up to go put her glass in the sink, a habit ingrained since childhood, only to find it already full of roach infested dirty dishes. The stark reminder of her circumstances had her pallidly sitting back down again.

Daryl appeared from the back of the house covered in a sheen of sweat and holding several large sheets of old plywood in his hands. He propped them against the old console TV in the adjacent living room before heading out the front screen once again to disappearing around the side of the shed. Beth could only wonder at his energy when she herself could easily fall dead asleep right there in the uncomfortable chair she was sitting in. When he returned a second time, he did so with an old rusty tool box, an ax and some other miscellaneous things he must have deemed useful.

Beth watched him disinterestedly as he started rummaging through the tool box. Despite wishing she could ignore him completely, the alcohol induced haze she was in prompted her to curiously ask, ''What are you doing?''

Daryl grunted as he hefted one of the boards he had found against the closest broken window. He had several nails between his lips and he pulled one out before saying around the others, ''Gonna board up these windows. Figured it best if we jus' crash here tonight an' head out tomorrow.''

He began hammering the board to the wall, effectively blacking out the light that streamed in. With nothing better to do, Beth got up and sat down on the floor closer to where he was working. She decided to blame the moonshine for the fact that she hadn't put two and two together and figured it out for herself before having stupidly asked the obvious.

''Oh…ok. Well, do you need any help?''

''Nah,'' He growled dismissively as he set another nail, ''I got it.''

Beth looked down at her fingernails in her lap. ''Y'know, I'm not an invalid Daryl. I can do things. I did plenty around the prison I'll have you know. Despite what you saw, I wasn't just 'Beth the babysitter'!'' As she finished with the air quotes, she couldn't quite believe that had all just spilled out. Somehow it had managed to sound like she was trying to convince herself more so than him.

Daryl pulled the last nail from between his teeth before turning around. ''Christ's sake… I ain't sayin' that ya were. First up, you're drunk… an' secondly, I'm jus' telling ya that I got it. Ain't like it's a two man job.''

''I'm not _that_ drunk.'' She insisted begrudgingly.

Daryl went back to what he was doing. ''By tha way you're actin', coulda fooled me.''

''You don't know me. You don't know the first thing about me Daryl Dixon.''

''Whatever.'' Daryl muttered to the plywood. He hammered in the last nail before moving onto the next window.

Beth rolled her eyes. Maybe the man was just completely incapable of having a conversation that didn't involve grunting disparagingly as a standard response. Maybe she was trying too hard… in fact, why she was trying at all? It wasn't like he was attempting to be some kind of enigma, he was just a jerk who was good with a crossbow.

With Daryl ignoring her, Beth idly looked around at the plethora of junk littering the room where they were. While the people who had lived here weren't exactly hoarders, they had still managed to accumulate a large amount of trashy nonsensical things that were currently scattered all over the place.

Beth pulled an ashtray in the shape of a large plastic bra out from in-between the two mismatched chairs. Like all the other ones laying around, it was chock full of cigarette butts to the point of overflowing onto the soiled carpet. How these people had managed to not burn the place down around them was beyond her.

She hefted it up by its straps.

''Who'd go into a store and walk out with this?'' She said incredulously, setting it down on the floor in front of her with a heavy thud.

Daryl looked over from what he was doing and was quick to give a reason why he didn't find the gaudy thing as ridiculous as Beth did. ''My dad, that's who.''

As Beth shoved the ashtray back from where she got it, Daryl elaborated, ''His dumb ass… He'd set it up on top of tha TV set and use it as target practice.''

Her gaze swung over to meet his. ''You… shot things inside your house?''

''Weren't nothin' but a bunch a' junk anyways,'' Daryl said with an shrug. ''That's how I knew what this place was, that shed out there? My dad had a place jus' like this.''

He indicated around the room. ''You gots ya dumpster chair, that's for sitting in. Got ya fancy buckets… that for spittin' chaw in after your old lady tells ya to stop smoking.''

Daryl picked up an old newspaper that was laying nearby.

''Got ya internet here,'' he said before dropping it to the floor.

There was a sudden growling sound from outside and Daryl held up a finger as he peered through the crack left by the plywood he had just hung. Beth didn't need to be told what it was and she sat there frozen while she waited for him to tell her if the walker was something that they needed to act on.

He stepped away from the window before saying quietly, ''It's jus' one of 'em.''

Beth's shoulders sagged in relief. ''Should we get it?''

''If it keeps makin' too much noise, yeah.'' Daryl said as he soundlessly set the hammer in his hand down on top of the TV.

Although it didn't need to be said, they both knew the wretched soul outside was probably nothing more than the previous resident of the house they were in. Daryl had pointed out a pattern he had noticed long ago of single walkers mindlessly loitering around the areas that they seemed to know in life. For reasons unknown to anyone, they seemed to just hang around until others eventually arrived to lead them away.

As she settled back down, Beth was grateful that he had managed to at least get a couple of the boards up. A few was better than the none that had been there previously. Taking a chance, she reached up from where she sat cross legged on the floor and plucked two mason jars out of the crate she had carried in.

''Well… if we're going to be trapped in here we might as well make the best of it.'' She said, holding one up to him, ''… unless you're too busy chaperoning, Mr. Dixon.''

Daryl hesitated for a moment as he weighed whatever trepidations he might have. Reaching down, he took the extended jar from her hand. ''Might as well make tha best of it…''

He slumped down into the dumpster chair and twisted the lid off. Beth did the same while still on the floor and waited for him to take a drink. At least this would kill some time and who knows, maybe he'd open up a little with his inhibitions dulled somewhat. She seriously doubted he would just randomly volunteer any information about his life, so she'd just have to figure out a way to manipulate it out of him. Her big brother Sean had always been ridiculously talkative after sneaking a few of their daddy's beers, could Daryl be much different?

Daryl lifted the jar and toasted to the walker clawing at the window outside. ''Home Shit Home.''

…..

''So first, I say something that I've never done and if you've done it, you drink and if you haven't, I drink… and then we switch.'' Beth looked across to where Daryl sat on the floor across from her. Her brows drew, ''You really don't know this game?''

They had just finished sharing a can of Spaghetti O's he had found in the pantry when she had managed to convince Daryl to play. It hadn't hurt that he had killed two jars of the moonshine beforehand, probably making it a little easier to do so. It had taken some coercing but he had finally and begrudgingly conceded. Beth didn't question it, figuring it was most likely because there was absolutely nothing else to do and she had somehow made it sound like the greatest game ever.

Daryl leaned back against the chair he was sitting in front of with a sniff of indifference. ''Ain't never needed a game ta get lit before,'' he mumbled.

Beth paused, ''Wait… are we starting?''

Daryl regarded her intently before curiously asking, ''How do you know 'bout this game?''

''My friends played,'' Beth admitted, circling her glass between her fingers, ''I watched. Anyway, I'll start.''

She leaned into the ottoman between them and searched her hazy mind for the easiest example to start with. ''I've… umm, I've never shot a crossbow. Ok, so now you take a drink.''

Unimpressed, Daryl took a shot from the jar in his hand. ''Ain't much of a game.''

''That was a warm up!'' Beth rushed to say, not wanting him to decide that what they were doing wasn't worth his time and effort. She pointed her glass in his direction. ''Your turn.''

Daryl ran a finger repeatedly over the scruff on his chin as he glanced unseeingly around the filthy room. ''Ummm…I dunno.''

''Just say the first thing that comes to mind.'' She encouraged.

He cleared his throat before managing to say, ''I ain't never been outta Georgia.''

''Really?'' Well, it was a start. ''Ok…Good one.''

Beth took a drink and realized that she was starting to get use to the liquid's acidic burn. Daryl was looking at her expectantly and she remembered that she had to come up with something else… something lightweight and non-invasive. Beth attempted to focus. She hadn't really thought of anything past this point only because she hadn't expected him to have the patience to make it past the first question.

''Umm…let's see," Think, think, think. "I've ummm, never… been drunk and done something I regretted.''

Daryl snorted. He took a long drink before growling under his breath, ''Done plenty a' things.''

Beth smirked into her glass, somehow not surprised by that. Seemingly encouraged, Daryl was quicker with his next choice.

''I've never been on vacation.''

She lifting her glass before pausing woozily, ''Wait, what about camping?''

''Nah,'' Daryl shook his head, ''that was jus' somethin' I had ta learn… to hunt.''

''Was that something your dad taught you?'' Beth asked tentatively, praying that she wasn't stepping on some buried emotional landmine. She searched his face as he looked down at the drink in his hand. If she was hoping for him to expand upon the nature of his relationship with his father, she was left disappointed when he only nodded dismissively.

''Oh, alright.'' Beth said, keeping it light as she finished her drink.

Taking a deep breath, she hesitated before saying, ''I've… never been in jail.''

Daryl gaze immediately shot up to meet hers. His eyes narrowed and she attempted ineffectively to redeem the statement. ''I mean as a prisoner… I mean.''

Beth started fidgeting with her glass as the silence between them extended far longer than was comfortable. She couldn't tell if he was mad or what as his face remained completely stoic. Ok, it might not have been her smartest decision to try to divulge information from him this way and the realization of it was sobering.

Eventually Daryl muttered quietly, ''Is that what ya think of me?''

''What? I didn't mean anything serious by it,'' She said quickly, trying to backtrack without sounding like she was doing so and failing miserably. ''I just mean… like the drunk tank. Even my dad got locked up in that... back in the day.''

His gaze didn't falter. ''Drink up.''

''Wait!'' She exclaimed, trying to ignore the sudden heavy pall that hung over the two of them. ''Prison guard! Were you a prison guard before all this?''

Dead silence.

''No.''

The situation was now way too intense for Beth and she pressed her fingers against the stirrings of a headache that was beginning to bloom behind her brow. Even though it was completely apparent that he was no longer interested in playing, she still said, ''It's… your turn again.''

Irate, Daryl swiped his drink from on top of the ottoman and surged to his feet, ''Gonna go take a piss.''

He strode off to the far side of the kitchen and seemed to make a point of dropping the jar in his hand so he could fumble with the buckle on his belt. It shattered noisily on the linoleum, making Beth jump nervously as she glared after him. He obviously didn't give a shit as he began doing exactly what he said he was going to do right there in the corner of the room.

''Daryl!'' She whispered as loudly as she could, ''You have to be quiet!''

''Can't hear ya, taking a piss!'' He angrily yelled back at her over his shoulder.

Beth could feel the knot in her stomach tighten. Great… now he was mad _and_ he was drunk. It had never been a good combination for her daddy and she could see that it wasn't going to be here either. ''Don't talk so loud!''

''Or what?'' He snapped over his shoulder as he zipped up his fly, ''You my chaperone now?!''

Beth's looked down at the glass in her hand uncomfortably as Daryl stormed back over, tightening up his belt as he came. ''Oh wait, it's my fuckin' turn...''

He glared down to where she sat on the floor before going on the attack, ''I ain't never eaten frozen yogurt… Never had a pet pony! Never got shit from Santa Clause! Never relied upon anyone for protection before!... Hell, _I don't think I've ever relied on anyone for anythin'!''_

Beth swallowed nervously as she shrunk under the vehemence of his words. ''Daryl…''

''Never fuckin' sung out in front of a big group in public,'' He continued unsparingly,''…like everything was fun, like everything was a big game!''

He began to head back into the kitchen only to swing around to fire one last shot. ''An' I sure as shit never cut my wrists lookin' for attention!''

Beth stared at him pallidly. That had literally felt like a slap to the face. She could handle everything else he had thrown at her, despite the fact that she had done nothing to warrant such animosity, but that was a low blow even for him. Of all the things Daryl was listing off, it was obviously the ace card he'd been waiting to play.

The commotion Daryl was making caused the walker outside to start groaning loudly as it was reminded of the potential meals inside the house. It clawed incessantly at the shutters as it searched for a structural weakness. Beth's heart dropped in her chest at the sound. The situation she was in with Daryl was intense enough as it was without adding a walker to the mix.

''Ah, sounds like our friend's tryin' ta call all his buddies!'' Daryl yelled, furiously kicking a pile of trash out of his way as he stormed over to where his crossbow lay on the kitchen counter.

''_Daryl! Shut up!_'' Beth whispered anxiously. Had he lost his mind?!

Snatching the weapon up, Daryl pointed at her from across the room. ''Hey, you never shot a crossbow before? Imma teach you right now!... C'mon! S'gonna be fun!''

Beth instinctively surged away as Daryl marched over and grabbed her wrist. With no other choice, she scrambled to her feet so she wasn't left being dragged behind in his wake. With his anger fueling him, she was no match for his strength as she struggled uselessly to break free. If Daryl noticed, he didn't show it as he booted open the front door to pull her squirming body across the threshold.

''Stop! We should stay inside!'' Beth cried as he yanked her down the rickety porch steps. ''Daryl! Cut it out! _Daryl_!''

As soon as the walker outside saw the two of them heading in its general direction, it immediately began lumbering over as was its nature. At the sight of its bloody grotesque features, Beth instantly renewed her efforts to twist her arm from Daryl's vice-like grip.

He suddenly let her go so he could raise the crossbow and Beth stumbled back clumsily with the unexpected freedom.

''Dumbass! C'mere dumbass!'' He took aim and fired a bolt into the walker. It tore through the mass of the creatures chest only to impale the thing to the tree right behind it.

Beth was torn between running back inside the safety of the house or attempting to try to calm Daryl down so his alcohol induced insanity didn't get him killed. She decided that she'd probably survive longer if she chose the latter, despite the fact that it was the last thing she wanted to do and the furthest thing from what he deserved. Rubbing her fingers against her bruised wrist, she approached him warily, ''Daryl! Please… just stop!''

Ignoring the plea, Daryl buried the head of the crossbow into the dirt at his feet so he could reload the weapon faster. With another bolt in place, he looked around to see where Beth was hovering, ''Here, ya wanna shoot this fuckin' thing?''

She took a step back nervously. Between Daryl's drunken unpredictability and the snarls of the walker pinned to the tree, her nerves were fraying quickly. ''I… I don't know how.''

''Aw, it's easy. C'mere!''

Before Beth knew what he was doing, Daryl was on her, pulling her to him so he could roughly situate the Horton against them both. She hadn't anticipated the sudden move and the impact of her slight body against his left her gasping for air. It was like being slammed into a wall of solid rock. The mans reflexes were still amazingly fast, even for someone who had drank as much as he had, and any attempt to struggle against him proved futile as his arm locked around her to pin her to his much larger frame.

''Left corner...'' He growled in her ear as the bolt released from the weapon. It sunk into the walkers shoulder, causing the wretched thing to moan pitifully as it hung limply from the trunk of the tree.

The gory sight of it was too much for Beth. Nothing deserved the kind of treatment that Daryl was subjecting the walker to and it galled her to know that the man she was stuck out here with could act so cold and callously. She twisted violently out of his grip, ''Lets practice later!''

''Nah… This is fun!'' With his hands now free, Daryl took the opportunity to reload the crossbow yet again. The muscles in his arms strained as he pulled the cables tight, locking the bolt in place on the weapons frame.

Desperate and not knowing what else to do, Beth stepped in between him and his target. With the tortured groans of the walker behind her spurring her on, she implored to him one more time, ''Just stop it! _Daryl_!''

Taking advantage of her close proximity, Daryl grabbed ahold of her again, ''Nah… C'mere.''

He manhandled her around and forced the weapon against her once more. Unable to move, Beth was left clinging to the arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders as she squeezed her eyes shut. She had brought this on herself and was now left wishing that she had never offered him the stupid alcohol. Her attempt to get to know him better had backfired astoundedly and now the only thing she knew for sure was how much he truly hated her.

The full length of her body was pressed against him and she could feel the buckle of his belt digging incessantly into the tender flesh of her hip. Beth's nails dug into the sinew of his arm as another emotion, unknown and foreign to her, suddenly coalesced with the fear and anger surging rampantly through her system. She couldn't place it, but its uncomfortable nature caused her to renew her attempt to remove herself from the heat generated by his close proximity.

Daryl wasn't having it, pulling her to him tighter before dipping his head to take aim.

''8 ball…'' He whispered against her cheek as the weapon released.

Now out of bolts, Daryl shoved her away from him. Beth managed to catch herself just before she ended up sprawled face down in the dirt and she spun around angrily. At this point Daryl was just toying with both her and the walker and she wasn't going to let him continue doing so for a moment longer. ''_Kill it!_''

''C'mon Greene,'' Daryl muttered dismissively as he strode off, ''let's pull these out an' get in a little more target practice!''

Pulling her knife, Beth strode determinedly past him and sunk the blade into the forehead of the groaning walker, instantly silencing the creature and causing its body to slump down morbidly on the bolts that held it pinned to the tree.

''Why tha hell did ya do that for? We was havin' fun!'' Daryl griped as she pulled her weapon free.

Beth spun on him, ''No, you were being a jackass! If anyone found my dad…''

Daryl seemed sober enough to have the decency to be insulted. ''Stop! Ain't remotely tha same!''

''Killing them isn't supposed to be fun!'' She insisted furiously.

Incensed, Daryl stepped into her only to yell in her face, ''Whaddya want from me girl, huh?!"

''I want you to stop acting like you don't give a shit about anything!'' Beth yelled right back, the last remnants of the alcohol pulsing in her veins pushing her past the point of being intimidated. ''Like nothing we went through matters, like none of the people we lost meant anything to you! _It's bullshit!_''

Sneering, Daryl took a step back, ''Is that what you think?''

''That's what I know!''

''You don't know shit!'' He spat derisively.

''I know you just look at me and you just see another dead girl!'' Beth continued, saying out loud what she knew he was thinking. ''I'm not Michonne, I'm not Carol, I'm not Maggie… I survived and you don't get it because I'm not like you or them but I made it! And you don't get to keep treating me like crap just because you're afraid!''

Daryl closed the gap between them before biting out through his teeth, ''Ain't afraid of _nothin_'.''

Beth could feel the anger radiating off of him but determinedly stood her ground. His bullying tactics weren't going to work this time and she looked him dead in the eye, ''I remember… when that little girl came out of the barn, after my mom… you were like me.''

At the mention of Sophia, Daryl's gaze dropped to the ground. Beth could only assume that pointing out the fact that the two of them might be more alike than he'd ever want to admit made him uncomfortable. She could see why. After all, who was she to compare herself to the mighty Daryl Dixon, a man who walked through this new world like he owned it.

''… and now God forbid you ever let anybody get too close!'' She rushed to continue.

''To close huh?'' Daryl swung around and jabbed a finger furiously in her direction, ''You know all about that! Ya lost two boyfriends an' ya can't even shed a fuckin' tear! Your whole family's gone an' all ya can do is go out lookin' for hooch like some dumb college bitch!''

A heated flush of color flooded Beth's face. It sounded terrible when he put it like that. That wasn't the case at all but she didn't expect someone like him to understand. ''Screw you! You don't get it!''

''No, _you_ don't get it!'' Daryl snarled, ''Everyone we know is dead!''

Beth gasped before crying out, ''_You don't know that!_''

''Might as well 'cause you ain't never gonna see 'em again!'' He advanced on her aggressively as if doing so would drive the point home. ''Rick… You ain't never gonna see Maggie again!''

It was all too much for Beth. The chances of the two of them finding the others alive was always slim at best, but hearing his dire prediction said out loud _and_ with such conviction made it feel like Daryl was sealing their fate in place. She still needed to have that glimmer of hope that they had made it, if only for her own sake. She had to believe…

''Daryl! Just stop!'' Beth desperately grabbed for his hand only to have him shrug her off.

Breathing heavily, he turned away from her to stare unseeingly at the dead walker that hung nearby. ''The Governor rolled right up to our gates! Maybe… maybe if I hadn't stopped lookin'! Maybe 'cause I gave up… that's on me!''

Beth could feel the tears begin to well in her eyes. The guilt he had carried silently since that day saturated the brokenly spoken statement. ''Daryl…''

''And your dad…'' Daryl's voice hitched as the weight of it bore down heavily upon him. ''Maybe…maybe I coulda done somethin'.''

With a cry, Beth closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Daryl's back. He made no attempt to pull away and she closed her eyes, burying her face into the leather of his vest as she held on to him. Daryl's frame shook as he sobbed helplessly against her and she could feel the tears running down her own cheeks. She knew he was crying because he thought he could withstand the forces of this world that conspired against them... that he was stronger, that the sheer willpower and determination he relied upon to survive would be enough. That was gone for him now. He was crying because he felt with all his heart that he had failed their friends.

Beth hugged him a little tighter, if only to let him know without words that she didn't feel the same way.

…...

**Thank you for taking the time to read "What Still Lies Ahead" to this point! This was a fun chapter to write because I was able to put some thoughts behind the dialog and fill it out somewhat from Beth's perspective. I'm sure that everyone reading this has seen the episode but just so you know, the next chapter will not jump directly to the porch scene (though we will get there at some point, I promise!) As I said, I really wanted to expand upon my favorite episode "Still" - which means that some thing would stay the same while others would change. This is a great way to add more interaction between our two. If everyone responds favorably, I may write past the episode to eventually arrive at the cemetery house! Reviews are always welcome!**


	9. Chapter 9

…...Chapter 9…..

Sniffling, Daryl wiped the tears from his face as Beth released her hold on him and slowly detached herself from his back. The raw emotions had come on so suddenly and with such force that he had been left reeling in their wake. Stepping away, he cast a despondent glance over his shoulder to see the girl hovering nearby. She didn't say a word and it was probably a good thing too. There was nothing to be said that could make him feel any worse than he already did.

His gaze dropped back to the ground as he wiped under his nose with the back of his hand. What the hell had he been thinking? The guilt weighing down on him did so heavily enough, and yet he had somehow thought it a good idea to douse the sentiment in goddamn cheap booze? The result had unsurprisingly blown up in his face, just as it usually did when he applied equally poor judgement. The destructive combination of the two had caused the smoldering embers of remorse he'd been trying his hardest to suppress to flare painfully back to life, making him lash out at the only target available to him.

With the last remnants of the moonshine finally burning its way out of his system, Daryl was left only with the remembrance of what had been said in the heat of the moment. Christ, Beth must think he hated her. After everything that had been said, there was no way she could think anything else. Even though he'd thought all those things about her in the past, Daryl sullenly acknowledged to himself that she didn't deserve to have them thrown in her face by some drunk belligerent asshole.

Mentally kicking himself again for allowing things to spiral out of control like they had, Daryl heard the sound of the front screen door closing and lifted his head only to see that Beth had gone back inside. Even though the girl was young, she had still managed to handle the whole fucked up situation a hell of a lot better than he had, and that was saying something. Daryl swept an unsteady hand down his face with a defeated sigh and then bent over to pick up the crossbow, plucking it from the gravel to shake the dirt from it. When everything had come to a head, he hadn't even been aware he had dropped it.

Still struggling to emerge from the emotional haze he was in, Daryl trudged over to the dead walker so he could retrieve the bolts that had it nailed to the tree. As he went he realized that Beth had been right about one thing, she wasn't like Carol or Michonne. How she had dealt with his shit today had shown him that maybe there were other ways of stepping up to the plate that had nothing to do with how well a weapon could be wielded. He had never thought about it before, probably because the concept was far out of the realm of what he could personally relate to.

Daryl scanned the corpse hanging limply in front of him with a barely contained level of disgust. Decaying blood ran freely from the stab wound in its forehead to puddle at the base of the tree. He yanked each bolt out one by one and cleaned them the best he could before locking them back onto the Horton. With the weapon secured on his back, Daryl dragged the body of the walker behind the house so he could burn it later that night. Even though they were fairly deep in the woods, he didn't want to take a chance on starting a fire that large in the light of day. The smoke it created would be seen by the living and the dead alike, and the two of them weren't prepared to handle a dangerous group of either.

As he covered the corpse with a tarp, Daryl glanced over to see another dilapidated structure of some kind hidden behind the huge piles of scrap metal that littered the entire back yard. Wiping his hands down his pants, he carefully made his way over to it only to find that it was actually an old pump house. Pushing aside the dirt on the windows, he could make out through the cobwebs that it was just full of more useless junk. As he investigated the rest of property further he ended up coming across another building, a larger one that was partially obscured by the low hanging branches of the overgrown trees that dominated the area. It looked like a freestanding garage of some kind but it had no windows at all and its corrugated door was locked with a large rusty padlock hanging from an equally decrepit chain.

Daryl rapped on the heavy door several times before pressing his ear to it.

Nothing.

He checked the chain once more before making his way back to the house. He didn't know what the hell was in the thing, but since he had the time and the inclination, he figured it was worth the effort to find out. Worst case scenario, there was nothing but more garbage. Best case - a working vehicle or perhaps a stash of weapons of some kind. Hopefully the key to the padlock was hanging inside the house somewhere. If not, the tool box he had found probably had something in it he could use to jimmy rig the damn thing open.

Feeling better for having a purpose, Daryl stopped at the kitchen sink to get a drink of water. Finding the pump house at least explained why the place was lucky enough to still have a fresh supply of it. Well water would be the only thing available to anything this far off of the grid and it was practically untouchable to what was contaminable on the surface. Leaving the glass with the rest of the dirty dishes in the sink, Daryl turned around to see Beth curled up in the dumpster chair reading the newspaper he had previously thrown on the floor.

The remembrance of what happened between them stopped him in his tracks.

Jesus, what was he going to do about her?

One thing he knew for damn sure was that he wasn't about to engage in some deep discussion about his emotional fortitude all because he'd had one moment of personal weakness. Granted, right now Beth didn't look like she was chomping at the bit to commiserate about their teary exchange, but Daryl wasn't about to take that chance.

To ensure that the rest of his day wouldn't be spent uncomfortable as shit around the girl, he decided the best course of action would be to just include her in on what he was doing. It wasn't going to be easy, but he knew he'd rather have her preoccupied and busy working next to him than be sitting there alone, biding her time until she could ambush him with her thoughts on their 'bonding' experience.

Beth hadn't noticed him hovering in the doorway so Daryl made a point of roughly clearing his throat. When she finally looked up from the page she was on, he managed to say, ''Umm, found somethin'… out back.''

Beth waited for him to continue without responding. He should have known that it wasn't going to be that easy.

''It's a garage or somethin', decent size... It's locked up real tight but there could be something in it we could use… I dunno, maybe a car or some weapons. Anyway, figured it was worth finding out since we're here n' all.''

Beth slowly nodded. ''Sounds like a good idea.''

His fingers were wrapped around the strap of the crossbow so tightly his knuckles began to ache. ''Yeah, well… I'm guessin' I could use some help…''

''Help?'' Beth said, unable to keep the skeptical look from her face. ''You?''

Daryl shrugged dismissively. ''It happens. Ain't often, but sometimes.''

She smiled slightly before dropping the paper in her hands back onto the floor. ''Ok… What do you need?''

Daryl wasn't at all surprised to find that he could breath a little easier now Beth was on board with the program. He didn't have much experience asking someone for help and had even less making idle chit chat with a girl. At least she hadn't told him to go fuck himself, which he had fully expected after everything that had transpired between them earlier.

He held up his hands to form a circle with his fingers. ''Things got a padlock on it this big. If we could jus' find tha key, it would be a damn sight better than sawin' into it with that dull as shit hacksaw I found 'n that toolbox.''

''So, a key. Ok, umm… How about I start looking in this room and ...you look in the kitchen?''

Daryl just nodded in agreeance and left her to begin digging through the mess that was the kitchen. Not another word was spoken between them and after about an hour, there wasn't a kitschy piece of junk that they hadn't looked under, turned over or tossed aside.

Beth emerged from the back bedroom empty handed and collapsed heavily into one of the living room chairs with a groan. A few minutes later Daryl appeared from the rear of the kitchen with the toolbox in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

''Here.'' He said, holding the glass out to her. ''Told ya to make sure an' drink some water.''

She took it gratefully, ''If I had known this was going to be the headache I'd get, I would have _only_ drunk water.''

Daryl smirked and retreated back to the safety of the doorway. He had noticed she had been getting paler by the moment but didn't feel like it was his place to say anything about it. She had kept on working the whole time without complaining though so he had to give her that. The two of them had searched the place from top to bottom so if there was a key to had, it sure as hell wasn't anywhere inside the house.

Beth took a sip of the cool water before asking hopefully, ''Anything?''

''Nah,'' He muttered, leaning against the door jam. ''Shits like tryin' ta find a needle in a haystack. You stay here n' drink that, I'm gonna go try cutting into that son of a bitch.''

''No… I'm ok,'' She insisted, struggling to push herself out of the chair. ''I can help.''

''Ain't a two man job.'' Daryl repeated once more with a shake of his head. He pointed back to the vacated seat. ''I said stay… an' drink.''

She must have decided it best not to argue and immediately sunk back into the comfort of the seat to nurse her pounding head. Daryl went back out to the garage, toolbox in hand, and resigned himself to the fact that the next hour of his life was going to be spent mindlessly sawing into a chain that could be handled in less than a minute if he had some goddamn bolt cutters.

An hour and a half later, and Daryl had only made minimal progress. He might as well be using a butter knife for all the good the old hacksaw was doing. It was starting to get dark as well further adding to his frustration. Every sound emanating from the forest surrounding the house was beginning to play tricks with his head, and he was about to fucking throw the blunt tool in his hand across the yard when he saw Beth cautiously making her way towards him.

Daryl didn't want to unleash his anger about the situation on her so he made a discerned point to keep sawing as she hovered nearby.

''Guess I don't need to ask how's it going.'' She chagrined.

Daryl just grunted from where he was and kept at it.

''It's starting to get dark,'' She continued, rubbing her hands up and down her bare arms. Daryl hadn't even realized that the temperature outside had dropped to an almost uncomfortable level. ''Are you sure this can't wait until tomorrow? I found an old can of soup in the pantry and you haven't slept for a long time now.''

The idea was tempting, especially seeing how he had been ready to throw in the towel not but a few moments ago, but it wasn't in his nature to just quit when he had his mind set on something. It was a Dixon family trait that both him and his brother shared – you keep on it like a rabid dog until the job was done. It didn't matter how long it took or how dark it got, he'd stay his ass out here all night until either the chain broke, or he did.

The determined set of his shoulders must have been easily readable to Beth because she released a sigh at his stubbornness before walking away. Daryl was glad the momentary distraction she presented was gone and he renewed his efforts, sawing against the unforgiving metal until his muscles began to cramp.

Daryl heard a noise behind him and he looked over to see Beth coming back again. His jaw clenched and he wondered if the girl was just hell bent on testing his last nerve. This time however, she didn't stop on the outskirts of his work area but kept coming until she was right up on him. Unable to help himself, Daryl glared up at her like she had lost her mind.

Before he could voice the sentiment, she dropped a ring of keys in front of face, letting them hang from the tip of her finger.

Daryl's eyes widened. ''What tha… Where tha hell did ya find those?''

''On the walker we killed.'' She smiled, stepping back as he stiffly pulled himself to his feet. ''Remember when you told Rick that most single walkers seemed to just hang around the areas they knew when they were living? Well, he was the only one here. They were in his pocket.''

Daryl shook his head, ''You're fuckin' kidding me… Give 'em here.''

Beth handed them over and Daryl immediately began trying each key on the padlock until finally, one caused the aged thing to slip open. Wasting no time, he dropped the chain and hefted the heavy door open, waving his hand against the cloud of dust that bellowed out from the action. Figuring it better to be safe than sorry, Daryl pulled his knife and nodded at Beth to stay behind him. It was time to see if what was inside had been worth all the effort.

The suns dying light was just enough for them to see by as they both cautiously entered. At first, there wasn't much to look at – racks of tools, vehicle parts, crappy things that most back country hillbilly garages would have. Daryl's initial feeling of disappointment disappeared almost immediately as he peered past the stripped car chassis that blocked his way to see a beat up '69 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle sitting on a set of jacks like the damn thing had been expecting him.

''Holy shit…'' Was all he could manage as he approached it. Daryl didn't want to get his hopes up until he got a closer look at it but there was no denying that the motorcycle could be a huge potential game changer for them.

''Wow…'' Beth whispered from behind him, ''Please tell me you can get that thing running.''

Daryl strained his eyes to look over the engine but found that it was now too dark to see anything at all. He let out a huff of frustration, ''Dammit, I can't tell. Figure it's on the jacks for a reason though. Gonna have ta wait till morning to find out why.''

He indicated towards the door with his chin and once they were both outside, Daryl relocked the chain and slipped the keys into his pocket. Pausing for a moment, he realized that he wouldn't be surprised if he found the key to the bike was on the same ring as well. After getting consistently screwed over by circumstances beyond his control, Daryl could scarcely believe the turn in their luck. As he followed Beth back to the house, he wondered if she was even aware that she might have just saved their asses by thinking outside the box and finding those keys.

''Oy,'' He faltered, causing the girl ahead to stop in her tracks and turn around. Not for the first time in his life, Daryl cursed his inherent nature of opening his mouth first and thinking later.

''Jus' wanted ta tell ya that, uh… ya did good,'' Christ, he sounded like a fucking jackass. ''Y'know… finding them keys 'n all.''

Thanks to the full moon, Daryl could make out the incredulous look that flittered across her features. He guessed that a half ass compliment from him would be cause for speculation, especially after the rash of hell he had given her over the past few days.

''I'm just trying to pull my weight Daryl.'' She dismissed with a shrug. ''Tell you what, you can thank me once you get that bike started, how about that.''

''Pfft… Who said I was thankin' you?'' He muttered uncomfortably before sweeping past her to head up the back porch steps. Daryl considered the minimal interaction over and he was relieved as shit to be done with it. After all, it wasn't like he was trying to be friends with her or anything.

…...

**Thanks for reading "What Still Lies Ahead" to this point. This is a first time labor of love for me and as you can see, I am choosing to go a different direction within the episode and I hope you will like where its going as well. I am taking the growing relationship between Daryl and Beth slowly, just as I believe it went for them between "Still" and "Alone". I think they were both quite surprised to develop feelings for each other and it happened when they least expected it. Please note that this story is rated M for future smut.**

**More to come and reviews/thoughts are always welcome.**


	10. Chapter 10

…...Chapter 10….

Beth couldn't help but roll her eyes as she followed behind the man to go into the house. It was so like Daryl to follow up probably the nicest thing he had ever said to her with a blunt reminder of how he truly felt. It hadn't been said with the standard surliness she had come to expect though so Beth decided to take the exchange on a positive note. The unexpected compliment had her feeling better than she'd felt for a long time. Daryl wasn't the type to hand them out lightly and she never though she'd be the recipient of one. The bike in the garage wasn't the only thing that had made finding those keys for him worthwhile.

At this point the house was so dark that Beth had to dubiously feel her way down the walls to get to what she hoped was the general vicinity of the kitchen. She could hear Daryl fumbling for something up ahead but she couldn't see him in the pitch blackness to know for sure. The bright beam of a flashlight suddenly came on, and with it she was instantly able to breathe a little easier. She had never much liked the dark and had struggled silently with the phobia since the day the lights went out permanently.

''Where'd you find that?'' She asked as she watched Daryl swing the light around the floor of the living room.

''Had it.'' He muttered, bending down to shove aside a pile of old 'Guns &amp; Ammo' magazines to find two candles that had been collecting dust behind them. ''Kept it from tha country club for times like this.''

''Good idea.'' She said, remembering sadly that she had left hers laying on the bar after her emotional breakdown.

Beth sat down cross legged on the floor as Daryl lit the candles using the lighter he kept in his pocket. Since he had the thing out, he must have decided it was as good a time as any to have one of his precious cigarettes as well. She leaned back against the arm of the chair and wondered if they would ever talk about what had happened in front of the dead walker. It had been very moving to her but of course, Daryl seemed completely unfazed by it, almost like it had never happened. Beth figured that the natural defense mechanisms that made him such an effective killer would probably kick into overdrive to suppress such a moment. She resigned herself to the fact that the man would probably prefer take one of his own bolts to the chest than to ever discuss it.

''Hey, where's that can of soup ya said you found?'' Daryl asked around the cigarette hanging from his lips.

Caught in a tired trance induced by the flickering candles, Beth dragged her gaze up. ''Oh, it's on the kitchen counter. I didn't see a can opener in there though... or spoons for that matter.''

Daryl took the flashlight into the kitchen to retrieve the can. When he came back, he was digging in his pockets for the set of keys he had shoved there.

''S'all good, got an ol' fashion can opener right here.'' He said, holding the entire ring up by the piece in question.

''That's great,'' Beth said with a smirk, ''You got a couple of spoons on that thing as well? How about an electric blanket and two tickets to paradise?''

Daryl sniffed back the semblance of a chuckle. ''Smartass.''

He finished his smoke in the time it took for him to work the can opener around the rim of the lid. Since they had no spoons, he poured the cold soup into two empty mason jars. Daryl dropped his cashed cigarette butt into the discarded empty can before carrying the jars over to where she was sitting.

He handed her one before slumping down in the chair with his own. ''Probably best if ya drink it fast.''

''Uh uh,'' She said with a grimace. ''I've had my fill of drinking stuff fast from mason jars for today thanks very much.''

Daryl lifted his soup and uttered ''Heard that'' before choking down the lumpy mixture in one fell swoop.

Beth finished her own by swallowing as much as she could manage in as few mouthfuls as possible. Not another word was spoken as they both sat there wearily - Daryl slumped in the chair and Beth leaning against his armrest on the floor. Beth put down her empty jar and rubbed her hands over her arms. The cold soup had only made her colder, quite the opposite of what soup was intended to do.

''Ya cold?'' Daryl asked from behind her.

''Yeah…'' She yawned. ''but… I'm too tired to go find some blankets.''

''I'll go,'' He pushed himself out of the chair with a groan. ''Figured it best if we crash out here anyways. Windows are mostly boarded up plus that back door is close in case we need ta get out quick. Here, you move that coffee table ta make some space an' I'll see what I can find back there.''

Beth struggled to do as he asked as he rummaged in the back bedrooms with the flashlight. She had been trying to fight off how emotionally and physically exhausted she was but now it was catching up to her, completely wiping her out. She shoved the coffee table over as far as she could but found it still only provided a limited amount of room for the two of them. Who were these people to possess every piece of junk under the sun but to not own a couch?

Daryl came back in carrying an armful of blankets and an old sleeping bag and picked up on the limited space situation right away. Beth shrugged indicating that it was beyond her control and waited for suggestions.

''Yeah, well… that ain't gonna work.'' He muttered, dropping the covers down next to where she was kneeling on the floor.

''What about the bedrooms?'' She asked, already knowing his answer before he gave it but still wanting to feel like she was contributing something to resolving the problem.

A look of disgust flickered across Daryl's face. ''Fuck that. I'd rather sleep outside.''

It was true. She had gone in the bedrooms once while looking for the key and it was saying something that they were truly the worst aspect of the house.

''Here,'' He indicated to the bedding on the floor indifferently, ''jus' make ya self a bed an' I'll crash in tha chair with whatever ya don't use.''

''What?'' Beth said, assessing the space one more time. ''No, it'll be fine. There's room enough for both of us. It'll be tight, but it's better than where we've slept the last three nights…''

''Nah, s'all good.'' Daryl insisted almost too quickly. ''I was almost asleep before I jus' got up anyways.''

Beth was too tired to argue with him and picked out the warmest blankets she could find while leaving him more than enough to use for himself plus the sleeping bag. Daryl settled back in the chair and indicated that he only needed one, so she piled the rest of the covers on top of herself and used the sleeping bag as a pillow.

She was curled up in a ball at his feet and was lulled yet again into the comfortable ambiance produced by the candles. The blankets smelled like mothballs but it was the warmest she had felt all night. With all those things being said, Beth was confused as to why she wasn't fast asleep already, lord knows she was tired enough.

''Daryl?'' She whispered, not really expecting a response.

''Mmmm…''

''You awake?'' She kept her voice hushed, just in case he wasn't.

Beth heard him sigh from where he sat in the chair above her. ''Guessin' so.''

Rolling onto her back, she met his gaze. ''I was just wondering… What are we going to do from here?''

Daryl ran a tired hand through his hair and stared off into the distance. ''Gonna take a look at the bike in the morning an' hope that whatever's wrong with it is an easy fix… supposing that there is somethin' wrong with it, that is.''

''If there is, can you fix it?'' Beth asked, realizing that she actually didn't know if Daryl was mechanically inclined like that or not. She'd assumed so because he rode, but it had never been actually stated or proven that he knew how to actually work on them.

Daryl shrugged once from where he sat, ''Won't know 'til I look at it. Probably… if the shit I need to do so is in the garage with it, yeah… don't see why not.''

Relief flooded through Beth's depleted system. It wouldn't have done them much good to find the bike if they had no possible way to start it. Suddenly a new thought dawned on her and she pushed herself up onto her elbows with a smile. ''So you _were_ a motorcycle mechanic then… before all this.''

Daryl shook his head with a sniff of denial. ''Nah… Me n' Merle both had bikes for as long as I can remember. Couldn't afford to have someone fix 'em when we broke 'em or wrecked 'em so we jus' figured out how ta do it ourselves.''

Beth slumped back down on the sleeping bag, feeling vaguely disappointed with his answer. She supposed it didn't much matter in the end. As long as he could fix the motorcycle now, who cares what he had done before. Inquiring minds just wanted to know.

Speaking of which…''When was the last time you saw your brother? ''

Daryl threaded his fingers behind his head and tilted his chin back as he searched his memory. ''Guessin' it was back at the campground jus' outside Atlanta, a while before I met you an' yours. That's where I first met Rick. Attempted ta stomp his ass into tha ground for leavin' my brother handcuffed to a roof. ''

''You, Rick and Glenn went back for him though, right?'' Beth asked. She was genuinely interested and wasn't too tired to not take advantage of the fact that Daryl seemed to be in a rare talkative mood. ''I mean… that's what I heard…''

''Yeah,'' Daryl nodded, ''but he was long gone by the time we got there. Weren't like he was jus' gonna sit around an' wait. He cut off his hand and high tailed it tha hell out of there an' I …Well, I ain't seen him since.''

Beth searched his face from where she lay.

''Do you think he's dead?'' She asked up to him quietly.

Daryl snorted and any poignant sentiments he might have been briefly afflicted with vanished. ''Nah… not my brother. He always used ta say ain't nothin' that can kill ol' Merle but Merle. He's one tough son of a bitch… he's probably out there somewhere making someone else's life a livin' hell.''

Worrying at her lower lip, Beth hesitated before asking, ''Do… you think everyone else is dead?''

He pulled deep breath and took a moment to answer. ''Can't say. Jus' know I ain't seen no tracks, not around these parts anyways.''

Pulling the blanket up to her chin, Beth pondered on his response. Well, at least he hadn't said yes so maybe he was coming around. Her eyes began drooping with fatigue and she fought to stay awake as she studied him in the candlelight. This was the most they had ever talked and if anything, it only made him that much more interesting to her. Slumped down in his chair, Daryl had his head resting on his knuckles as he stared down at her in return. After the tumultuous day they'd had, Beth hoped that tonight marked the turning point in their relationship that they so desperately needed.

''Daryl…?'' She whispered, unable to fight the weight of her drowsiness any longer.

''Hmm.''

''Once you get the bike running… then what?''

''Don't know,'' He confided quietly, ''guess we'll figure it out.''

He leaned over and blew out the candles that flickered nearby. ''Question time's over. Get some sleep.''

…...

Beth fell asleep almost immediately, leaving Daryl sitting in the dark as he contemplated their conversation. The longer he thought about it, the more he knew one thing that was for damn sure - no matter how shit went down with the bike, the two of them were leaving. He had already wasted enough time lingering in his fucked up state of mind, time that would have been better spent garnering supplies and preparing for the long haul. There was no way in hell he was going to start doing that here. As far as Daryl was concerned, the motorcycle outside was the only thing that made coming to this place even remotely worth the effort.

The moonlight streaming through the only uncovered window in the room was all Daryl needed to see the girl sleeping on the floor. He had no idea how it happened, but he had probably just told her more about himself than he had any other person except for maybe his brother. Christ, he must be more exhausted than he thought… or maybe just relieved that the day was over. Either way, he was just thankful that Beth hadn't felt the need to bring up what had happened earlier between them. His apprehension that she might had been unfounded, leading Daryl to believe that she was just as ready to move past the whole drunken situation as he knew he was.

Beth mumbled something in her sleep, drawing Daryl's attention back to where she was laying. The minimal light in the room cast shadows across her skin, accentuating the curve of her face. She had her hands balled up under her chin and Daryl found himself yet again wondering at her age. Somehow the two of them had managed to co-exist in the prison for months without ever having a single conversation about it, or anything in general for that matter.

It hadn't been hard to do, they each had assumed different roles under Rick's leadership so their paths had seldom crossed. Of course Daryl's own anti-social tendencies had ensured that it stayed that way. If he had been dismissive of her it was only because it had been so easily done. In a group full of strong women, he had long considered her the weakest link and had gone out of his way to make damn well sure she knew it when they had fought earlier.

He sniffed regretfully into the cool night air. It wasn't like he hadn't known that his natural inclination to be an asshole always seemed to kick into overdrive when alcohol was thrown into the mix. Him and Merle had gotten into more drunken brawls than he cared to remember because of it.

When fatigue finally did lull Daryl to sleep, he was haunted by the nightmares that had become a consistent for him since leaving the Greene family farm. Blood soaked hordes of walkers closing in around him until he suffocated under their weight. The only difference was now Beth was inexplicably there in the chaos with him and even in the middle of things, Daryl was struck by how unusual that was. She was saying something and he found himself straining to hear it. Suddenly the vision of her disappeared, leaving the walkers to descend down upon him and plunge him into the void of darkness.

Daryl jerked awake, covered in a sheen of sweat with his heart thudding painfully in his chest. Seeing that Beth was still asleep, he slumped back in the chair and pressed his damp palms to his eyes. The endless nightmares were shitty enough as it was without having yet another person he knew making regular appearances in them. Daryl couldn't say how many times he'd had to watch his brother cut off his hand. Night after night in gory detail, all while being blamed for leaving him to rot on that Atlanta rooftop.

The sun was starting to rise, and with no chance of falling back asleep, Daryl decided he might as well get up and take a look at the bike. The sooner he got to it, the faster they'd be out of this dump. Stepping carefully over the girl, he picked up the Horton and made his way outside, lighting up a much needed cigarette as soon as he was clear of the house. The early morning air was cool on his skin and the sky was awash in the deep orange and reds that marked the onset of a clear day.

He got to work as soon as he reached the garage, lowering the Triumph down on its jacks so he could get a better look at it. It was in fairly good shape, better than he expected, but it was still in need of some serious work. Whoever had tried to get it running before had been more of a tinkerer than a skilled mechanic, and had left some of the hardest things to fix until last. As Daryl had guessed, the key for the motorcycle was with the rest on the ring in his possession but of course, the engine refused to turn over when he tried it. He should've known it wasn't going to be that goddamn easy.

Several hours later, Beth emerged from the back of the house. She squinted in the glare of the sunlight before heading over to where he was working inside the garage. Daryl was struggling to loosen the engine's fly wheel bolt and glanced up at her through his hair as she entered.

''How's it going?'' She asked with a sleepy yawn.

The bolt finally gave and Daryl expelled the breath he'd been holding as he had strained against the stubborn thing. ''It's goin' ''

Beth leaned against the work counter, ''We forgot to burn the body last night.''

''Yeah, it ain't going nowhere,'' He said, flexing his stiff fingers around the rusty tool in his hand, ''I'll do it tonight if we're still here.''

Beth immediately perked up. ''If? You mean you can get it running today?''

Pulling himself to his feet, Daryl grabbed the towel he was using to clean up with from the nearby toolbox. He really hoped so but the thing was a fucking mess. They were lucky the guy who owned it had the forethought to have all the parts he needed nearby, or they'd be in a much bigger world of hurt. The longer Daryl worked on it, the more he came to the realization that the bike had been more of a restoration project rather than an actual necessity.

''I don't know… Gonna try.'' He indicated at the multiple parts he had spread out on the floor. ''Fuckin' crankshaft needs ta be replaced, so do the valve intakes… spark plugs are shot ta shit. I can do it with what's here, it's jus' gonna take time.''

Beth stared down at the items he was pointing at and tried to look like she had the faintest clue as to what he was talking about. Giving up, she asked a question that would have an answer she could understand. ''How about gas?''

Daryl shrugged. ''Got plenty,'' He tilted his chin to the drums placed against the wall. ''Looked like he was hording it along with tha rest of tha shit layin' 'round this place.''

Relieved, Beth smirked. ''Maybe he was preparing for the zombie apocalypse.''

''Pfft, ain't no wonder he died here then.'' Daryl remarked as he squatted back down next to the engine again, ''Stupid bastard didn't even have a working vehicle ta put it in.''

Ignoring his gruff response, Beth pushed herself away from the counter. ''Well, I don't want to get in the way so… I'll leave you to it. ''

Daryl was in the process of torqueing the caps from the crank shaft cover when he happened to look over to see the girl hovering in the doorway. His brows drew in confusion. Christ, now what?

She twisted her fingers together and turned to meet his gaze. ''I just wanted to say… that I'm glad it's you that I'm out here with.''

Blindsided, Daryl just stared at her.

''I know that you'd probably prefer if I were Carol or Michonne, but I wanted to let you know that I… I appreciate what you're doing here.''

As soon as she was done, she released a deep breath and looked so relieved to have gotten out the point she was trying to make that Daryl felt like a dick for making it so obvious.

He dropped his eyes to the engine in front of him, and with nothing better to say he just muttered uncomfortably, ''Yeah… well… ain't done nothin' yet.''

Thankfully leaving it at that, Beth left him to his own devices to go back to the house. Daryl watched her go through the open doorway of the garage, confounded by her gratitude. How she could possibly be glad to be stuck out here with the likes of him was beyond his comprehension. As far as he could tell, there wasn't a day that had gone yet by that he hadn't managed to make her feel like shit in one way or another. It wasn't his intention, it was just his nature and wasn't something he could see changing anytime soon. And here she was being all appreciative of it like he was doing her some kind of favor by being that way.

He didn't get it... or her for that matter. He mentally shook his head at the brief interaction and got back to work.

…...

Daryl labored on bike well into the evening, only stopping to smoke his last cigarette when his frustration with the endeavor got the better of him. The sun was setting and the shadows it left behind were making it hard to see what his fingers were doing. Wiping a tired, dirty hand down his pant leg, he held the clutch down and turned the key for the umpteenth time in the last two hours. This time however, the engine flare to life, puttering slowly at first but gaining traction as he gave it some gas. Daryl was in the process of making some minor tweaks to the throttle when Beth came running full speed through the doorway with an incredulous look on her face.

''I heard it from the house!'' She managed to gasp out as she panted for breath. ''Holy crap, you did it!''

Not wanting the roar of the engine to attract unwanted attention, Daryl cut it off and kicked the bike off of the jacks that held it stationary.

''Jesus, don't sound so surprised.'' He grumbled.

Not put off by his dour attitude, she smiled. ''I'm not surprised, I'm just really happy.''

Daryl looked over to see that she wasn't lying, she looked happier than he could ever recall seeing her, which had been long before before the death of her father. It changed her whole appearance, brightening her features and making her blue eyes even bluer if that was possible. They stood out in stark contrast to the paleness of her skin and the effect had him staring at her stupidly.

He snapped himself out of it and pulled the keys from the bikes ignition.

''Anyways, still have a few things I gotta do… break pads need changing… carburetor's still glitchy as hell...'' Indicating over to the adjacent wall with his chin, Daryl continued disgruntledly, ''Gotta shit ton of gas but no fuckin' oil. Engines got some in it but it's old an' not enough to get us as far away from here as I wanna be.''

Beth followed his line of sight before asking, ''Are we leaving tonight to go get some?''

''Nah, it's too late an' tha headlights not working.'' Daryl mentally added it to the list of all the other damn things that still needed fixing. ''Gonna knock out what I can in tha morning an' then we're gone. We'll jus' get some on tha way.''

Nodding, Beth rubbed her cold hands together to generate some heat between them before saying, ''It's a good thing, we're down to a pack of stale crackers and a can of expired green beans.''

She made the meal sound as awful as it was probably going to taste but Daryl was past caring. Against all odds the bike was running and once they were on the road, he knew he'd be able to hunt again and get them some meat. They were going to need it if this weather continued like it was. They were going to be in for one hell of a winter if the last couple of nights were indicative of what was coming their way.

He held the ring of keys out to her. ''Here… take these an' go inside before ya catch cold. Can openers right there on 'em.''

''What are you going to do?'' She asked, trying not to let her teeth chatter together.

''Gonna finish up in here while I can still see somewhat, then I'll take care of that body.'' He nodded towards the door, ''Go on. Be in as soon as I'm done.''

Beth was shivering enough to take him up on his offer, leaving him to himself to do as he said. Taking advantage of a second wind, Daryl was able to fix the headlight and adjust the timing on the carburetor before the onset of night brought any further progress to a halt. With the break pads being all that was left to replace, he finally felt comfortable enough to ride the damn thing without worrying that it would break down on them at the most inopportune moment. As long as their first stop was for oil, there was no reason the Triumph wouldn't serve their needs, at least until they found something better.

Having a working mode of transportation wasn't the only thing that had made all the time and effort Daryl had put into the bike worthwhile. The sound of its engine sputtering to life had him feeling better than he had for a long time now. The Governors attack on the prison and Hershel's death had undeniably set him on the cusp of giving up and the guilty depression of it had almost crippled him. It had made it easy to forget how far he had come under Rick's leadership as he had watched himself steadily slide back into being the asshole he had been before, all while being unable to do jack shit about it.

Getting that motorcycle up and running had somehow managed to remind him of his purpose and pull him away from the edge.

Well, that and Beth.

Daryl threaded the padlock through the chain on the garage doors and snapped it shut. The chances of anyone finding it were slim to none, but he wasn't taking any chances. The drums of gasoline alone were worth their weight in gold and as recourses dwindled, they would become an even more valuable commodity, one that people would kill for. When it got to that point, he planned on always remembering that they were there.

Using the moonlight as a guide, Daryl traced his way back to the shed that housed the still and the leftover moonshine. Grabbing two mason jars full of the stuff, he headed to where the tarp covered corpse lay on the ground and doused it with the alcohol. Lighting the end of a twig on fire, he threw it on top of the body and stepped back as it was immediately engulfed in flames.

Staring at the fire as it weaved around itself, his fingers tightened around the crossbow strap at his chest. He spared one last look at the dead walker before uttering "Thanks man" into the night air, meaning it sincerely.

As he walked away from the overwhelming heat generated by the flames, Daryl was relieved to be feeling more like himself. By this time tomorrow they'd be long gone from here, and he found he could barely wait to get going. To have the open road under his tires once again was going to be a godsend, clearing his head of the prison massacre and providing a fresh start. For him and for Beth.

For the first time ever, Daryl acknowledged to himself that the girl was as much a part of this situation as he was and that if they were going to survive… well, they were just going to have to do so together. Yeah, he could easily do it on his own but the events of the last 24 hours had made him realize that he didn't really want to. Beth could be a pain in his ass, but she had stepped up when he hadn't even realized needed someone to do so, thereby earning her place as far as he was concerned.

As Daryl approached the house, he shook his head unbelievably at the notion. He just hoped that the two of them didn't end up killing each other and sparing the walkers the hassle.

…..

**Thank you for taking the time to read "What Still Lies Ahead" to this point! As you can see, I have decided to leave Merle's fate unknown. I love that character and even if he chooses to not play a part in this story, I still would like to think he'd be out there somewhere raisin' some hell. **

**No TWD copyright infringement intended. Please feel free to drop me a review or comment - they make my day (and fuel my writing fire!)**

**Bethyl forever.**


	11. Chapter 11

…...Chapter 11…...

Trudging his way across the backyard, Daryl looked ahead to see Beth sitting outside on the porch with her back against one of its posts. Wrapped in an old blanket, she was gazing up into the clear night sky seemingly lost in thought. The sound of his footsteps crunching into the gravel broke her from her reverie and she smiled slightly as he made his way up the rickety steps.

''Hey.'' She said softly, pulling up her knees so he could pass by.

''Hey.''

''It's nicer out here than it is inside.'' She explained as she pulled the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders. ''Though probably just as cold.''

Not having a response, Daryl just nodded and hoped it would do. The full moon illuminated where she sat just enough to where he could see that the cool nights air had induced a flush of color to stain her skin. Despite the faded remnants of blood that was left on the girl from his walker annihilation at the country club and the never ending layer of dirt that seemed to always cover them both, he was starting to realize that Beth was actually real pretty. When in the hell had that happened?

Suddenly feeling like a dirty old man, Daryl was grateful when she started talking again.

''I guess that's it then.'' Beth motioned towards the faint amber glow in the distance with a tilt of her head.

He leaned against the stair rail and chewed on the side of his thumb, still somewhat disconcerted by his recent revelation. ''Yeah,'' He monotoned, ''…pretty much.''

Realizing that he was on the verge of drawing blood, he pulled his hand away from his mouth and flexed his tired fingers. Goddamn, what he wouldn't give for a smoke right now. His recommitment to their survival had brought with it a severe bout of nicotine withdrawal that had been easy to ignore while he was busy, but now – not so much. The stillness of the moment wasn't helping either as it attempted to send his depleted system into overdrive. Silence always made Daryl edgy, he found it never lasted long and when it chose to end it was usually with chaos and bloodshed.

Beth gave the slightest of nods before looking out over the tree line to gaze back up to the night sky. ''Do you remember looking at the stars before all this happened?'' She asked the question so quietly that Daryl found himself holding his breath momentarily so he could hear her better. ''You know, when doing such a thing was considered normal?''

From where he stood just beneath the overhang of the porch, Daryl looked up as well to see that the full moon was indeed surrounded by them, the multiple incandescent kind of stars that could only be seen this far out in nature. He had never really given it much thought, to him stars weren't nothing but stars. He dropped his eyes to see her staring up at him expectantly from where she sat. Shit, he guessed that was an actual question that was wanting an answer.

''Not really.'' He said with a shrug.

She gave a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. ''Yeah… me neither. That's sad huh?''

''What's that?''

''How the reality of things now can make you forget how life used to be.''

Daryl shrugged off the crossbow and slumped down onto the porch step adjacent to her. As much as he wanted nothing more than to go inside and pass the hell out, the remembrance of the uncomfortable chair he was stuck with had him figuring that he could put off sitting in it for a while longer. He tilted his head back until it rested on the faded wood of the post at his back.

''It's jus' tha way it is, I reckon.'' He muttered, knowing it probably wasn't what she wanted to hear. ''Not much that can be done about it… not now anyways.''

Now that he was off his feet, Daryl could feel all the muscles in his body begin to protest vehemently at the labor he had subjected them to all day. He had been running on fumes to begin with but had still pushed himself hard to get the job done, as was his nature. And now that it was, the aches and pains he had ignored while doing so were making themselves painfully known. Daryl pulled his knife from the holder at his hip. Damn handle was digging incessantly into his side and not helping the situation any.

Beth caught his gaze and held it for a moment before asking, ''Are we still leaving tomorrow?''

''First thing.'' Daryl said, releasing a deep breath as he finally found a degree of comfort. He distractedly pushed the blade of the knife into the wood by his boot, glad she had brought it up. ''Ya might want ta dig around an' find ya self somethin' warmer to wear. If ya think this is cold, riding out in the open will feel ten times worse. Gonna find a gas station or somethin', grab some oil an' whatever else we can use… but yeah, consider us gone.''

Beth just stared at him oddly, causing Daryl's brows to draw in question.

''That sound like a game plan ta you?'' It wasn't usually in his nature to ask but then he remembered his silent resolution to try and included her in more of the decision making going forward.

''What? Oh… yes.'' She said as if suddenly reminded that she was in the middle of a two-way conversation. ''I'm sorry, I was just thinking...''

There was a long pause, and when it seemed that nothing more was forthcoming, Daryl found himself compelled to ask, ''About?''

''About …my dad.'' She sniffed back a small smile. ''I don't know why, but I… I was just thinking that I get now why he decided to quit drinking.''

Although the revelation was softly spoken, it still managed to get Daryl's full attention. He didn't know what he was expecting her to say, but it sure as hell wasn't that. He could feel his heart lurch in his chest. Shit, she wasn't about to rehash everything that happened yesterday, was she? He thought they'd moved past that, or at least had been severely hoping they had. Being as dead on his feet as he was, he honestly didn't know if he had it in him to be able to withstand such a conversation right now.

''I mean… I wish I could feel like that all that time, y'know?'' She continued before ruefully shaking her head. ''That's not good.''

Relieved, Daryl could only say, ''At least you're a happy drunk.''

''Yeah, I guess so. Some people I know can be real jerks when they drink.'' She said pointedly, though not unkindly.

Slightly embarrassed, Daryl pressed the point of the knife into the wood even deeper. Wasn't like she was telling him something he didn't already know.

''Yeah… I'm a dick when I'm drunk.'' He offered lamely, not bothering to make an excuse for it. Daryl glanced through the hair that hung limply in his eyes to see Beth smiling slightly at his muted response, her gaze nonjudgmental as she regarded him.

Relaxing, he leaned his head back again and looked out past the piles of scrap metal and rusted car parts into the darkness of the trees that lined the area. It was as close to normal as he could remember it ever being, almost like everything had decided to take a moments respite from the daily grind of surviving. Daryl glanced over at Beth and allowed his stoic guard to lower somewhat.

''Merle had this dealer, this jankie lil' white guy... tweeker. One day we were over at his house, watching T.V. It weren't even noon yet 'an we're all wasted… Merle was high." Daryl's voice was low on the air as he spoke. He had no idea why he felt compelled to share this part of himself with her. Maybe it was the quiet that surrounded them or the fact that he had her undivided attention. Maybe it was because he was still riding high on the fact that he'd gotten the motorcycle running… he honestly couldn't say. Beth was waiting on him to continue so Daryl drew upon his recollection of the day and did so.

"We were watchin' this show n' Merle was talking all this dumb shit about it. He wouldn't let up… Merle never could. Turns out, it was the tweeker's kids favorite show… an' he never sees his fuckin' kid so he felt guilty about it or somethin'. So he punches Merle in tha face. So I jump in an' start hittin' the tweeker… hard, like as hard as I could… and so he pulls a gun and he sticks it right to my head and says 'Imma kill you bitch.' So Merle pulls his gun on him. Everyone's yellin'… I'm yellin'.''

Even now after all these years, Daryl could feel the cold metal of the gun against his temple. ''Anyways, I thought I was dead, all over a dumb cartoon about a talkin' dog.''

''How did you get out of it?'' Beth asked quietly, genuinely interested.

Daryl's gaze focused back on her, having been momentarily lost in the memory. ''Tweeker punched me in the gut an' I ended up puking all over the place. They both laughed their asses off and forgot all about it.''

He looked down unseeingly at the knife he was toying with in his hand, remembering all over again why he had chosen to suppress the long buried emotions that day invoked for him.

''Everyone's so fuckin' interested in knowin' what I did before all this. You wanna know what it was?'' Daryl asked quietly as he looked over at her. ''I was just driftin' around with Merle, doing whatever he said we were gonna be doing that day. I was nobody… nothin'. Jus' another redneck asshole with an even bigger asshole for a brother.''

Beth held him in her gaze for a moment before saying knowingly, ''You miss him, don't you.''

Daryl dropped his head as if she could read his mind. He missed Merle sometimes, usually when he least expected it. His life was so different now that the time he'd spent with his brother was slowly becoming a distant memory, one that seemed hazily surreal compared to the stark reality of the present. There was always a chance the two of them could run into each other again but deep down Daryl knew it would probably be best for both of them if they didn't. His brother could be an instigating bastard that would never understand the choices Daryl had made, the most glaring of which being how he had chosen to stay with the people responsible for leaving Merle to die on that rooftop in Atlanta.

Beth was saying something and it pulled Daryl from the dark thoughts that held him in their grip.

''I miss Maggie. I miss her bossing me around.'' As she leaned back, Daryl noticed that her eyes were glossy with a remembered sadness. ''I miss my big brother Sean. He was so annoying and overprotective. And my daddy. I thought… Well, I hoped he'd just live out his life at the farm. I thought Maggie and Glenn would have a baby, he'd get to be a grandpa. We'd have birthdays and holidays and summer picnics there. He'd get really old and it would be quiet… it would be ok. He'd always be surrounded by the people he loved.''

She drew a long shaky breath and her voice hitched with the reality of the situation. ''Now, that all sounds unbelievably naïve and stupid.''

''That's how it's supposed to be.'' Jesus, was that really the best he could do? He had watched the raw emotions play across her face and hadn't been able to come up with a single better response in the nerve wrecking presence of potential tears.

Beth didn't seem to care though. She was lost in thoughts of her home, the only place she had ever known before the turn. Daryl tried to recall any memories he had of the Greene family farm that didn't involve it being completely overran by walkers. As hard as he tried, the night the place fell out from under them was seared vividly into his brain, over-riding all others recollections in its wake. The smell of the fires burning, the sound of the screams that echoed across the dark pastures. He had seen plenty of shit since leaving the place, but the indelible memory of that night would be something that would never leave him.

''I wish I could just… change.'' She said softly, her blue eyes meeting his.

''You did.'' Daryl uttered, actually starting to believe it himself.

Unconvinced, her gaze remained wistful. ''Not enough… not like you. I mean, it's like you were made for how things are now.''

''Jus' used to this, things bein' fuckin' ugly,'' Daryl pointed the knife in his hand loosely at the house's faded exterior, ''.… growin' up in a shithole like this.''

Daryl's lips tightened with the realization that where they were now was actually a damn sight better than the dump he had grown up in, which was especially pathetic considering that it was nothing more than a backwoods trash heap. It had always been a source of embarrassment for him as a kid, remembering how he would often opt to walk over two miles a day just so he could take the bus to school from a nicer area.

Merle, on the other hand, hadn't given two shits. Then again, he hadn't been stuck there as long as Daryl had, taking off without a backwards glance after one too many beatings from the old man.

''But you got away from it.'' Beth said, sounding confident in the presumed notion. It didn't take much for Daryl to see that she actually thought so. He reckoned it was a small kind of accomplishment that, like most of the occupants from the prison, she was able to look past the hillbilly accent and white trash persona to believe such a thing from him.

''I didn't really.'' There was no real point in trying to deny it.

''You did!'' She said emphatically. Daryl sniffed complacently in response, giving her credit for almost sounding almost convincing.

''Guess you gotta keep on reminding me sometimes.''

''No. You can't depend on anyone for anything, right?'' She smiled fleetingly for a moment before a sad seriousness swept over her features. Beth pulled the blanket tighter around herself and pinned him with a long melancholy stare. ''I'll be gone someday.''

''Stop.'' Daryl didn't want to even put such a thought out there, just in case the powers that be were still listening.

''I will.'' She said purposefully as she stared at him. ''You… you're gonna be the last man standing.''

For someone who'd only just come to terms with the idea of _not_ wanting to be stuck out here alone, it was the absolute last thing Daryl wanted to hear. He could see why she would think he'd prefer it though, especially considering his shit attitude towards her over the last couple of days, but something had changed for him since then, something substantial… and he now he knew that there was no way in hell he wanted to end up like the poor dumb bastard that had lived here before, isolated and stockpiling junk only to die alone.

Fuck that.

Somewhat blindsided by the surreal realization that he just might need her as much as she needed him, Daryl glanced over at the girl, suddenly unable think of anything worse than being stuck out here without her despite how personally trying she could be.

Beth apparently guessed the reason for his pained expression, pausing for a moment before saying softly, ''You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone Daryl Dixon.''

Daryl swallowed hard to counteract the lump of emotion that had inexplicably formed in his throat, wondering where during the course of the conversation had it managed to turn so painfully personal. He was usually real good at avoiding such things, the unbending anti-social tendencies he wore like a suit of armor damn near guaranteed it. Somehow along the way, she had found a way to get past his defenses and even worse, he had let her.

''You ain't a happy drunk at all.'' Was all he managed to choke out in a lame attempt to lighten the extremely heavy moment.

''Yeah, I can be happy… but I'm not blind.'' Beth regarded him in all seriousness before saying pointedly, ''You have to stay who you are… not who you were. Places like this…'' She glanced around their surroundings before coming back to him. ''You have to put it away.''

''What if ya can't?'' Daryl asked, meaning it. He needed to know.

''You have to… or it kills you.'' That ghost of a smile was back again as she placed her hand over her heart. ''Here.''

There was a long silence as Daryl contemplated all that was said. He almost wished it was that easy but he knew from personal experience that attempting such a thing had a tendency to blow up in his face… usually in the most disparagingly soul crushing kind of way. He wasn't proud of where he came from by any means, but he had learned how to apply what he needed from it and to keep everything else locked away deep inside. It was the reason he was who he was.

Looking over at Beth, he expelled a long sigh before saying to her quietly, ''We should go inside.''

Beth nodded slightly when suddenly her eyes lit up for the first time since they had started talking. ''You know what we should do? We should burn it down.''

Stunned into silence, Daryl sat there for a moment while Beth worried at her lower lip, waiting to see what his response would be. His initial gut reaction to the impulsive suggestion was tempered only by the hope that was plainly written all over her face.

Hope.

To Daryl, the concept was as dangerous as following through with the suggestion itself.

For him, hope had all but flamed out back at the prison with Hershel's death and he hadn't been given a reason since worth trying to resurrect it from the ashes. The unrelenting guilt had made sure it stayed that way and had almost been his undoing until he had been able to drag himself out of the hole and get past it. She had a big part in helping with that.

As they stared at each other, Daryl could feel himself getting caught in the calm conviction of the smile growing on Beth's face. She was right, he realized… it had almost killed him - right where she said it would. If she could somehow manage to still hold true to hope after the death of her father then maybe this very moment was as good a time as any for the both of them to put it _all_ away.

Pulling himself to his feet, Daryl yanked his knife from where he had stuck it in the wood of the railings to slide it back in its holster at his hip, stepping past her to open the dilapidated screen door. As he did so, Beth attempted to hide her disappointment, pulling her knees back against her chest to wrap the blanket she was using around them. Hovering the doorway, Daryl glanced back over his shoulder at the girl now staring despondently back up to the stars.

''We're gonna need more booze.'' He noted gruffly before disappearing into the darkness of the house's interior, oblivious to the happily surprised face that watched him go.

…...

**Thanks as always to those who follow and review this story. It's amazing to me that anyone would be interested enough to do so considering that it is nothing more than a small labor of love for two characters that mean the world to me. "What Still Lies Ahead" is coming along just as I planned and I know exactly where it's going to get to "Alone" and beyond. I also want to take ****a moment to acknowledge ****GeorgieGirl75 for the review, it really inspired me to knock out this chapter, so thank you! **

**No copyright infringement intended. **


	12. Chapter 12

…..Chapter 12…...

Beth scrambled to her feet, barely able to believe Daryl had agreed to the impulsively suggested idea. The words had just tumbled out of her mouth with no forethought whatsoever only to hang on the air between them for what seemed like an eternity. She had watched the conflict flitter across his face with baited breath as he weighed the consequences of doing such an irrational thing, starting with the initial expected refusal and ending with… well, a look she had never seen from him before.

Following him into the house, Beth felt her way to the kitchen to find Daryl digging through the jars of moonshine they'd brought in with them when they first arrived. It was hard for her to believe that had only been a couple of days ago now, the emotions the two of them had been wrung through since making it seem like a lifetime.

He plucked a couple of jars out and shook them in the beam of the flashlight he had propped on the table to see by. Beth came over to stand next to him and searched the determined expression on his face. She had seen it there before, way back in the day when he would leave her farm every morning on his fruitless search for the little girl Sophia. That particular situation had ended badly and Beth could feel the trepidation begin to creep in. Maybe they were being too rash in burning down the only shelter they had for the night. ''Are you serious? We're… actually going to do this?''

''Fuck it, why not.'' He spun the lid off and began consolidating the alcohol into as few jars as possible to get the job done. Dropping each one he emptied onto the floor, he grumbled, ''Weren't like I was lookin' forward to sleeping in that damn chair again anyways.''

Beth hesitantly picked out one of the half full jars herself, removing the top and passing it over. That was fair but she still felt compelled to ask, ''Where will we go?''

The tinge of fear she was suddenly feeling about being exposed to the elements and whatever else that was out there must have been apparent because Daryl stopped what he was doing and glanced over.

''Done told ya, gonna find us a gas station an' get some oil. Got one in mind but it might be cleared out by now. It's far enough off tha beaten path to crash for the night if it is an' we'll jus' keep searching tomorrow...'' He paused for a moment and the extended silence caused her to look up only to find him staring at her intently through the hair that hung in his face. ''Either way, I'm 'bout done with this place, ain't you?''

In the flashlights reflection his clear eyes were piercing and Beth could feel her heart inexplicably begin to pound when the intensity of his gaze didn't waiver. Slowly releasing the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, she tried to ignore the strange kinetic awareness firing across her senses.

''Well, yeah, I… I just never thought you'd go for it.''

None the wiser to the sudden predicament in which Beth found herself, Daryl smirked. ''Pfft, guess ya don't know the first thing 'bout me neither then, do ya? '' He ribbed as he hefted the crate from the table to carry it into the living room.

It was as close to a genuine smile as Beth had ever seen from the man and she was left staring after it in wonder. She picked up his discarded flashlight and followed behind him. ''Guess not… but I think I'm learning.''

''Lemme know how that works out for ya.'' Daryl muttered, sweeping everything off of the coffee table with the edge of the crate to set it down on the cleared surface with a grunt. Pulling himself upright, he indicated to the full jars with a casual wave of his hand. ''That oughta 'bout do it.''

Swiping the ring of keys from off of the top of the console TV, he looked over to where Beth was hovering in the kitchen doorway. ''Gonna go pack some shit on tha bike an' pull it up front, secure tha garage. Find something warmer ta put on, it don't matter what. Now that we're mobile we'll do us a supply run. Make it quick, ya hear?''

Nodding, Beth thought to offer him back the light but he was already out the door. Using it herself, she went rummaging through the bedroom closets and tried to find anything she could put on that wasn't ridiculously large or disgustingly dirty. Clothes were strewn all over the place by the time she found the only thing she felt safe enough to allow near her skin - an old brown flannel with a frayed hemline. Figuring it was going to have to do, she gingerly shrugged it on just as she heard the motorcycle roar up the driveway.

Beth met Daryl in the living room to see him rubbing his hands together to circulate some warmth between them. ''It's cold as shit outside, that gonna be enough for ya?''

Considering that he was only wearing the clothes on his back, she wasn't about to complain about the lack of viable options. ''It'll be fine. Besides, I have a feeling that we'll both be too warm here in the next few minutes anyway.''

His brow raised skeptically, ''A'right.''

Beth could tell that he didn't believe her but she wasn't about to get into the fact that she would rather freeze to death than wear anything that this place had to offer. Daryl passed her the backpack full of cash and she slipped her arms through the straps to settle it on her back. By the screen door sat the Horton and a couple of blankets rolled tightly in the sleeping bag. That was so Daryl to have thought ahead to do such a thing, and Beth knew she was going to be grateful for it once they got to the gas station.

Daryl opened one of the mason jars, took a random swig from it and glanced over at her. ''Ya ready to do this?''

Beth couldn't help but smile as she picked up a jar of her own. ''It was my suggestion… are you?''

He tsked like it was a given. ''Fuckin' born ready.''

He pitched the jar against the adjacent wall where it smashed to pieces, the alcohol inside splattering over everything in the general vicinity. Beth couldn't help but laugh as she tossed her own into the nearby kitchen where it shattered on the dirty linoleum. After so many dark days between them, the shared moment of levity had her feeling almost lightheaded.

While Daryl lobbed his next one down the dark hallway with as much force as his tired body could muster, Beth sloshed hers around the living room, circling around until she ran into the ottoman where they had played the unfortunate drinking game. Remembering what had transpired there she made a point of soaking the thing until it was dripping. They both continued spraying down the place until all the jars but one were gone.

Daryl slung the crossbow over his shoulder and passed Beth the roll of blankets before taking one last look around. He poured a trail out of the house and threw the empty jar back at the porch from where they stood on the gravel driveway.

''C'mere.'' Daryl said, spinning his finger to indicate that she turn around. Beth felt him digging in the backpack she had on and glanced over her shoulder to see him pull out a bundle of the one hundred dollar bills he had coveted.

Holding out his lighter in one hand, he held the up the wad of bills in the other. ''Ya wanna?'' He asked expectantly.

Eyes alight, Beth tucked the blankets under her arm. ''Hell yeah!''

He held the bundle in place while she carefully positioned the small flame under it. The moment the money caught, he threw the whole thing as hard as he could against the screen door. The porch was instantly engulfed and it didn't take long at all for the rest of the dilapidated house to follow soon behind it.

Gazing upon their handiwork, both Daryl and Beth stepped back towards the bike as the bellowing heat quickly became overwhelming. Fire and smoke poured through the broken windows to disappear into the clear nights sky. Beth followed the trails they made up to see the stars above shining as bright and beautiful as she could ever recall seeing them. In a world full of uncertainty and fear, she found it comforting to know that some things were never going to change no matter what.

Beth glanced over at Daryl to see that he was lost in thoughts of his own as he stared unblinkingly at the burning structure. Reflections from the flames played across his profile and she could only speculate as to what was running through his mind. Her attention was drawn back to the dilapidated house as its roof noisily collapsed under the weight of the fire, freeing it to burn out of control.

Closing her eyes, Beth let the intense heat wash over her as she basked in the moment. She may not know what Daryl was thinking but she was choosing to see this as the beginning of a fresh start for them. There seemed to be a slight yet palpable shift in the dynamics of their relationship and she hoped more than anything that this could mark the turning point that allowed that struggling sentiment to take root.

Knowing Daryl as she did, Beth was completely aware that she would probably be carrying that hope on her own, but at least she was in a much better place to do so than when they'd first arrived here. The two of them had run the gamete of highs and lows at this godforsaken house and now she was ready to leave it and everything it represented in the rearview mirror.

With that thought in mind, Beth threw up a middle finger at the fiery remains and nudged at Daryl to do the same. He hesitated only for a moment before joining her, flipping off the house with an equal amount of conviction. Beth remained at his side as they stood their ground, giving the place the one finger salute it so rightfully deserved for reasons in which they both kept to themselves. Each had the semblance of a smile on their faces until the arrival of some walkers in the distance brought the cathartic moment to an end.

''That's it.'' Daryl muttered, eyeing them immediately. ''Let's go.''

He pulled the crossbow from his back and handed it to her before swinging a leg over the seat of the motorcycle, settling its weight beneath him. Situating the heavy weapon on her back next to the backpack, Beth scrambled to get on the bike behind him as he kicked the stand back with the heel of his boot and started the engine. More walkers joined the others as the cacophony of light and sound emitting from the fire drew them to it like moths. Daryl did a wide circle in the driveway before taking off in a shower of gravel, leaving the place behind to be nothing more than a shared memory.

Unable to help herself, Beth looked over her shoulder only to see the shadowy silhouettes of the walkers as they congregated around the still burning building. Their growing numbers coalesced to create a seething mass that stood in stark contrast to the amber flames behind them. She wasn't sure if the shivers she felt running down her spine were from the cold night air or from the sudden realization that they had probably just made it out of there ahead of a horde that they hadn't even known was coming.

''Don't ya look back.''

The roughly spoken command was quickly lost to the roar of the engine but not before she had heard it. Beth's gaze immediately swung around to impact briefly with his before Daryl set his attention back to traversing the road ahead of them. It didn't need to be said that he realized it too, that they were fortunate as hell to have gotten out of there when they did. Fate had been on their side this time, but who knew about the next? There was no telling what was in store for them wherever it was he was taking them.

With no other choice, Beth held on tight to the man in front of her, wrapping her arms around him as the cold night air whipped into her hair to steal her breath away.

…..

Daryl squinted against the wind as he traversed his way carefully around the walkers that littered the dark road in front of them. Their dead eyes shone in the gleam of the bike's headlight as they looked unseeingly around to pin down the source of the noise that rushed past them. He wished he could cut the light completely, at least until they cleared this mess, but the overhead trees that lined the stretch of asphalt made that impossible. They created a shroud of darkness that no amount of moonlight was ever going to be able to penetrate no matter how bright. With nothing that could be done about it, he gave the walkers as wide a berth as he could manage without having to sacrifice speed.

Goddamn, where the hell were they all coming from? Daryl couldn't remember ever seeing so many of them this far out before. The urban walker population must have been left largely unchecked for them to head out into the surrounding areas like this. With humans forced to live off the grid and the amount of wildlife roaming around out here, the bastards were likely thriving from the moment they had stumbled off the beaten path.

As the number of dead on the road finally starting to dwindle, Daryl was able to breathe a little easier and focus back on getting to their destination. He took the moment to thank the powers that be yet again for letting them find the motorcycle when they did. Every walker they'd passed so far had been heading in the direction of the old house, and it had nothing to do with the massive fire that now indicated its position. The whole place would've been over run by morning - he knew it and he was fairly sure that Beth knew it too, he had seen the fear lingering in her eyes.

Now that the road was clear, Daryl opened up the bike until it roared beneath them at a steady hum. As it chewed through the miles, he gritted his teeth against the fatigue that threatened to overwhelm him. Even though he was running on empty, he still needed to stay on point. As long as the two of them were out here, the walkers weren't the only thing they needed to worry about. As thankful as he was to have a working form of transportation, Daryl also knew that it all but painted a big fucking target on their backs. Any lowlife with the inclination to do so would have no problem killing them for it and taking it for their own. As basic resources dwindled, he had seen people get put down for less.

There was also another thing that had Daryl concerned, something he'd been trying hard to not think too heavily upon since leaving the house… and that was the girl.

In the wrong kind of hands, she'd be in for a world of hurt. With her long blond hair and pale translucent skin, Beth couldn't help but to stand out against the darkness they all dwelled in. She was young, cute and Daryl was fairly damn sure she was a virgin. For any asshole out there who had no issue sinking as low as the turn could drag him, she'd be a risk worth taking. The sooner he got the two of them where they needed to go, the better.

Beth's arms were locked around his waist and Daryl could feel the girl shivering against his back. She wasn't complaining about it though so he didn't feel the need to address it. The way he figured she had no one to blame but herself, he had told her to find something warm, not something that would just suffice. Years of riding and hunting had weathered him to be able to withstand the elements, she was in the process of getting a crash course.

Daryl found the side road he was looking for and steered his way around the abandoned cars until he could find a suitable place to pull off. It was still the dead of night and there was no way in hell he was going to just roll on up to the old gas station without checking it out on foot beforehand. All the things he'd been stewing on for the last hour could be right there waiting for them and he wasn't about to give up the bike or the girl just because he was too fucking tired to do a real sweep.

Seeing a break in the foliage, Daryl cut the bike's engine and let the machine coast off the road until it came to a standstill. The gas station was just ahead but at least here the motorcycle would partially hidden by the thick foliage that covered the area. Flicking off the headlight, Daryl took a moment to listen for any unnatural movement on the air and was met with only the clicking of the cooling engine. It was as good a place as any to fall back to if this whole idea went to shit.

Beth reluctantly peeled herself from the warmth of his back as he pulled the keys from the ignition and climbed off the bike. Standing nearby while he got situated, she nervously attempted to peer into the dark of the woods for any imagined threat that could be lurking there. Without needing to be asked, she handed the Horton over and went to follow him as he proceeded to head back to the main road that led to the gas station.

Daryl turned around. ''Nah, you stay.'' He said with a point of his finger as he hefted the weapon closer to his chest, ''Gonna check tha place an' I can do it quicker on my own.''

Beth looked somewhat stricken by the prospect but he didn't give her the opportunity to argue about it as he strode off. After all the time she had spent out here with him, by now he thought she'd realize that his way was the only way things like this were going down.

It didn't take Daryl long to reach the gas station and he made a conscience point to circle around the dark structure from a distance before choosing to get closer. On the surface, everything seemed quiet but he had been lulled into a false sense of security by that before. The surface could always be deceiving and it didn't take but two seconds for calm to turn to a clusterfuck. If that was going to happen he wanted to be prepared.

He and Michonne had initially spotted the place when they had cut through the area a long time ago and now that he was back, he was starting to recollect that it was actually more of an old school, backwoods type of gas station than one of the newer kinds with the modern amenities. It had a general store and a stand alone garage and looked like it should be on a postcard. It even had the rocking chair on the porch and the single serving gas pumps to prove it.

As Daryl got closer, he could see that it being so far off the beaten road seemed to have worked in its favor. The place seemed undisturbed for the most part. Daryl shone his flashlight through one of the broken windows of the store and peered inside. At first, nothing looked to be moving about unnaturally but that soon changed the moment he tapped lightly on the adjacent glass with the butt of the light. Three walkers stumbled out from between the aisles to stare at him blindly, seemingly held in a trance by the beam shining in from outside.

Daryl couldn't help but be relieved. Walkers, he could handle... they were slow and had no weapons besides their teeth. Humans would've been a different story entirely. His previous encounters with anyone outside of their own group made it clear that you couldn't trust 'em for shit. As the end dragged out, people had become as primal and dangerous as the walkers… hell, worse if they were so inclined. As far as Daryl was concerned, the only thing that prevented people from becoming the greater of two evils was the sheer number of walkers that existed around them.

The ones inside were easy enough to kill. Daryl just stabbed them through the broken window as they pressed themselves against it in their vain attempt to reach him.

Stupid bastards.

After silencing the snarls, he then went inside to check out the rest of the store, including the garage that was set to the back of it. When he was satisfied that the three he had encountered were the only real issues to worry about, he headed back to go collect the girl and the motorcycle.

Since his eyes were acclimated to the dark, Daryl chose to stick to the woods this time. It was always best to avoid the roads whenever possible, and he was becoming increasingly appreciative that years of hunting with his brother had made him a natural at doing so. As he reached the small clearing he found the bike sitting exactly as he left it but Beth was nowhere to be seen.

''Beth?'' Daryl whispered loudly as he circled around in the small area. His eyes strained to see past the general vicinity into the blackness that lay beyond. What the hell! Did she just up and wander off? Goddamn it!

_''Beth!''_

''I'm over here.'' A small voice finally reached him.

With the Horton pressed to his cheek, he turned only to see the girl sitting curled up at the base of a nearby tree. Now that he knew where she was, he swept the weapon across the area once more just in case he missed some unseen threat the first time. When nothing out of the ordinary present itself, Daryl rushed over and skidded down next to her fully expecting to see a bite or blood or something equally devastating.

Beth looked up at him as he did so and pulled her knees tighter to her chest. ''I'm alright,'' she said somewhat sheepishly. ''I'm fine.''

''Fucks sakes, you 'bout gave me a heart attack!'' Daryl said furiously, his initial fear now coalescing into anger. ''What's all this about? Ya hurt or what?!''

When the answers didn't come quick enough, he clenched his fingers around the handle of the crossbow to prevent himself from physically shaking them out of her.

''I'm ok, really.'' Beth insisted, pulling herself to her feet with a dismissive wave of her hand. ''I don't want to talk about it. It's stupid…''

She attempted to sidestep him but Daryl grabbed her arm. ''Hold up! I don't give a shit how stupid ya think it is, what tha fucks going on?''

Beth spun around and yanked herself from his grip, ''Nothing, alright?! I said I'm fine! Everything's… fine.''

Daryl ran a frustrated hand down his face. He was too goddamn tired to be dealing with this teenage bullshit so instead of depleting the last of his precious energy trying to drag whatever it was out of her, he just pinned her with an intense glare and waited.

Chewing at her bottom lip, Beth wrapped the flannel she was wearing tighter around herself and looked everywhere but at directly at him. Daryl suddenly realized that she was embarrassed.

She released an exasperated huff before saying indignantly, ''I don't like the dark, ok? I never have. I told you it was nothing and that's exactly what it is – nothing. You're back and I'm fine.''

''Ya scared of tha dark?'' Daryl's brow drew in confusion. Whatever he had been expecting to hear, that was not it. ''Ain't that something that little kids have'ta deal with?''

''I don't know…'' Beth shrugged. She was about to explain the phobia further when she sudden stopped short. ''Wait… are you saying that I'm a kid?''

''I don't know…'' Daryl shrugged back. ''Ain't you?''

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him incredulously. ''Oh my god, I'm eighteen Daryl, not eight! Is that what you've thought this whole time?''

''Ain't thought nothin' about it one way or tha other.'' He was quick to lie. The last thing he needed her to know was how he had thought about it… more times than he cared to admit. Not liking where the conversation was heading, Daryl changed tactics. ''You 'bout finished with tha dramatics? 'Cause I'm dead on my feet an' wanna get this done.''

Not bothering to wait for a response, Daryl stalked his way back to the bike, his gaze darting through the trees. Even though he was fairly sure that there were no other walkers in the area, it was still best to be sure.

Beth quickly caught up to him and took the crossbow when he handed it over, hefting the heavy thing over her shoulder. Daryl guessed that she was just as beat as he was because she stifled a yawn before looking at him expectantly and asking, ''Well?''

Daryl swung a leg over the motorcycle and paused to look over at her in confusion. ''Well what?''

''The gas station?'' She said questioningly. ''What did you see?''

That's right… shit, he must be out of it more than he thought. Daryl stuck the key in the ignition but didn't turn it. Instead he settled the bikes weight beneath his body and allowed himself a moments respite to gather his scattered thoughts. With the remnants of the scare she'd given him was still hammering away in his chest along with the severe lack of sleep, it was no wonder that he could barely see straight.

Pulling a deep breath, he answered, ''Only found walkers wandering 'round tha place but s'clear for tha most part, least for right now…''

It was as much of a response as he could muster so he left it at that and started the motorcycle up. Beth got on behind him and didn't question him further as they heading to their destination. It was probably a good thing too because in his worn out state of mind, Daryl was starting to doubt the words that were coming out of his mouth.

After pulling up behind the place, he threw a beat up tarp he found over the bike to camouflage it against the building the best he could. It wasn't the best solution but it was just going to have to do for now. He thought about stashing it inside the garage but he didn't want to take a chance opening its heavy corrugated bay door in the dead of night. At this point he was borderline too damn tired to care anyways so fuck it.

Beth sluggishly followed him inside the store as he used the flashlight to make a bee line straight back to the small office located behind the counter. During his initial sweep he had seen a couch in there that would more than suffice for them to crash on, at least for the night. The office itself was small, contained and had a lock on its only door which also made it the best option of the few they had available to them.

Coming into the cramped little room after him, Beth glanced over the place before setting the crossbow down carefully on the desk. Daryl set the flashlight next to the weapon to shine it across the space as he purposefully locked the door behind her and taped a piece of cardboard over its small window to black it out on the other side. Neither one of them said a word as they both simultaneously sunk onto the old couch and stared exhaustedly as the light flittered over the papers tacked to the adjacent bulletin board.

As good as it felt to stop for a moment, Daryl knew that somebody was going to have to get up and keep watch for the rest of the night. He should probably get right on that. His heavy head lilted over only to see that Beth was already dead asleep. When turning away from her required more energy than he could muster, Daryl found himself stuck staring at the girl.

Eighteen.

The age totally suited her now that he knew what it was and Daryl briefly wondered how he had ever thought of her otherwise. His previous opinions about her had been near set in stone right up to the moment she stood up to him during their argument. Not many could go nose to nose with him like she had and see it through. Even when the weight of it all had broken him, she still hadn't left his side.

Daryl would never say it out loud, but it had definitely changed his perception of her. From that point on he found himself trying to deny the minor shift in their relationship. Somewhere along the line Beth had gone from being an unwanted burden to gradually becoming… well, something else. It was that 'something else' that had him stewing uncomfortably, probably because he was trying his damndest to avoid thinking about it or its potential ramifications too deeply.

Beth sighed in her sleep and the slight movement unwittingly caught his eye. Somehow the girl managed to keep her lips pouty and full despite the daily grind of the apocalypse and Daryl found himself wondering how many times she had been kissed there before everything had gone to shit. Upon realizing where his sleep deprived thoughts were taking him, he pressed his palms to his eye sockets as if doing so could put a stop to the visions in his head.

Now staring at the shadows on the wall, he decided to chalk his current skewed state of mind up to the bone numbing weariness he was dealing with. After all, this was Beth for fucks sake, and in the long run scheme of things she meant no more or no less to him than any other person from the prison. They were stuck out here together and he would protect her the best he could and that's it, end of story.

Feeling convinced, Daryl's eyes slowly and unwillingly closed as his hazy thoughts drifted back to the feel of the girl as she pressed against his back as they rode. Yeah, she was young but as she said, she wasn't a child.

The last thought that crossed Daryl's mind before he succumbed to the beckoning darkness of sleep was that his 'something else' was beginning to not see her as one either.

…...

**So as you can see, we are off the beaten path now and it's all very exciting! Just a reminder, I am staying true to how I believe feelings developed between the two - slow and almost uncomfortably. But I think they're both starting to sense that something might be there though! Thanks for taking the time to read "What Still Lies Ahead" to this point and reviews &amp; comments are always welcome!**


	13. Chapter 13

…..Chapter 13….

Reality began to slowly intrude on the wonderful dream Beth was having and she struggled with the effort to hold it at bay if only for a little while longer. As the walkers slowly began to infiltrate their way in, her eyes flittered open to stare unseeingly across the room. There used to be a time when she would mourn such an occurrence, but now it was almost expected. After all the things she'd seen and done since the turn, she was thankful she could still even dream at all.

Beth stared in a sleepy trance at the crossbow laying on the adjacent desk until it gradually came into focus. Her brows drew when she realized that the weapon was the only thing that looked familiar in the dimly lit room. Confused and disorientated, she searched her mind until the pieces began to fall into place. There was a the gas station… and they had gone there in the middle of the night. Other than that, she couldn't remember anything past coming into the small office behind Daryl and seeing what looked like the most comfortable couch in the world…

Feeling like she had slept better than she had in days, Beth languidly rolled onto her back only to freeze mid stretch when she realized that her head was actually resting on Daryl's leg. Staring up at his sleeping countenance, she blinked in confusion as her sleep addled mind desperately attempted to recall if she had purposefully put herself there or if he had instigated such a thing.

Being so unnervingly close to him was making any recollection of the incident impossible so Beth slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, watching him warily the whole time as she did so. When Daryl didn't stir, she released a quiet breath of relief. She knew him well enough to know that if he had woken up to find her in his lap, the uncomfortable nature of such a predicament could potentially damage any progress the two of them had made. She wasn't sure how she had ended up there but it had been completely unintentional, she just wasn't sure Daryl would see it that way.

Beth glanced back over at him, not really surprised that he was still dead asleep. After working on the bike all day and driving it all night, he had to be exhausted. With his hair hanging in face and his unyielding features softened, she realized that she'd be lying to herself if she said that there wasn't a certain something about the man that attracted her to him. She couldn't quite pin point it, it hadn't always been there, but she was fairly sure she knew of the exact moment it had decided to make itself known.

As it had several times now, Beth's mind drifted back to the time the two of them had fought against each other in front of the dead walker. She had never argued with someone like that before and the kinetic intensity flowing between them had induced a potent awareness of her own body that had only kicked into overdrive the moment he had hauled her against him. Even now the recollection of it still managed to induce goose bumps on her skin.

Pushing herself to her feet, Beth yawned the thought away. No good could come from dwelling on such things and besides, she was fairly sure the guy still sleeping on the couch saw her as nothing more than an annoying teenager that he had no choice but to be stuck out here with. There wasn't likely much she could say or do that would change his mind about it. Daryl had shown himself time and time again to be ridiculously unbending when it came to adhering to his preconceived notions.

Suddenly uncomfortable and restless inside the stuffy room, Beth didn't see any reason she couldn't go check out the place on her own. She was starving and Daryl had said that the place was clear for the most part. Even if it wasn't, she was sure she could handle it, figuring she'd be doing him a favor by not waking him anyway.

The old clock on the wall said it was 7:34 and even though she assumed that was in the morning, she still made a point to lift the cardboard that covered the window in the door just to be sure. The rising sun streaming through the stores windows cast hues of pink and orange over the ransacked shelves, making it easy enough for her to see them without the need for the flashlight still being used to illuminate the office. Unlocking the door, she gave the man sleeping on the couch a last furtive glance before quietly opening it just enough to slip through.

Stepping carefully past the three bodies that lay in a bloody heap on the ground, Beth wandered down the aisles and was ecstatic to find the place was a veritable goldmine. Although the fruit and refrigerated items had long turned bad, she was still able to garner quite a bit from what hadn't already been picked through. A couple of energy drinks, dry cereal, some granola bars and Twinkies all went into the bag she had grabbed. Coming across the travel kits, Beth immediately tore one open to gratefully pull out the toothbrush and toothpaste. Brushing away, she tossed the remaining kits in as well and continued her search.

With the bag full of anything she could find worth taking, Beth found herself at the back of the store standing in front of the long hallway leading to the public restroom. Pausing apprehensively with the toothbrush still in her mouth, she peered down the dark corridor and wondered if Daryl had gotten a chance to clear it last night when he had swept the place. Of course there'd be no water to flush with but it would still be so much better than going outside to the bushes.

Squaring her shoulders, she shoved the toothbrush into the bag and set it on the floor before determinedly pulling her knife from its holster. There was only going to be one way to find out.

''Ok …I can do this.''

The encouraging words were whispered nervously to herself as she approached the bathroom door. After all, how hard could it be? She had seen Rick, Daryl and Glenn do it a million times to a million doors. It wasn't like she didn't know the drill - knock on the door and go for the head of whatever answered. If they could do it, she didn't see any reason why she couldn't either.

Any hopes Beth had that the bathroom was clear were dashed when the snarls of a walker met her tentative knock. Her heart sank and she briefly contemplated whether the reward was going to be worth the increasingly nerve fraying effort. She guessed she could always go and wake Daryl… but the sobering thought of having to explain to him why she preferred the bathroom over squatting outside quickly nixed that idea. Deciding that she'd rather face whatever was on the other side of the door alone than attempt to justify herself to the redneck, Beth steeled her resolve and her grip the handle before flinging the door open and jumping back.

With her knife at the ready, Beth was momentarily confused when no walker rushed at her with its teeth bared. What the darkness surrounding her prevented her from seeing was the boney hand that snatched at her ankle instead, immediately yanking her off her feet. With a stilted gasp, she landed hard on the ground, quickly losing her grip on the knife as she made a vain attempt to break her own fall.

The walker taking advantage of her sprawled position was missing the lower part of its body and it immediately slithered its way up her legs, lugging its entrails and snapping its jaws as it tried to find a place to latch on to her skin. With panic threatening to overwhelm her and her knife nowhere in sight, Beth repeatedly kicked the thing away and managed to crawl her way out of the darkened hallway back to where she had left the bag and the lighted interior of the store. Panting, she collapsed against the adjacent shelving unit and could only watch as the walker determinedly dragged its rotten corpse out of the corridor after her.

Physically depleted and with no way to fight it, she gritted her teeth against the inevitable...

A bolt suddenly came out of nowhere to impale the walker through its temple and the unforeseen impact caused the thing to flail away from her with a dead weighted thud. Left reeling in a strange combination of shock and relief, Beth could only gape at its now prone body before looking down the aisle to see Daryl storming his way in her direction. The black look on his face made it clear what state of mind he was currently in and despite the fact that she was still sprawled on the floor, Beth braced herself for the tongue lashing she knew she was about to receive.

With a grunt, Daryl reached down and roughly hauled her to her feet. Having no other choice, Beth hung onto him as her shaking legs refused to support her own body weight. He didn't say a single word but the fingers that dug painfully into her arms spoke volumes. Beth found his seething silence more disconcerting than if he had just torn into her as he was obviously wanting to do. Wondering what the hell he was waiting for, she defiantly raised her chin and pushed herself away from him. If he was expecting to hear gratitude or an apology, he was going to be waiting a long damn time.

Daryl scowled down at her before finally biting out through his teeth, _''Don't do that again_._''_

If she had anything she wanted to say about his belittling attitude, he didn't bother to wait around to hear it. He yanked the bolt from the head of the walker and stalked out of the store to head outside to the garage. As soon as the door swung shut behind him, Beth slumped back down to the floor and glared heatedly at the corpse nearby.

''That was all your fault!'' She whispered at it furiously, not feeling much better for doing so as the thing did nothing in response other than bleed profusely all over the linoleum.

Realizing that the tenuous bond her and Daryl had formed was now probably irreparably broken, Beth swallowed against the lump in her throat and dug into the nearby bag to pull out one of the Twinkies. Settling back against the paper towels that were stuffed on the shelves, she methodically ate it and wondered how she could feel so sad about the loss of something that hadn't really been there to begin with.

…...

Daryl strained against the weight of the large bay door until it finally caught traction and rolled noisily up into the rafters. All the things he had missed during his initial sweep came to light as the morning sun flooded into the garages dim interior. Not that he remotely gave a shit right now. Heading to the closest work station he picked up a discarded beer bottle, hefting its weight in his hand before furiously pitching it across the space to smash against the plaster of the adjacent wall.

His intention for coming out to the garage had been to search for the oil that had been the objective in the first place but now he found he was so pissed he could barely see straight. He had woken up from another nightmare alone and groggy to see the door ajar and it hadn't taken too damn much to realize that Beth had gone out into the store by herself. It went without saying that she had done so without knowing what she was walking into and she hadn't seen fit to wake him up to ask.

If she had, he would have been the first to tell her that there was a fucking walker in the bathroom! There was a reason he had shoved them both in that office, and it wasn't because he liked the goddamn view. He hadn't killed the thing the night before because he had been dead fucking tired and figured that unless the bastard could decipher the basic workings of a standard household doorknob, it wasn't going to be too damn much of an issue. He sure as shit hadn't expected her to go out there on her own and open the door herself!

Daryl drew a deep breath and attempted to calm himself down as he paced aimlessly around the cluttered space. The line was quickly becoming blurry to whom he was more furious at - Beth, for putting herself into yet another reckless situation that she had survived only because of his intervention, or himself, for leaving the piece of shit walker in there and for not getting to that intervening sooner.

With the red haze clouding his vision slowly dissipating, Daryl finally felt like he could begin rummaging around the garage for the oil the bike needed. In the time it took to dig through the cabinets and drawers he was able to convince himself that the amount of times Beth had caused his heart to seize with her inexperienced antics was starting to border on fucking ridiculous. Even now_ just_ _thinking_ about what could have happened in front of the bathroom hall had the palms of his hands sweating. Could it possibly be this difficult to keep one slight girl out of the trouble she seemed so hell bent upon finding?

The sight of her cowering on the floor only managed to prove what Daryl already long suspected. Beth had never learned how to take care of herself when her life was on the line and it mattered the most. Maybe it was because she'd always had her family and the rest of the group around to do it for her, or maybe it could be because no one had ever given her a chance to learn… he couldn't say. Whatever the reason, it hadn't done her any favors. Hell, at this point he wouldn't be surprised if the kid Carl wasn't more goddamn capable.

Daryl finally found a quart of 30 weight tucked in the back of a supply closet he had almost overlooked. In the time it had taken to locate it he had managed to calm down considerably and subsequently clear his head. Rolling the bike under the garage overhang, he prepped it for the oil change it needed and also the new set of break pads he had the foresight to bring with him from the house. Before getting started, he took a moment to go back inside the store to find the girl.

Beth was in the office packing a bunch of food stuff into the backpack they were using. She glanced up briefly when he entered but other than that, she didn't say a word as she went back to what she was doing.

''Ya find all that out in the store?'' He asked quietly as he leaned against the door jam. The calloused skin surrounding his thumbnail instantly found its way between his teeth when she just nodded in response without looking up.

Christ sakes, could this be any more uncomfortable?

Pulling a deep breath, he cleared his throat. ''Listen… I didn't mean ta lose my shit back there, it's jus'…''

Beth looked over as he struggled with the semblance of an apology he hadn't even planned upon giving in the first place. She spared him from doing so by interrupting him with a shake of her head. ''Daryl, don't... You don't need to do that, really. I get it, it was a really stupid thing to do and… well, you can't be more mad at me than I am at myself...''

She shrugged self depreciatingly. ''I thought I could handle it and got in over my head.''

With the confession hanging heavy in the air, Beth went back to dejectedly arranging things in the bag, seemingly resigned to the fact that neither one of them was going to try and deny that she had almost gotten herself killed today.

Feeling like the world's biggest dick, Daryl said, ''It don't have'ta be that way y'know.''

Caught in the moment, the sound of his voice in the air let him know almost immediately that the impulsive idea had been vocalized before he'd really had a chance to think it through. Shit, had he seriously just said that? Understandably confused, Beth just stared at him and then asked what he meant. Swearing that the powers that be must be upstairs jerking off to the fact that yet again he had managed to put his foot in his mouth, Daryl took a moment before answering.

''Well, I could show ya… as in like, teach ya what ta do.'' Fuck it… too late now.

She put down the stack of granola bars in her hand. For the first time since he had come in the room a spark of interest flared in the back of her eyes. ''You mean like, train me…to defend myself?'' A skeptical look crossed her face as she searched for the subliminal reason behind the unexpected offer. ''Are you sure?''

''Don't see why not,'' He gave a single dismissive shrug. ''Showed Carol plenty at tha prison an' she did fine with it… plus it ain't like we don't have tha time.''

The very last thing Daryl wanted was for the suggestion to come off as some sort of big deal when it wasn't anything of the kind. In fact, the longer he thought about it, the more it just made sense. The way he figured, if he was trusting her to have his back, anything he could show her was as much of an investment in his own survival as it was in hers.

Feeling better for the decision, he picked up one of the discarded granola bars and tore into the wrapper with his teeth.

''Put it this way, I'll feel a hell of a lot better knowin' you can handle ya self, how 'bout that.'' He stated, shoving a piece of the thing into his mouth. '''Sides, I'm old… I can do without the tha fuckin' scares you're givin' me every time ya drop outta my sight.''

Beth pursed her lips on a smile before saying, ''C'mon, you're not that old.''

''Maybe I am an' maybe I ain't,'' He smirked as he pushed himself away from the door frame to sweep the granola crumbs from his vest. ''Reckon it'll be good for both of us either way.''

She contemplated what he said before nodding in concurrence.

Considering the conversation over, Daryl turned to head back out through the store when Beth stepped into the office doorway where he had just been and called out to him.

''Hey…''

When he stopped in tracks to look back, she seemed to falter under the intensity of his sudden regard. ''I just wanted to say thanks, and… well, thanks.''

When his brow drew in confusion, she indicated towards the hallway leading to the bathroom with a tilt of her chin. ''…for killing that thing. I dropped my knife and I panicked.'' She chagrined with a shrug.

Daryl nodded once in acknowledgement and left it at that.

Heading outside to where the motorcycle and break pads waited, he honestly couldn't say how training with the girl was going to play out. All he did know was that on Beth's end it was long overdue.

It wasn't really her fault. At the prison, the group as a whole had instinctually turned to the elder Greene sister when the need arose. Maggie had shown herself to be a natural that had no qualms kicking ass and taking names whenever someone or something needed it.

Beth, on the other hand, had been consistently pushed into the background where she had understandably disappeared. Everyone had let her do so, including himself, and that was partially the reason why he was in the predicament he was in today as far as she was concerned.

Feeling better now the air was cleared between them, Daryl squatted down next to the bike and let the oil drain from the engine to pool into a plastic tray he had found. As he did so, the nagging doubts that had been previously denied began to intrude upon his conscience, seemingly determined to remind him that bullshit ideas like the one he just embarked on usually tended to blow up in his face, no matter how noble the intent.

Seriously hoping that this time would be different, he made a discerned effort to bury them and focus back at the task at hand, resigning himself to the fact that they would probably still come back to haunt him again later.

…..

**No TWD copyright infringement intended. **

**Thank you to all who have taken the time to post a comment or review! I don't know about any of you but I am missing my weekly fix! I will try to answer any questions via PM.**


	14. Chapter 14

…...Chapter 14…...

With her hair somewhat managed, Beth tossed the small brush she had found into the backpack along with the rest of the food and necessities she had collected. As she closed the bag up tightly, she eyed the discarded wads of hundred dollar bills that were now scattered all over the desk. Seeing that what she had replaced them with was far more valuable, she didn't think Daryl would have too much of an issue leaving the stacks of money behind. Turning off the flashlight that had provided the only source of light in the room, Beth left the bag on the table to head out to where Daryl was working on the bike.

On her way out, she cut behind the stores front counter to check the drawers and cabinets, having not really gotten a chance to do so earlier. While digging around in the last one, she found a coffee stained map of the area and a pack of cigarettes marked as defective. Opening the pack, she saw a couple of them were broken and bent but other than that fine for the most part. Beth shoved them in her pocket. Daryl wouldn't care and besides, his general attitude towards her always seemed to vastly improve after having one. With that thought in mind, she couldn't help but secretly consider the random find a score for both of them.

With the map in hand, Beth came into the garage to find Daryl in the process of torqueing the completed break pad assemblage back onto the motorcycle. Unable to help herself, she paused to note that he looked very much at home knee deep in dirty tools and spare bike parts. There was a pan of black oil laying nearby and he had somehow managed to get the greasy stuff all over his bare arms. The dark liquid stood in stark contrast to the tanned coloring of his skin and only served to enhance their sinewy definition.

Realizing that she was staring, Beth quickly opened the map and attempted to look like she was trying to decipher the thing. There was no denying that Daryl's arms were one of his best features. She remembered one of the Woodbury people, Janine, constantly gushing about them to the point where Beth would just roll her eyes and walk away. Now, as he tightened the bolts back onto the frame, she could see what the ridiculous woman was talking about.

Daryl looked up to see her fumbling awkwardly with the map as she attempted to fold the suddenly nonsensical thing back together. Giving up, she tossed it onto a nearby work counter.

''Umm… bag's all packed.'' She managed to say when his questioning gaze didn't waiver, shoving her hands into her pockets to look everywhere but directly at him. ''We should have enough to get us through the next couple of days at least.''

Daryl pulled himself up from his haunches and pulled out his bandana to wipe the grease off of his hands and arms. ''Yeah, I'm 'bout finished here anyways. Figure we'll be on tha road any time now.''

Beth indicated towards the counter with a tilt of her head. ''I found that map inside, do you even know where we are?''

'' 'Bout 10 miles or so out from Barnesville I reckon.'' Daryl muttered as he kicked the bike from its supports to carefully back it out of the garage. ''That's where we're heading. Don't know when we'll be this close to a town again so wanna take advantage of it.''

She followed him out. ''For a supply run?''

Daryl was in the process of checking his work out in the open when he paused and squinted up at her. ''Yeah. We need ta start stockin' up for tha long haul. Winters comin' an' we can't be out here like this when it does.''

''But… what about my sister and the rest of the group?'' She asked hesitantly, stepping around the bikes front wheel in order to see him better.

''We're gonna keep lookin' for 'em,'' He buried his head back beneath the bike to fiddle with something just out of sight, ''but we need ta hole up somewhere first. Guarantee ya, if they're out there, they're doin' tha same thing.''

Beth pondered on his response for a moment. Feeling somewhat impudent, she bit down on a smile. ''Is that Lesson One?''

Daryl looked back up, momentarily confused.

''Of the training program?'' She went on to say. Throwing up some air quotes, she mimicked his voice the best she could, '' 'Find a place ta hole up'.''

Daryl's eyes narrowed. He must not have thought too much of her sorry attempt because an equally smartass look crossed his own face before he said, ''Nah, lesson one's always wake me up before ya think ta go scavenging by ya self.''

Beth rolled her eyes but muttered self depreciatingly, ''Ok, I deserved that I guess.''

He sniffed in smug agreeance before both of their attention was drawn to a sudden cracking that came from the trees behind the property.

Daryl instantly pushed himself to his feet and grabbed the Horton from where it hung over the bikes handlebars. With a grunt, he pressed the weapon to his cheek and aimed it in the general direction of the sound. On the other side of the motorcycle, Beth put her hand on her knife, glad now she had remembered to retrieve it from the hallway. Her throat struggled to drawn an even breath as she waited nervously to see what would immerge in the distance.

Two walkers stumbled into the clearing, practically falling over each other as they spotted the potential meals ahead. The man and woman were differently dressed but equally decayed and Beth took a tentative step back as Daryl immediately took down the man. The woman, either not knowing or not seeing that her consort was dead, proceeded to trip over his prone body to sprawl in the dirt. As she attempted to claw her way back onto her feet, Daryl set his boot in the stirrup of the crossbow to reload it, only to pause when he looked over to see Beth frozen in place.

''Here, pull ya knife.'' He growled, pulling himself back upright. Beth's wide gaze immediately swung over to him and she knew instinctively what he had in mind without having to ask. He pointed the loose bolt in his hand in the direction of the walker, ''She'll be up in a moment… I want ya to get close an' take her down from behind.''

At her questioning look he quickly explained his reasoning, all while being sure to keep his eye on the struggling walker. ''Anytime ya can, always take 'em down that way. They can't grab n' bite what they can't see and they're too goddamn stupid ta figure out where ya went. Go on… I'll cover ya.''

He locked the bolt onto the frame of the Horton before raising it back up to do exactly that. Nodding nervously, Beth slid her knife out before tentatively closing in on the snarling walker that was now unsteadily back on its feet. It watched her progress with interest as it followed her every move, its teeth gnashing in anticipation of tender flesh working its way progressively closer.

Daryl inconspicuously circled around it in the opposite direction, never once dropping his guard. The whole time he calmly talked her through possible scenarios that could go wrong and how best to handle them if they did. Beth listened carefully but never once took her gaze from the walker in front of her.

''Yeah… ya got it.'' Daryl motioned down slightly with the head of the crossbow. ''Watch for that one on tha ground, its dead but it could still trip ya up… Ok. Remember now, right under the base of tha skull, straight up to tha brain…''

With his voice spurring her on, Beth felt confident enough to dart behind the thing to grip it by its ratted hair. It took several tries to find the sweet spot she was looking for, during which the walker somehow managed to sink its boney fingers into her arm. Not wanting Daryl to interfere, Beth determinedly gritted her teeth and fought with it until she was finally able to sink the blade all the way in. As she did so, she tried to ignore the spray of decaying blood that immediately soaked the back of her hand.

The walker went down and almost took her down with it until she pointedly jerked her arm free and stepped back with a gasp of relief.

Daryl stalked over to yank his bolt from the head of the dead male still laying on the ground. If Beth had been expecting any sort of recognition or praise from the man, she was to be sorely disappointed when he only said, ''Next time one of them bastards gets its hand on ya like that an' ya get hung up, you cut that fucker off right here… right here at tha wrist, ya hear?''

Panting, Beth could only gape up at him from where she was slumped over with her hands on her knees. Daryl purposefully ignored her as he set the Horton on the ground next to one of the dead walkers and positioned himself firmly in front of her.

''Get up. Let's see what else ya got.''

''What?'' She managed to squeak out. There was no possible way he could want to do this now, was there? ''You're… serious.''

''Yeah… why? Ya got somethin' better ta do?'' He asked, pushing up from his defensive stance to point down at the two dead bodies bleeding nearby. ''Them walkers ain't tha only threat out there, not by a long shot. You agreed ta do this so this is what we're doin'.''

Beth could only stare at him like he had lost his mind. What the hell did he expect her to do? Tackle him like a linebacker? How was that even remotely fair! Her arms were still shaking from her previous exertion and she felt like she could barely lift them. Besides, for reasons Beth didn't want to think about, the thought of taking Daryl on one on one inexplicably made her more nervous than when she had been told to take down the walker.

The determined set of the mans broad shoulders made it clear that he wasn't going to just let this go and as if sensing her reticence, Daryl changed tactics.

''Then again, maybe this...'' He circled his finger decisively between them, ''this, what we're doin' right here? Maybe it's a bad idea after all. Maybe you don't have it in ya an' I'm jus' wastin' my time…''

Feeling backed into a corner and not in the mood to read between the lines of his bullshit, Beth snapped, ''Really, Daryl? Just because I don't want to fight you right now?!''

''Pfft, figure it ain't got shit ta do with 'don't', I'm thinkin' it's more like 'can't'.'' He goaded condescendingly, making it fairly clear that he couldn't care less for any of her excuses one way or the other.

Wanting nothing more than to tell him where he could stick his superiority complex, Beth found herself unintentionally stepping up to him. The only thing he was accomplishing was to make her feel worse than the situation that happened in front of the bathroom had already succeeded in doing!

''Yeah, you're right ok? I can't!'' She yelled, so frustrated she could barely see straight. ''Is that what you want to hear? That I don't know what I'm doing? Fine! There, ya heard it! Feel better now?''

Daryl glared down at her, his own temper flaring. ''I don't need ta feel better 'bout somethin' I already fuckin' know!''

Incensed and with the previous flood of adrenaline still fueling the courage her veins, Beth moved to shove at him only to have him catch her wrist before she could come close to making contact. Tightening his grip, he spun her around and used her own flailing body weight against her as he hauled her to him, her back to his chest. Full of disgruntled resentment, Beth struggled against the arm he held tightly across her chest. As she did so, Daryl's hand at her wrist yanked it behind her back to pin it securely between their two bodies.

With his fingers biting into her skin, Beth attempted to buck out of the hold he had her in, crying out in pure indignation. Doing nothing in return, Daryl let her pointlessly deplete what was left of her energy until finally she slumped against him in exhaustion. It was only then that he let loose his grip, freeing her arm to let it hang limply at her side.

Panting to draw air, she barely felt his finger as he tentatively smoothed away a strand of damp of hair that was now hopelessly plastered to the side of her face. Beth turned her head and closed her eyes, too emotionally and physically drained to try and decipher the hidden meaning behind the uncharacteristically tender gesture. After all, she had absolutely no reason to believe that he had suddenly grown a conscience enough to feel like shit about what had just happened.

Leaning into her ear, Daryl quietly drawled there, ''Didn't have'ta be like that… stubborn girl.''

The lowly spoken words resonated across her skin to settle in the pit of her chest, causing it to tighten around the heart which had now begun to thud loudly for a completely different reason. With the red haze that had buffered her senses gone, the heat his body was generating against her now felt like it was searing into her back, sending pulsating electrical currents firing down her veins.

With an uncomfortable gasp Beth surged away from him, only this time Daryl let her go without a fight, dropping away the arms that held her to him to step back solemnly.

Swallowing against her stilted breathing, Beth slowly turned around, not yet sure how she felt or where to begin now that the spectrum of emotions she had just been wrung through was over. Her anger at his unnecessary manhandling of her had now coalesced with another, more prevalent emotion - both of which leaving her reeling behind them feeling only incredibly confused. Daryl stood nearby, staring at her unapologetically as he waited for the expected repercussions of the brief interaction. Beth was spared having to put her muddled thoughts to words by a slowly growing rumbling noise that was now beginning to emanate from the woods surrounding the area.

As the strange sound got progressively louder, Beth found herself straining to hear anything within it that could hint as to what it was. She didn't have time to speculate further as Daryl suddenly took off running to go grab the crossbow that lay abandoned next to the corpses of the two dead walkers.

''What is…'' She began to ask after him when he cut her off without preamble.

''Go get the bag!'' He yelled back over the increasing growing din. ''Right now! _Move!_''

Beth didn't know what was happening but she trusted in the sheer panic of his voice enough to know they were about to find themselves in the worst kind of trouble. She ran to do as he said as fast as her legs could manage, weaving her way through the stores disheveled aisles to burst into the back office. Grabbing the backpack and the flashlight from the desk, she flew back outside, her own panic hitching as she was immediately inundated by the now thunderous sound as soon as she shoved open the doors.

Rounding the corner to head back to the garage, Beth skidded to a stumbling halt at the unnerving sight that greeted her. As he swerved up next to her on the motorcycle, Daryl spared a harried glance back over his shoulder as well, his eyes widening as the source of the noise made itself frighteningly known.

''Get tha hell on!'' He shouted above the stampeding roar of hundreds of deer as they burst through the edge of the clearing, careening all over each other in their frenzy and distress. Beth scrambled onto the back of the bike and could only watch in shock as the animals quickly pulverized the two bodies left lying there under their spindly legs. There were so many of them! What could they possibly be doing?

Not wanting to stick around to find out, Daryl sped off in a hail of gravel, veering the bike onto the main road as the enormous herd followed them out from behind the store. For reasons unknown, the deer chose to tear across the asphalt rather than keep to it, plowing head first into the barrier fence that lined the other side where they began piling up in a noisy mass of panicked confusion. Flailing against the chain link in a flurry of teeth and hooves, they attempted to futilely jump over each other to no avail.

From behind Daryl Beth looked back, unable to help herself. Even from a distance, the reason why the animals had been running soon became horrifyingly apparent. The largest horde of walkers she had ever seen had now stumbled out from around the building to descend down upon the frenzied animals, quickly overwhelming them with their staggering number alone. With the screams of the creatures still managing to reach her ears over the roar of the engine, Beth turned back in her seat, thankful despite the tears in her eyes that they were far enough away now to where she didn't have to see anything more.

With the engine of the motorcycle purring at a steady hum beneath them, they eventually began passing the first signs to Barnesville. The road was clear of debris for the most part so Daryl pointedly sped up, taking advantage of the favorable conditions before they would inevitably reach the gridlock of abandoned cars that always seemed to litter the highways outside of the major towns and cities. Beth's arms instinctively tightened around him as he did so, causing him to briefly glance back over his shoulder at her before turning his attention back to the road.

Beth shivered against the wind, choosing resolutely to block out the horror she had just witnessed by losing herself in the memory of the pulse pounding sensations that had come over her when Daryl had whispered in her ear. She had never really felt anything like it before, the exciting purely feminine awareness that fired through her senses… not even during the fumbling teenage gropings she had shared with Jimmy in the back of his truck after date night. Even thinking on it now caused her stomach to flip erratically and her breasts to tighten under her shirt.

Maybe it was because Daryl was a man and not a boy… she didn't know. It wasn't like she was completely naïve about sex or ignorant to how the nature of sexuality worked, she had just never experienced any of it first hand to be able to pin point it. Beth just knew that there was something about the interactions she had with Daryl… the fact that he didn't treat her with kid gloves, that had her feeling less like a awkward teenage girl and more like… well, like a young woman who was just now becoming tentatively aware of her own body ought to feel, she guessed.

Realizing that she wasn't making any sense, even to herself and too damn exhausted to figure out why, Beth laid her tired head against Daryl's back, completely past the point of caring if he minded or not. As her eyes slowly drift shut, visions of trapped and frightened deer began to blur around the edges of her consciousness, stampeding all around her as Daryl rode them closer to the forsaken town of Barnesville.

….

**Thanks as always for taking the time to read "What Still Lies Ahead" to this point. I am always happily surprised when I see people choose to favorite and follow it and find it very encouraging. For someone like myself who is by no means a professional writer of any sort, this story has been a challenging labor of love. My affection for the characters of Daryl and Beth make it easier, and like a lot of you, I always thought their story in the show could've been so much more. That is what I am trying to accomplish here. I am writing "What Still Lies Ahead" all the time and am currently in the process of finishing Chapter 19. I post when I finish a chapter and like to keep 5 chapters pending so I can go back and edit, revise and change things as I continue on. I don't know how others write, but this seems to work for me.**

**Comments/Reviews are always welcome and taken into consideration. No copyright ****infringement intended.**

**Just so you know, this story has a song that stays with me as I write. The song is called "Heaven" by a band called The Fire Theft. It is an amazing song, check it out and think of "What Still Lies Ahead" for Daryl &amp; Beth when you do!**


	15. Chapter 15

….Chapter 15…...

Finally able to find an exit that wasn't completely obstructed by deserted cars, Daryl veered off of the highway and began looking for a suitable place to stash the bike. As he followed the signs to the center of town, he was struck by the vague recollection of having been here before. Glancing around again more closely, he eventually recalled that one of Merle's many dealers had lived here, just on the other side of the train tracks that ran through the place. Daryl sniffed against the wind in remembrance of the two of them bumming rides to go see the guy, trading packs of smokes and their dad's old Playboy magazines with any deadbeat who had an available car and the will to get high himself. Merle would've sold his soul to the devil if he thought it would get him fucked up faster.

Seeing a heavily wooded area ahead with the amount of coverage he was looking for, Daryl pulled over and let the bike coast to an uneven stop. The girl at his back didn't stir in the slightest as he did so, not even when the tires crunched noisily into the loose gravel beneath them.

''Beth...'' He uttered, his gaze automatically darting into the trees around them for any kind movement that seemed out of the ordinary.

When no response from her was forthcoming, Daryl balanced the weight of the motorcycle between his legs and twisted back in his seat in an attempt to determine just how deeply asleep she actually was. Her arms were still locked around his waist with a surprising amount of strength for someone so dead to the world, so he repeated her name above the hum of the idling engine, only louder this time.

''Beth!''

With a hum she stirred slightly against his back, burying her face in the wings emblazoned on his vest as if doing so could forestall the inevitable wake up call he was insisting on. Settling herself fully against him this time, her breathing quietly evened out once more.

Daryl turned back around to grip the bikes handlebars, finding himself in even more of a bind. Shit, now what? It wasn't like he could just detach her arms and unceremoniously shove her off the back.

Pondering his next move, he happened to glance down to see that the new position she had sleepily shifted into had pressed her slim denim-covered thighs tightly to the sides of his own. Unable to look away, a warm flush instantly flared across his skin and with it, an sudden acute awareness of the fact that his body was now currently wedged firmly between her legs.

Daryl bit down on a groan. Was this seriously happening right now?

It went without saying that the explicit image that immediately seared into his head was the last goddamn thing he needed to be thinking about. Of course the stirring of his dick in his pants begged to differ, the unwanted reaction not helped at all when he realized that the heated core of the girl was now nestled right up against him.

Beyond uncomfortable and wanting nothing more than to get the fuck off the bike and as quickly as possible, Daryl purposefully revved the engine, causing Beth to jerk up startled and dazed as she blinked around in confusion.

''Oh my god Daryl! Was that necessary?'' She gasped out to the back of his head, placing her hand over her still pounding heart. ''You could've just woken me!''

''Thought that's what I jus' did.'' He snipped over his shoulder, the words sounding a lot harsher than he intended. Christ sake! Why hadn't she gotten her ass moving yet? Frustrated and seriously contemplating the previous shoving idea, Daryl made a point to cut the engine off and pull the keys from the ignition.

Beth glared at him but took the cue to gingerly climb off the back of the motorcycle, allowing him to finally do the same. Feeling a hell of a lot better for being removed from the warmth her body had surrounded him in, Daryl self-consciously willed away what was left of the awkward erection straining at his zipper and pulled the Horton from the front of the motorcycle.

Doing his damndest to pretend the whole incident had never happened, he rolled the bike into the woods to hide it carefully under the canopy of low hanging branches, adding a few extra ones to help with its concealment. When he was satisfied that no one would find the thing unless they were purposefully looking for it, Daryl went back to where Beth was waiting for him by the side of the road.

He didn't even look at her as he began following the asphalt that would lead the two of them into town, only this time, instead of just following in his wake as she usually did, Beth caught up to him to give an exasperated ''Really?''

Not wanting her to see the gutter where his mind had just lingered, he didn't even spare her a glance. ''Really what?''

''Really you're just going to walk away like that again?'' She grouched, adjusting the straps of the backpack as she double timed it to keep up with his steady gait. She attempted to catch his gaze while still managing to traverse the uneven shoulder that lined the road. ''I thought we had moved past that. Why is it so hard for you to let me in on what we're doing?''

''Didn't figure ya wanted ta know.'' He dismissed gruffly.

''Why would you think that? I mean, why didn't we just ride into town? I know you have to have a reason…'' Beth's hands emoted about in the air as she struggled to understand. ''Also, what exactly are we getting there? Do you have a plan? Do you know where you're going? Better yet, have you ever been here before…?''

''Goddamn!'' Daryl ground to a halt so fast the gravel at his boots kicked onto the road. ''What tha hell is this? Twenty questions?''

Beth stopped as well, defiantly squaring her shoulders against his obvious ire before saying quietly, ''I don't mean for it to be that way but I wouldn't have to ask if you would include me in on your plans. '' She paused and worried at her lower lip. Daryl was starting to notice that she did that a lot, usually when she was about to say something he didn't want to hear. ''Is the reason you don't because you don't trust me? Because I can't fight like Carol?''

''No.''

''Then why?''

Daryl shuffled around on his feet, feeling put on the spot. ''Ain't no reason why, jus' used ta doin' shit on my own is all.''

''Well, do you wish you were on your own now?''

''No.'' He answered honestly.

Taking his answer at face value, Beth hesitantly continued, ''So… would it be farfetched then to start thinking of us as in this together… maybe like, as a team? I can be the Robin to your crossbow shooting Batman…''

''Pfft…'' Daryl made it clear what he thought of the farfetched analogy as he resumed them back to walking.

Ignoring his grumpiness, Beth fell in line beside him again and changed tactics. ''How about this, I promise that the next time you want me to fight you, I'll just kick your ass, ok?''

Daryl didn't bother hiding his look of mocking disbelief. ''Yeah… that'll be tha day.''

Sighing with a degree of frustration, Beth finally implored, ''C'mon Daryl, I'm not expecting us to be friends or anything, but I'm nervous enough heading into this town without the thought of us not getting along making it worse!''

''This is 'bout as good at gettin' along as I get.'' Daryl muttered, taking a moment to look inside the dirty windows of an abandoned SUV in their way. He'd been about to open the sliding rear door to check inside for anything salvageable but immediately changed his mind when he spotted the gore covered baby seat still sitting in the back.

He stepped away from the vehicle to find Beth looking at him expectedly. Swallowing at the bile that had found a way to lodge in his throat, Daryl distracted her from asking him about it by saying, ''Anyways, whaddya got ta be nervous about? Ya got a knife…''

He made a point to continue on down the road and she didn't seem to think twice about it, following behind him to say, ''Yeah, I got a knife… but it's not like I know how to use properly. I mean, Maggie showed me some stuff but that's about it...''

Daryl was glad his diversionary tactic had worked, not wanting to deal with the bout of girly waterworks such a vision would likely produce. Unfortunately, that just left him thinking about her response...

His fingers tightened around the crossbow strap laying across his chest, he turned around and said bluntly, ''I'll show ya somethin' right now if ya want… jus' as long as ya don't throw a pissy fit like ya did before.''

Beth's eyes narrowed at the fact that he would bring such a thing up in such a shitty manner, but Daryl wasn't fucking around. He had barely managed to shut down the last hard-on she inadvertently gave him, so there was no way in hell he was going to chance another round of her squirming her little body all up against him and risk the chance of the unexpected occurrence happening again.

Considering everything she had just finished saying about wanting to get along, he wasn't surprised at all when she chose to ignore the snide comment and agree to his proposition immediately. With a directional tilt of his head, Daryl led them into the edge of the woods and began searching for a suitable area with enough room to move in but which still remained a stones throw from the road they had left behind.

They didn't have to go far, finally finding a small clearing fairly free of tree roots and debris. Daryl shrugged off the crossbow and propped it against a fallen log. As if sensing his seriousness in the endeavor, Beth dropped the backpack next to the weapon and tied the oversized flannel she was wearing around her waist, making a point to pull her knife from its holster before she did so.

''A'right,'' Daryl said, coming over to stand in front of her, ''First of all, you don't pull ya knife out if ya don't plan on using it, ya hear?''

Beth just nodded, subconsciously mimicking his stance.

He reached over and set her arms in the best position before continuing, ''Now, if ya do plan on using it, ya go for tha kill. No half assin' about. Ya go for here… or here… but ya get tha job done.'' He nodded once for compliance before uttering, ''Now… come at me.''

Beth couldn't help but balk at the command, staring at him wide eyed with the knife gripped in her unsure hand. As if sensing her reticence, Daryl sniffed unconcernedly from where he stood semi-defensively ready, ''Trust me, I wouldn't be doin' this if I was worried for shit you'd land anythin'…''

When she still hesitated, Daryl knew he'd have to convince her yet again that this was for her benefit, but this time do so in a way that wasn't as prone to backfiring as badly as what he had tried the last time.

''Listen, all this here is jus' for demonstration, but I meant what I said to ya – walkers ain't tha only threat out there, especially not ta you. There are people out there that'll take what ya have an' they won't give a fuck that you're a nice person, or a girl… or a virgin.'' Daryl seriously hoped that she was getting the point he was trying to make without him having to spell it out further. ''Now...I mean it, come at me with everythin' ya have an' don't expect anythin' less from anyone who's comin' right back at you. Imma show ya what ta do an' I promise, ya won't cut me… ya won't even get close…''

Beth expelled a deep breath, trusting in his words. ''Ok…''

They spent the next hour or so practicing the defensive techniques he showed her over and over again until Daryl felt secure enough that she had the basics down pat. It had taken longer than he would've personally liked, but watching her confidence with the blade grow substantially made the time invested worthwhile. Although Beth may never be as good as Michonne, if they kept at it, she'd probably be able to give her sister a run for her money in time.

Now that they were done, Daryl looked up through the boughs of the trees to take note of the sun's position. Best he could tell, they had about six hours of daylight left to do what they needed to do and either get back to the bike or hole up in town somewhere. He was really hoping to avoid the latter, knowing that finding somewhere safe there would entail navigating around a lot of dark corners resulting in a lot of frayed nerves. Nowadays, most major urban areas were avoided by those with an inherent investment in surviving. They had been relegated down to places you only visited if your need was dire and you had no other choice.

After climbing the embankment to get back to the road, Beth said from next to him, ''I feel… different for doing that. I don't know…. like, stronger.'' She looked up at him as they walked. ''Is that normal?''

''I guess,'' Daryl shrugged offhandedly, ''s'pose it ain't unheard of ta feel better for knowin' how ta handle a weapon.''

''Do you feel that way?'' Her eyes flickered down to his chest where his fingers rested at the strap of the Horton. ''When you use your crossbow?''

Daryl paused at the question, and a grim seriousness swept over his face that couldn't be hidden.

''Not anymore.''

Beth only nodded, thankfully not needing him to explain himself further. The crossbow at his back had been there so long that Daryl could barely recall a time when there hadn't been a need for it to be there. He had killed people and walkers with it and had never once felt any degree of satisfaction from doing either. It was a prerequisite of the times and the damn thing was so much a part of him that he felt exposed and uncomfortable without the familiar burden of its weight pressing down against him.

''Do… you think maybe… I could try it?'' She asked, staring back at the weapon. The hesitantly optimistic expression on her face indicated that she hoped to hear anything from him but the decisive 'no' she was likely expecting.

Daryl opened his mouth to answer when the intended refusal died in his throat. In the distance, he could hear the rumblings of a vehicle heading their direction, its large engine reverberating down the length of the asphalt. Beth obviously hadn't heard it yet as she continued on unknowingly pleading her case.

''I swear, if you let me… _Hey!_''

Daryl grabbed the girl's arm and practically dragged her into the nearby foliage. Caught completely off guard, Beth stumbled awkwardly as she began struggling against his determined grip in confusion.

''Daryl!'' She managed to gasp out, ''What the…''

With no time to explain and needing her to be quiet as well, he slammed her back roughly against the trunk of a nearby tree and clapped his hand firmly over her mouth. Pinning her there utilizing the sheer size of his body, Daryl ignored the indignant look on her face as he attempted to see back out to the road through the overgrown branches that hung in the way. Listening intently over her muffled complaints, he could only hope that he had reacted fast enough to where they hadn't been seen.

Beth stared up at him wide eyed as the stark realization of the situation finally dawned on her and he was close enough to feel her heart begin to thump nervously as the roar of the approaching vehicle got progressively louder. At the squeal of brakes being applied, he felt his own lurch in his chest, watching with a sinking sense of dread as the vehicle skidded to a stand still only to idle noisily in the middle of the road.

''_You have'ta be fuckin' kiddin' me…_'' Daryl couldn't help but whisper unbelievingly, his mind scrambling to formulate some kind of worse case scenario game plan only to come up frighteningly short.

Beth's nails were digging into his arm but he didn't dare pull his hand away. From where they were hiding, Daryl could barely make out that the vehicle was actually an old model Ford LTD, the same sedan-type car that good ol' boy racist cops drove. Only this one was all black, including the tinted windows, and for reasons unknown had a white cross poorly painted across its back.

He could feel Beth straining against the weight of his hand as she attempted to peer around to get a good look at the car too, her breathing stilted against his chest. Even from a distance, Daryl could hear men arguing from inside the vehicle, going back and forth obstinately with each other as the car rocked with their exaggerated movements. Suddenly the passenger side door sprung open, and a tall gangly man with a scraggly beard jumped out to stand on the open road.

He looked around fervently before bending down to address the other unseen occupants inside the vehicle. ''I swear man, I saw her right fuckin' here!''

''You're so full of shit Len.'' Someone responded. ''Ain't no fuckin' woman wandering around out here on her own.''

''I done told ya, she weren't on her own! Goddamn Harley, you deaf or just fuckin' inbred?''

''I ain't neither. Stop thinkin' with your dick, asshole.''

Len looked like he wanted to punch something, but changed his mind when a deep authoritative voice cut him off. ''Get back in the car. Right now.''

Scanning the area one last time, the man Len resentfully did as told, the car squealing off to leave behind a layer of tire tread before his door was even closed all the way.

From where the two of them remained hidden in the trees, Daryl released the breath he hadn't even realized that he'd been holding and looked down to find Beth staring up at him pallidly. Both of them were fully aware that it was her the men had been talking about and as the hum of the car faded into the distance, Daryl could only hope that was the extent of their interaction with it.

He still had her pressed against the rough bark of the tree and he peeled his hand from her mouth, allowing her to tentatively flex her aching jaw.

''Ow.'' She croaked out, her face making it clear what she thought of his unnecessary tactics.

Daryl shrugged unconcernedly against her, indicating that he didn't feel bad in the slightest. What had been done had been done out of necessity and had probably made the difference between those douchbags thinking they saw a woman out here and them knowing they had.

''You could've just told me to shut up and run y'know.'' Beth groused, threading an arm between their two bodies to press her fingers to her swollen lower lip.

With the flood of adrenaline now draining steadily from his veins, Daryl watched what she was doing in a trance, unable to help himself. ''Yeah, I could've.'' He conceded quietly. ''Would ya have listened?''

''Maybe…'' She dropped her hand away with a frown when the area proved to be a bit too tender to touch. ''How about the next time you give me the benefit of the doubt, ok?''

She was staring up at him somewhat sulkily and completely caught in a moment not of his making, Daryl reached up to lightly touch her face, the calloused pad of his thumb finding its way to skim softly over the swollen damage he had caused. The girls lips involuntarily parted as her breathing hitched and Daryl could feel the steady pulse that lay just under his fingertips jump erratically. His gaze rose from her mouth to meet hers.

''Maybe.'' Was all he said, his voice low on the air.

Daryl dropped his hand to clench it tightly around the strap of the crossbow before stepping away from her, purposefully ignoring the look of confusion that followed him as he went.

''We should probably get goin','' He gestured back towards the road while looking everywhere but at Beth directly. ''Got a lot ta do an' not much time ta do it in.''

He walked away, not bothering to wait and see if she was going to follow or not. As his boots crunched into the dead leaves that littered the area, Daryl mentally shook his head, completely at a loss to explain his own actions. That was the second damn time he had inadvertently touched her, the other being when he had felt compelled to do so after she had fought against him behind the store. While that time had been more out of guilt than anything else, this time was something different completely.

When had everything decided to get so fucking complicated between the two of them? It hadn't always been that way, he knew that for damn sure.

He'd be straight lying to himself if he said something wasn't happening though... he could feel the strange energy of it firing across the sensory points of his skin despite any attempts he made to try and deny its existence. As if it wasn't difficult enough to look out for the girl as it was, the last thing he needed to do was to keep putting himself in these awkward situations to dig himself into a deeper fucking hole. Whatever it was, it was beginning to blur his focus and he was going to need it if they were both going to survive this ordeal. For her sake especially if the recent run-in they'd just had was any indication.

The two of them soon started passing through the more heavily populated suburban area that precursored the center of town, steadily making their way past apartment buildings and trailer parks. With the Horton in hand, Daryl gave a cursory glance over his shoulder to see Beth still trudging along behind him, close enough to be within earshot but far enough away to unknowingly give him the space he needed to clear his head.

Daryl realized that whatever was happening to him as far as she was concerned needed to be shut the hell down and quickly. He was just going to have to try fucking harder to make sure that happened. As he walked, he decided to do just that, repeating the sentiment over and over again until it became a mantra echoing away inside his troubled head.

…...

**Thought I'd upload a chapter to brighten your Monday! Thank you for reading 'What Still Lies Ahead' to this point. Reviews n' Comments are alway appreciated and more to come soon...**


	16. Chapter 16

….Chapter 16…...

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Beth let her head rest back against the rough bark of the tree. Was she dreaming or had that really just happened?

The sound of her heart thudding in her ears made it difficult to hear Daryl's footsteps as he walked away. Subconsciously running her tongue over her lower lip, Beth found it impossible to not feel the phantom presence of his touch lingering there. The unexpected gesture had been so out of character for the hardened redneck that she had been left staring after him in wonder, searching her brain for the hidden meaning behind it. Did he do these things because he felt guilty? Or could there be something more. Despite the fact that he'd never given any indication that such a thing could be possible, Beth found herself kind of hoping for the latter.

Pushing away from the tree, she picked up the backpack she had dropped, shrugging it more securely over her shoulder this time before following Daryl out of the woods. As she went, she mentally stored the intimate moment away amongst the other private memories she was compiling of the two of them, letting her remembrance of it stay there to only be pulled out when she wanted to feel the shivery sensation it induced run down her spine once more.

Of course, indulging in such thoughts wasn't going to help stem the growing attraction she was feeling towards Daryl by any means, but Beth found she couldn't help it. She had never experienced anything quite like the intoxicating sensations they invoked in her before. Daryl probably didn't even notice or think twice about doing such things, he just did them randomly in the moment and went on about his business. For her though, the kinetic intensity left behind was proving to be almost addicting in its appeal, firing across all of her untouched impulses to spark a completely feminine response.

Beth watched as Daryl scanned the area from where he walked up ahead and realized that she probably wasn't doing herself any favors by harboring such thoughts, especially not for someone like him. Daryl was nothing like Zack or Jimmy, he was a man full grown and not likely to care about the budding interests of a teenage girl. If she was Maggie's age, it wouldn't even be an issue. Six more years would make the world of difference between what Daryl probably surmised about her now and the woman she knew she'd eventually be.

Realizing that she was getting carried away thinking about things she could never change, Beth shook the line of thinking from her head. This was Daryl after all. He was one of the leaders of their group and he wasn't someone to be pined over like he was a some kind of high school crush. That notion held especially true in the current situation in which they found themselves. Recognizing that she couldn't think of anything worse than him viewing her in such a stupid teenage fashion, Beth squared her shoulders decisively and caught up to him.

''You don't want to check out any of these places?'' She asked, looking at the abandoned double-side's they were passing as she fell into line next to him.

''No.''

When she realized that the single syllable was going to be the extent of his answer, she gave an exasperated huff. ''Y'know, that right there is the reason why we have to play twenty questions, Daryl.''

When he only kept walking, she continued, ''Seriously, I don't want to have to ask, I'm only trying to understand why you make the decisions you make. I know there has to be a good reason and you said…''

''Jesus! If I jus' tell ya, will you go back ta bein' quiet for ten seconds?'' Daryl griped, effectively cutting off the roll she was on. ''We ain't checkin' them out because trying ta find what we need in 'em would be a big fuckin' waste of time. There's too many of 'em with no guarantee that they'll have anythin' in 'em for shit.''

While what he was saying made sense, Beth had to make a discerned effort not to bristle at the completely irritated tone of voice in which he had said it. Realizing that his bad mood might be due by something other than the normal standard surliness that was inherent in his nature, she dug in her pocket for the pack of cigarettes she had pilfered from the store. She held them out to him, feeling much like one would if they were trying to appease a grouchy child with candy.

Daryl stopped in his tracks and regarded her suspiciously. ''Where'd ya get those?'' He grumbled, still taking them anyway.

Beth sighed and suppressed the overwhelming urge she had to roll her eyes. ''Does it matter?''

''No.'' He pulled one of the smokes out and shoved it in his mouth. After lighting the thing and taking a long drag, he glanced over at her from under his hair. ''…but thanks anyways I guess.''

''You're welcome.'' She said quietly, leaving it at that.

As they cut across the railroad tracks that marked the end of the outskirts of town, Beth could only hope that the nicotine Daryl so obviously needed would go into effect as soon as possible. She had more questions to ask and it would be easier to ask them if he was in a much more agreeable state of mind.

After about a mile, she decided to take her chances. ''What exactly is it that we need here anyway?'' When he looked over, she added quickly, ''…since you brought it up.''

''More bolts, that's priority number one right there.'' He replied, compiling the list seemingly from the top of his head. ''Other weapons too, guns preferably. Ammo… food… whatever we can get our hands on. If we hit pay dirt somewhere, I'll risk going back for tha bike, but otherwise we stay on foot and take only what we can carry out.''

Beth's brows drew in confusion. ''Wouldn't it be easier just to pull up somewhere, run in and then out? I guess I still don't get why we're leaving the motorcycle behind when we only just got it.''

''We leave it behind because I wanna keep it, that's why.'' He answered, his tone indicating that he thought it was a given that didn't need a formal explanation.

He continued when the perplexed look on her face didn't concur. ''Roll into town on it an' ya might as well be ringing a bell announcing our arrival ta anyone or anythin' that would give a shit. Stayin' on foot lets ya go in quiet an' allows for maneuverability to get out of tight corners when it's needed. Tha bike being in a safe location gives ya a place ta fall back to if for any reason that happens. So if we get separated, that's where you'll go an' I'll find ya there, ya understand?''

''Oh my god Daryl! See, how was I supposed to know all that?!'' Beth exclaimed, quickly taking a moment to mutter to herself, ''_Looks like twenty questions can be useful after all… when you can't be expected to read somebody's mind!_''

Daryl gave her a brief look, making it clear that he didn't much appreciate the smartass commentary he still managed to hear despite the fact that she said it under her breath.

There was a large broken sign on the road indicating that the local Superstore was down aways just to the right of the bi-pass they were on. Upon seeing Daryl cut over to follow its directions, a sudden look of comprehension flittered across Beth's features.

''Wait… you knew this was here, didn't you? If you've been here before, why didn't you just say so earlier?''

''Didn't remember earlier.'' Daryl shrugged indifferently like it wasn't important. ''Weren't like I lived here or anythin', me an' my brother jus' passed through a couple of times is all.''

Beth was about to respond when she happened to notice that there was a bloodied body of a man lying face down in their path. Although they both gave the corpse a wide berth, it was still plain to see that the torn flesh from where he had been bitten was swollen with maggots. Swallowing hard against the revulsion lodged in her throat, Beth blurted out the first thing that came to mind, if only to focus on something, _anything_ else.

''Uh… well, where did you… um, live before the turn?''

Daryl sighed with annoyance, probably from having reached his maximum quota of questions for the day. ''Fucks sake! What tha hell does it matter?''

Still fighting to suppress the gag reflex that was threatening to overwhelm her, Beth managed to croak out, ''Y'know, you don't always have to get so defensive, it isn't like it's a personal attack!''

''Pfft, like ya know enough about me ta make it one.'' He groused, for some reason finally feeling the need to pull the crossbow from off of his back to hold it loosely in his hands.

''Does anybody?'' Beth muttered, unable to help it as she gritted her teeth in frustration. ''I swear Daryl, you act like no girl has ever tried to make casual conversation with you before.''

''No girl has, least not one whose last name I cared ta learn.''

Staring at his back as they walked, Beth's brows drew as she found herself asking, ''What does that even mean?''

Daryl stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face her as she now somewhat warily approached. ''What does that mean? Means that most tha conversations I've had with women consisted of them thankin' me for tha beer an' then me tellin' them to get tha hell outta my bed, that's what it fuckin' means.''

Blinking, Beth was left momentarily stunned by the abrupt change in the direction of the conversation. Quickly determining that the new tactic he was attempting to use was absolutely unnecessary, she managed to ground out, ''You don't have to be so crass about it.''

''Don't I?'' Daryl closed in on her personal space to glower down at her. ''Listen here, I ain't out here riskin' my ass so we can share some kind'a bonding experience like you care 'bout anythin' other than my methods of protecting ya. So while I'm doing that, I'm figuring you don't need ta know shit 'bout me and I damn sure don't need ta know shit about you.''

With his point being made Daryl resumed walking, leaving her following behind to say indignantly to his back, ''Well, excuse me for trying! I thought we were getting along but if you don't want to have a normal adult conversation with me, you could've just said so!''

''Jus' did…'' Daryl muttered, completely unphased by the resentment apparent in her voice. ''An' you can spare me tha bratty attitude. You wouldn't know tha first thing 'bout havin' an adult conversation and sure as hell not with me.''

With the belittling remarks hitting closer to home than she cared to admit, Beth finally snapped. ''You're unbelievable Daryl, y'know that? One minute you're touching me like it means something to you and the next you're shutting me out like you're worried that I might see past this… this persona you hide behind!''

From where he was ahead, Daryl had turned around to glare at her. Beth didn't care as she heedlessly rushed to continue, ''…and for your information, that isn't the only thing I care about and if you don't want me to want to get to know you better, do me a favor and keep your hands to yourself from now on because I can't keep up with your mood swings!''

''You can jus' stop right there.'' Daryl bit out, his own temper rising. ''Don't even act like you'd know what ta do if I put my hands on you in any way that mattered, 'cause both of us know for a fact that ya don't!''

''I wouldn't want to know, especially not from you!''

''Well, looks like we're on tha same page then,'' Daryl growled, stepping in close, ''…'cause tha last thing I'd want is some goddamn uptight teenage virgin under me, so do _me_ a favor an' don't fuckin' flatter yourself!''

The low blow caused a flush of color to immediately stain Beth's cheeks. The sexual nature of the insult coalesced with the fury already surging through her body, leaving Beth barely able to spit out, ''I swear I hate you so much sometimes!''

Daryl stepped back, somewhat surprised at the vehemence in her tone. ''Yeah, well… I ain't exactly brimmin' with fondness for you neither.''

Breathing heavily, they faced off angrily against each other until the reality of their situation quickly intruded, causing the initial surge of animosity they both were feeling to dissipate. Daryl was the first to concede, releasing a defeated sigh as he recognized the uselessness of the argument. Reigning himself in, he gave a cursory glance over his shoulder before uttering quietly, ''Look, we're almost there. I ain't gonna have us do this if we're at each others throats, so what do ya say we wrap this up so we can jus' get on with it.''

Beth was so mad she could barely see straight but she refused to be the reason why this particular supply run had gone to hell. When she could only manage to concur with the slightest of nods, Daryl stalked off, leaving her standing alone for a moment to wonder how conversation had spiraled so ridiculously out of control so quickly.

Forcing herself to calm down, Beth slowly realized that she was mostly upset because Daryl had made it painfully obvious that he didn't find anything about her to be remotely appealing to him. She couldn't help the fact that she was inexperienced and him throwing it in her face like that had hurt her feelings and bruised her ego, making her lash out accordingly. For someone who was trying diligently not to have the man see her as the clumsy girl she often felt like, the argument felt like it had set her back to square one.

Finally feeling somewhat composed, she looked over to see that Daryl had rounded the corner and had now dropped out of sight. Beth readjusted the backpack on her back and trudged along to catch up, still feeling despondent but not wanting to get left behind either. Rounding the corner herself, she was somewhat surprised to find him standing there waiting for her, smoking one of his cigarette. She begrudgingly approached him, the tense set of her shoulders making it clear that her prior sentiments hadn't changed.

Daryl regarded her as she made her way closer. There was an almost amused expression on his face that caused her brows drawing in confusion. Now what? She was hard pressed to believe that the man had suddenly decided to stop being completely infuriating in the time it had taken to smoke half a cigarette!

Shaking his head with a sniff of resigned exasperation, Daryl pulled the cigarette from his mouth. ''You're somethin' else, ya know that?''

Her eyes narrowing, Beth just stared at him distrustfully, unsure of what to expect with this unexpected new demeanor.

Daryl indicated towards her with the smoke between his fingers. ''Swear ta god, I ain't never had to fight with a female as much as I do with you. Are all of ya like this? Or is it somethin' that you jus' like ta do jus' so you can get under my skin?''

With that, Beth pursed her lips tightly, futilely attempting to hold on to the resentful sentiments induced by their argument so she could stay rightfully angry at him. The knowingly contrite look he was giving her was making it near impossible to do. It was clear that he was feeling somewhat apologetic about what had happened, and in a predictably Daryl-like way, he was now left attempting to rectify the situation without having to go so far as to actually apologize for it.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, decidedly letting go of her residual feelings about it as well. They were both obviously over it and as much as she didn't want to let him get off the hook that easily, Beth recognized that not doing so wouldn't do either one of them any favors. And besides, who was she kidding... she wasn't and had never been a bitter person and found prolonged negative emotions tended to disagree with her goodhearted nature... the exact opposite of Daryl in fact, who seemed to all but enjoy dwelling in his own crankiness.

Still, he was seemingly offering a proverbial olive branch so Beth decided to take it as such. Not wanting him to think he had won though, she pointedly crossed her arms before looking away and saying haughtily, ''I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.''

''Sure ya don't… '' He said, practically smiling as he saw through the ruse she was attempting. Obviously relieved either way, he dropped the cashed cigarette butt to crush it under his boot. ''C'mon stubborn girl, we done wasted enough time fightin' with each other, probably best we go take it out on some walkers instead.''

Beth could feel herself thaw completely in the presence of the incredibly rare smile. Blinking disbelievingly at it, she didn't want to think about the kind of dangerous power he'd have over her if he ever did so fully when even the slightest one he was wearing relaxed his harsh features and brightened his eyes to leave her staring at him stupidly. The breathtaking response it induced completely contradicted the fact that she was supposed to be resenting him immensely right now, damn it!

Finally reaching an agreed impasse, the two of them resumed walking without another word spared. Beth couldn't speak for Daryl, but on her part, she felt better for having the air cleared between them. She would just make a discerned effort not to think about the things he had said to her, especially that part about her being under him. As she walked, Beth couldn't help but wonder though if he had said such a thing just to win his argument or had he possibly contemplated the thought of her being there beneath him before...

…..

About a mile or so later, they finally reached the edge of the massive parking lot that lay in front of the Megastore Daryl had been looking for. Beth came to stand next to him and surveyed the damage in front of her. The stores front doors were completely boarded up, making it look like a massive brick and wood fortress. Random walkers roamed aimlessly amongst the abandoned cars and burnt out emergency military tents that were left strewn over the blacktop, shuffling around in the debris as they searched for the human meals that had long since left the godforsaken place. The once thriving businesses that surrounded the store were now all dilapidated and deserted as well: fast food restaurants, gas stations, the fancy movie theater - all looked like they belonged in a ghost town.

''Lets hold up here for a second.'' Daryl uttered, indicating to the backside of the retaining wall that lined the edge of the property. He dug the head of the Horton into the grass as he bunkered down to settle his back against the bricks. At Beth's questioning look, he explained further, ''We jus' walked eight miles an' brawled for at least two of 'em. If we're gonna have tha energy ta get this done, we're both gonna need ta eat somethin'…''

Beth knelt nearby and shrugged the backpack off. ''By all means, don't make it sound like it's going to be a last meal or anything.'' She said lamely, his defeated tone worrying her.

Daryl sniffed in recognition of the dire situation as he took the granola bar she held out to him. ''It ain't good, that's for sure.'' He muttered, tearing the wrapper open with his teeth. ''Don't know if ya saw but that's a shit ton of walkers between us an' them doors. I was all for takin' out some aggression on 'em but that was more than I was expectin'.''

Beth cracked open an energy drink and took a sip before handing it over. ''Well, who says we have to go in through the front doors anyway?''

''Whaddya mean?'' Daryl asked, eyeing her over the can as he took a drink as well.

''My best friend's older brother used to work at one of these places.'' She began, picking at the wrapper of her own granola bar with her nails. ''He said it was common practice throughout the company that the back door marked with the 'Electrical Room Only' sticker was to remain unlocked at all times. I guess it was because Southern Electric would do random audits on their power usage or something…''

She broke a piece of the bar off and bit into it, finding it as dry and tasteless as it looked.

''Anyway, he made it sound like it wasn't unusual for employees company-wide to sneak back into their stores at night to get drunk and make out in the patio furniture section.''

In the process of lighting another cigarette, Daryl immediately perked up at the story. ''Seriously?'' He replied, taking a long drag. '''Cause I ain't gonna lie, gettin' in without a fight would make a big fuckin' difference to my general frame of mind right now.''

''That's what he said.'' Beth shrugged with the remembrance. ''We would sometimes ask him to let us go with him but … well, Maggie was the one that got to go instead.''

''Why her an' not you?'' He asked around the smoke between his lips.

Beth remembered how devastated she had been when she had been told point blank that the rousing parties weren't for kids like her. She had been fifteen at the time and had taken the slight to heart. Officially diminished into her elder sister's shadow, she felt like she had struggled with the notion ever since, the recent argument with Daryl only serving to bring the insecurity roaring back to the forefront once again.

He was waiting for an answer though so Beth just said, ''She was in one of his college classes.''

Daryl stood up and flicked his cashed cigarette butt over the wall. ''Well, sounds like as good a plan as any, I reckon.'' He muttered, watching as she stashed the backpack nearby, leaving it behind for them to collect when they were done. '''Sides, hate ta think we came all this way for nothin'.''

Suddenly realizing that a lot was riding on what was nothing really but a vague recollection, Beth nervously followed him as they began their trek around to the back of the property. If the plan worked, it would definitely show Daryl that she could contribute significantly to what they were trying to accomplish. That alone was worth the chance she had taken in mentioning it. If it didn't, she tried to not think about what would happen, unfortunately feeling as if her worth in their little team was still being measured.

Well, it was too late to fret about it now. With Daryl seemingly on board with the idea, there wasn't much she could do about it from this point.

As Beth followed him down the length of the retaining wall, she realized that wasn't necessarily true. She could do one more thing… she could pray to God that her friend's brother hadn't been just completely full of shit.

…...

**"What Still Lies Ahead"**

**No copyright infringement intended against The Walking Dead or its characters.**

**Thanks for the comments and reviews! The response this story has gotten has far exceeded any expectations I may have had as a first time writer! Don't know about any of you, but I'm thinking Season 6 is too far away! I'm glad I have this to preoccupy my time until it starts!**

**As a reminder, it's my belief that feelings developed between Daryl and Beth quite slowly and unexpectedly, and this story reflects that. I've never been able to believe that the two of them could go from not even noticing each other at the farm to being in love at the prison. **

**Also, as you may be able to tell, I prefer my Daryl angrier like he was in the first couple of seasons (and which Season 6 will hopefully bring back). With all the things that have happened since the prison fell, I think he has a right to be angry about it. It will be up to Beth to pull him back from that, and I always thought she was up to the challenge. That's what inspired "What Still Lies Ahead".**


	17. Chapter 17

….. Chapter 17 ….

''We'll stick ta this wall till we reach tha back of the store an' then jump it when we're close enough.'' Daryl said, quickly laying out his plan. Beth nodded and followed his lead, staying as close to the bricks as possible.

Short of having to traverse a deep dried up creek bed, the trip around proved itself to be fairly unproblematic for the most part. They encountered a couple of walkers caught in the brush which Daryl took out immediately before they could get too noisily animated. The back of the store had more though, and while it was not as many as in the front it was still enough to cause Beth to worry. These ones were meandering lethargically around the company big rigs that were still butted against the loading docks of the building, unknowingly awaiting the potential meals that had just arrived.

''I don't know if I like this…'' Beth found herself whispering from next to Daryl as a walker ambled near where they were hiding behind the wall, only to wander away none the wiser to their presence.

''Yeah, ain't like there's much ta like.'' He muttered, checking the bolt locked on the crossbow before settling the weapon against his chest. ''It's gonna be dark here in about an hour or so, that ain't so good. Bottom line is that there ain't no reason this place won't have most of what we're lookin' for, especially if the front's been locked up for a while. We're here, might as well jus' get it done.''

Beth nodded, trying not to think on what the inside of the store could look like when the outside of it looked like hell.

''Listen, you head for tha door an' I'll cover ya. Keep quiet an' move fast. If I say run though, ya run an' don't wait for me…'' Seeing that she was still dwelling on the daunting amount of walkers between where they were and the door with the big yellow sticker on it, Daryl grabbed her arm to get her attention. ''I'm dead serious. Remember what I showed ya and if it don't open tha first time - _tha very first time_ \- you make your way 'round to get right back to this spot an' I'll meet you here. We'll jus' find another way in, ya hear me?''

Seeing another opportunity to prove her worth, Beth swallowed her trepidation and squared her shoulders determinedly. She pulled her knife and a deep breath before saying to him, ''Don't worry, I got this.''

Daryl gave her an encouraging smirk. ''Luckily, it ain't too far away, you'll be there before they even see ya…'' He muttered, setting himself in position to follow her over the wall. ''Go. I'm right behind you…''

Beth heaved herself over the wall and took off running, trusting in his word that he'd stay close by. She dodged and weaved around the walkers with most of them being none the wiser as she rushed past them. A decayed female was in her way so Beth grasped it by the throat and sunk her blade directly in its eye socket, pulling the knife out as it fell in a heap at her feet. Unfortunately, the thud of the body landing garnered the attention of a few others nearby and she found her path blocked by a large male who immediately lunged at her. Beth raised her knife again only to not need it as a bolt soared past her to send the walker careening to the ground.

Not waiting around to see if it stayed down, Beth took off again, running until she slammed against the door with the force of her sheer momentum alone. Yanking against the handle as hard as she could, she could have almost cried in relief when it gave easily. Unfortunately it was a lot a hell of a lot heavier than it looked though, and she found herself straining against it to open it as far as she could. Daryl was probably right on her tail with a lot more walkers alerted to his presence then they had been to her own.

He barreled past her and then held the door from the inside, throwing his weight against it with a grunt to allow her to follow him in. Beth slipped under his arm and once they were both safely inside, he let the door slam shut with a heavy thud behind them before slumping against it to catch his breath.

''That… sucked.'' He heaved, glancing over to where she was leaning against wall doing the same.

Beth only had it in her to nod in response, feeling almost light headed as she attempted to draw air back into her deprived lungs. While Daryl locked another bolt onto the crossbow, she looked around the small room. Like the sticker on the door indicated, it was full of electrical panels and sub units, everything a huge store like the one they were in would need to keep it powered and functional. There was a stationary ladder against the wall that ran all the way up to a hatch in the ceiling.

She placed a hand on one of the rungs. ''I think this is how we get in.''

''Hold up,'' Daryl said, looking up. ''Ya see that light?''

Beth glanced up as well, only at that very moment realizing that the two of them could actually see each other in the small enclosed space.

''They got emergency generators powerin' this place.'' He stated, looking around only to indicate with a nod of his head to a closet all the way in the back. The hum of the generators working behind it verified what he was saying was true, despite the fact that the door itself had no markings.

''Is that a good thing or a bad thing?'' Beth asked, her initial thoughts being that lights would be helpful since they were scavenging and it was probably dark by now. Daryl didn't seem quite as optimistic about the prospect though, and trusting in his intuition she figured it best to just ask him why.

''Guessin' we'll find out.'' He slung the loaded crossbow over his shoulder. ''Damn things must kick on once it starts getting dark 'cause I don't remember seeing no lights bein' on when we first got here, do you?''

Beth shook her head.

''We'll find shit a hell of a lot faster with 'em on, ain't no denying that... but if the outside lights are on as well, this place'll be lit up like a fuckin' Christmas tree at night, attracting all kinds of attention that we ain't necessarily needin' right now.''

''Oh…'' Beth sighed, understandably discouraged by his logic. Why must everything always be so disparagingly complicated? ''Well, I guess we're going to have to just do this as fast as we can then …you know, to avoid that.''

''Yeah, looks that way.'' Daryl grunted as he began climbing the ladder, pushing the hatch open to climb through.

Beth followed him up and took the hand he extended to help her at the top. They found themselves at the end of a hallway that led to the multiple human resource offices located above the main sales floor. Glancing around, Beth couldn't help but notice that the emergency lighting made the scattered papers and inoperative office equipment look almost surreal in its murky glow.

Following the signs to get back downstairs the normal way, they paused at the base of the staircase that would let them out by the bedding department stationed at the back of the store. Using a map of the store someone had handily taped to the back of the door, Daryl pointed to the section marked ''Outdoor &amp; Hunting'' that was all the way across on the other side from where they were.

''If there's anything good here ta be found, right there's where we're gonna find it.'' He muttered, tapping on the area with his finger.

If the map was accurate, the store was even larger on the inside than it seemed from the outside. Beth looked it over herself and saw that other areas they needed to go were nowhere near the section he was indicating to. Her brows drawing, she whispered, ''Why are we both going there?''

At his questioning look, she continued. ''Seems to me we could do this faster if we split up. You go here… and get your bolts and any other weapons you can find. And I'll go here,'' She pointed to the general area where the clothes were located, ''…and get us some warmer clothes, sweaters… things like that. Then we can just meet in the grocery section… here… when we're done and see if there's anything left. What do you think?''

To his credit, Daryl contemplated the suggestion for a millisecond before saying, ''I think it's a fuckin' bad idea, that's what I think. Ya don't know what's out there for shit.''

''You don't either!'' Beth exclaimed. ''C'mon Daryl, I don't need you to babysit me. What do you always say? That it ain't a two man job? Well, neither is any of this and we're just wasting time standing here arguing about it! Seriously… I don't need you with me to help me pick out new underwear!''

The example was farfetched but Beth could almost feel him swaying in favor of her reasoning. She put a hand on the door to push it open without his consent when he begrudgingly bit out, ''Fine! Jus' let me take a look out there first for fucks sake. The only way I'm lettin' you outta my sight is if I don't see or hear a damn thing wrong with tha place!''

Beth just nodded, indicating that the terms of his concession were fair. She waited where she was as Daryl went out the door by himself only to come back a few minutes later, damp with sweat and slightly out of breath.

''Well?'' She asked, the time spent alone in the narrow corridor only managing to make her more nervous about the endeavor she was about to embark on alone than she already was.

''Place is a mess but it don't look too ransacked, they must'a locked it up right at tha beginning.'' He sounded almost despondent. ''Don't know… seems alright.''

''Then it's ok?'' Beth asked, already pushing the door again.

Daryl just shrugged disgruntledly and followed her back out into the wreckage that was the sales floor. Beth took a moment to look around and saw what he said was true. Merchandise was scattered all over the place like those who had access to it had torn through it in a panic. Fixtures and wires hung haphazardly from the ceiling and there were blood stains on the linoleum but no signs of any bodies. For the most part though, there were still a fair amount of items left sitting on the shelves and hanging from the racks.

Daryl grabbed her arm and whispered furiously, ''Ya meet me up front in fifteen minutes, ya hear? We'll check for food from there. Fifteen an' don't make me regret lettin' ya do this an' have me come lookin' for you!''

''I got it!''

Beth couldn't help but feel slightly indignant at his overly protective attitude. After all, they wouldn't even be in the building if it wasn't for her and it wasn't like she was completely inept at handling herself. Shrugging him off, she headed towards the area where the clothes would be, only stopping once to grab a larger backpack to put things in since they had left the one they were using behind. The emergency lighting allowed her to weave her way through the rest of the messy aisles to find the huge clothing section easily enough.

Starting with herself, Beth quickly picked out some shirts and a grey sweater and a new pair of jeans and shoved them in the new backpack. She also grabbed some socks and underwear, having never realized how much she had taken them for granted until she'd been left with only the ones she had on. A few other necessities went into the bag before she headed to the men's department to start picking out things for Daryl.

Wandering aimlessly through the racks, Beth realized she was completely at a loss as to what kind of clothes he was partial to, having only ever seen him in ripped up pants and grungy leather vests. She scanned the packages of men's underwear hanging on the rack, confused by all the options available. Was Daryl a boxers or briefs kind of guy? Since it was his own damn fault that he hadn't felt the need to divulge that information with her, she opted to go by size instead and grabbed the first pack she could find to throw it into the bag with everything else. Next went in some socks and a couple of flannels she thought he might wear.

She was in the process of gaging the size of one of them, holding it up against her body when a voice was heard from behind her.

''You see Harley, done told you I saw myself a female out on that road.''

Beth whirled around, clutching the shirt to her chest as if it could stop the instantly furious pounding of her heart. She immediately recognized the man Len from the black car they had encountered earlier. He was standing nearby with a crossbow held loosely in his hands, his eyes dark and beady above his scraggily beard. Next to him stood a shorter man who had a cut above his right eye and looked no less dangerous. Both men were sweating profusely and seemed to be taking great satisfaction in the fear evident in her face as they eyed her up and down lewdly.

''You did!'' Tha man Harley cackled while he nodded inanely. ''You surly did. I take back everythin' I said that indicated you were mistaken in that notion.''

With the lump of rising panic in her throat starting to make breathing difficult, Beth wondered if she could try and make a run for it, maybe lose them in the maze of aisles between where she was and where Daryl might be. Her fingers slowly crept towards her blade as she waited for a chance to do so, the slight action hidden behind the flannel she was holding tightly against herself.

Len came over to stand next to her, picking up the end of the braid in her hair to rub its fine texture between his fingers. ''Yeah, my momma always said I had good eyesight… said I could see the wings of a butterfly flappin' in the wind.'' He leaned into her ear to whisper there, ''Looks like I found me my elusive lil' butterfly now, don't it.''

She closed her eyes in revulsion as the man Harley concurred with a snicker, thoroughly enjoying the game that was being played by his buddy. Beth prayed to God that Daryl meant what he said about coming looking for her after fifteen minutes! Now if she could just stall them until then…

Len grinned as well, the artificial visage not quite reaching his eyes before his entire face darkened significantly. His fingers tightened in her hair. ''What say you, girlie? That fella of yours, he still around?''

She glared up at him, unable to help herself. ''I don't know who you're talking about…''

''Oh, I'm thinkin' you do.'' He said, tearing the shirt she was clutching from her hands. ''What do we have here? I'm guessin' you ain't in this section shopping for yourself… not that it much matters in the end. You see, we've been watching this place for a while now, tryin' ta figure a way in that didn't involve gettin' caught up with the biters, an' who do I happen to see showing us the way? Why, only the very bitch I was lookin' for.''

Len suddenly reached down to pull her knife from its holster at her hip, obviously anticipating her going for it once she realized what they had in store for her. Beth could feel the tears instantly well in her eyes, wishing now that she had just pulled it on them rather than try to reach it so sneakily. He grabbed the hand that had been mere inches from the handle and twisted her arm behind her back.

''Whatcha thinking 'bout doing with her Len?'' Harley asked from where he was standing across from them, practically fondling himself with excitement.

''You n' me are gonna have some fun with the lil' butterfly here, that's what I'm thinkin'…'' Len growled, tossing away her blade before grasping Beth's chin to turn her head forcibly up to look at him. ''Figure we can kill some time partaking in all the things she has to offer since Joe n' Dan will be busy takin' care of her man for a while. How's that sound to you partner?''

''Sounds real fuckin' good.'' Harley leered, stepping in closer.

Beth began struggling violently as Len crushed her mouth under his own. Fighting her gag reflex, she bit down hard on the tongue he had forced between her lips, making him rear back angrily. If these two thought she was just going to take the hell they had planned without a fight, they were going to be sorely mistaken!

''Goddammit!'' Len croaked out, wiping away the blood her teeth had caused with a swipe of his hand. He backhanded her immediately, the force of which sending Beth reeling into Harley's waiting arms. ''Hold that bitch down, man!''

Left disorientated and dizzy from the blow, Beth was prevented from crying out by Harley's beefy hand as he pressed it over her mouth to take her roughly down to the floor. Looking over to see that Len was completely preoccupied assessing the damage done to his tongue, Harley took the opportunity himself to shove his free hand up the girls shirt, reaching under her bra to fondle her breast. He tugged the small nipple roughly between his chubby fingers and smiled maliciously. Groaning in disgust, Beth bucked wildly, heaving desperately against the weight of his body which effectively all but pinned her to the floor beneath him.

Excited by her attempts, Harley shoved her shirt up so he could bury his sweaty face against her stomach, taking delight in dragging his tongue over the exposed pale flesh. As her arms strained to push him away, Beth kicked at him repeatedly, unable to help the tears that managed to seep past her eyes to pool in her hair on the floor. The man used the thrashing of her limbs to wedge himself tightly between her legs, grinding himself against her in his ardent fervor to get her pants undone with his free hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, Beth saw Len spit a mouthful of blood onto the linoleum before he glared over to where the two of them were sprawled on the floor. Realizing that his 'partner' was about to start the party without him, he stormed over, the blood still covering his face making him look like the monster he was. Knowing without a doubt that there was no way she could fend the both of them off, Beth squeezed her eyes shut, only to have the breath knocked from her lungs when Harley's dead weight came crushing down on top of her.

Beth immediately went into fight or flight mode, straining to wriggle her way out from under Harley's inert body if only to be able to breath again. Knowing that Len was close by, she spared a harried glance over to where he was lurking only to see him looking down at the two of them in shocked confusion.

Daryl suddenly appeared as if from out from nowhere, violently swinging the butt of the crossbow across the back of the mans head. Not knowing what hit him, Len spun out under the force of the blow to land facedown in a moaning heap near where Beth was still futilely trying to kick herself free from his prone companion.

Without sacrificing momentum, Daryl kicked Len's writhing body with as much force as his anger and his boot could muster, causing the man on the floor to howl in pain.

''Fuck you, you fuckin' piece a' shit!'' Daryl spat down to where he lay, kicking him again for good measure before knocking him out completely with another brutal blow to the head.

Upon seeing the bolt protruding from Harley's back, Beth collapsed back against the linoleum, not even bothering to continue with the battle she was losing to free herself now that both threats had been effectively neutralized. Daryl ran over and dragged the dead mans weight off of her legs, hauling her roughly to her feet to cup her face in concern.

''Beth!... _Beth!_'' Daryl pushing the hair out of her eyes, only to have her stare right through him in complete and utter shock. ''Nah, this ain't fuckin' happenin'…''

Daryl shook her forcefully, at a loss on what else to do to invoke a reaction. Immediately snapping to, Beth shoved against him with whatever strength she had left, caught thoroughly in the grips of the battle she'd just been waging. Her gaze was wild and unseeing as she struggled against him. God, please help me, _please!_

''Beth! It's jus' me! You're alright!'' Daryl's fingers dug into the girls arms until finally the recognition of his face seemed to register in her frightened mind. ''Shhhh, I'm here. You're alright…''

With a cry Beth surged into his arms, locking her own around his neck to hug him to her as she choked back on the tears. From over Daryl's shoulder, she saw the prone bodies of her two assailants laying on the floor and she closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to just lose herself in the warmth and safety his presence provided. Daryl didn't spare the bastards a second glance as he wrapped his arms around the girl's shaking body, allowing himself a moment to bury his face in the dampness of her neck to assure himself that she was unhurt.

Pulling her away, he held her at arms length as he looked her directly in the eye.

''Beth, I know ya scared an' ya tired but we ain't got time for all this! Them other two are out there an' they're lookin' for me.'' He reached down and grabbed the backpack she had been in the process of filling, slinging it over his shoulder to settle it next to the bag of items he had collected himself. Giving her a shove to get her moving, he whispered urgently, ''We gotta go! Right fuckin' now!''

Wanting him to know she was cognizant enough to understand the basic command he was giving, Beth just nodded dazedly. She grabbed her knife from where it had been tossed and took off running for the door they had come through, holding it open wide so Daryl could push past her to take lead. He rushed them through the abandoned offices back down to the electrical room where he ground to a halt at the base of the ladder, slowing her down as well with just the touch of his hand on her arm.

Realizing the crossbow would be ineffective against however many walkers were now congregated by the door, Daryl handed it over to her before pulling out his knife. ''Don't know what's still out there, but ya run for that wall no matter what an' don't look back, ya hear me?''

Not waiting for an answer and with no other choice but to have them take their chances, he charged out the door, using its heavy weight as a battering ram to knock the walkers who were closest out of their way.

For once luck was on their side, the moonlight quickly illuminating the fact that most of the walkers that had been there before had long wandered off, drawn away like flies to linger under the large neon sign that flickered in disrepair up at the front of the store. Even though it was in their nature to do such nonsensical things, Beth never thought she would witness it working in their favor first hand and more importantly, right when they needed it the most.

They took off running past those that were left. When he saw that Beth was starting to lag with fatigue, Daryl grabbed her arm and forced her to keep going for the retaining wall, practically shoving her over the thing once they got there. He tossed the bags over after her and went to climb it himself when he happened to look over to see the black LTD parked nearby.

Jumping back down, Daryl took down a walker that stumbled in his way before running over to where the vehicle sat. Skidding down next to the passenger side tire, he used the tip of his knife to punch a hole in its tread. Air hissed out angrily between his fingers as he worked the blade in, grunting with the effort required as he pushed down to let out as much air as possible. He repeated the process with the rear tire as well, just in case the fuckers had an easily accessible spare.

The walkers searching for him were quickly converging on the car so he yanked the knife free and had no choice but to traverse the wall about thirty feet from where he had left the girl. Coming back to find her easily enough, Daryl dropped to his haunches next to where she sat and hurriedly situated the bags back over his shoulder. He went to take the Horton back but paused when he looked over at her only to find her staring at him in a state of shocked despondency.

With her pallid complexion worrying him, Daryl reached over to sweep her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear before letting his finger trace lightly over her bruised jaw. Beth subconsciously leaned into his hand, holding it together by a thread while still attempting to function under the knowledge that they weren't out of trouble yet.

With a nod of encouragement, Daryl pulled her to her feet to have her follow him out the way they had come in, making sure the both of them kept a low profile against the wall to prevent them from being seen by anyone or anything that would give a shit.

As soon as the main road came into sight, Beth dug out the bag she had left behind from its hiding spot, gingerly sliding her arms back through its straps to settle it on her back. She followed him across the road so that the two of them could effectively disappear into the natural coverage the woods provided. Forced into the darkness created by the thick canopy of overhead tree limbs, Beth trusted that Daryl would lead them to relative safety as she blessedly lost herself in the numbness that trudging along behind him quickly induced.

…...

**Reviews and comments always welcome. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!**


	18. Chapter 18

….. Chapter 18 …...

Len groaned in pain and rolled onto his back, wincing immediately with the effort the slight movement required.

''What… the fuck?'' He bit out in confusion, clutching at his bruised ribs. The annunciation his own question made him realize that the back of his head was actually in worse shape and he dragged his hand up to press his fingers to the back of his scalp gingerly.

''Ow, goddamn son of a shit!'' Slumping back to the floor, he guarded the battered area and attempted to recollect what the hell had happened to him. The emergency lighting used by the store flickered inconsistently overhead, making his head hurt even more as the events leading up to his current unfortunate circumstance began roaring back to the forefront.

That's right... that girl!

He had been fairly sure she was the same bitch he'd seen on the road earlier, the one that no one in the car had fucking believed him when he had said so. After getting a good look at her it hadn't mattered to him if she was or not. The blonde had been young and beautiful and there had been a sweet innocence in her eyes that had him dying to give her what the end of the world seemed hellbent on denying him. Turned out, like all the others, she hadn't been too receptive to the idea and like with all the others, he hadn't remotely given a shit. Len closed his eyes as the throbbing of his head reminded him that things had gone straight to hell from there.

One minute he'd been raring to kick Harley's fat ass for having the sheer balls to think he was gonna claim a piece of the girl first, and the next he was face down on the floor feeling like he'd just been worked over by the wrong end of a baseball bat!

Len let his aching head lilt over and found the arrow now protruding from Harley's back not helping at all to fill in the blank spaces in his memory. He may as well have been knocked out by a goddamn ghost for all the effort it was taking to recollect the face of the cocksucker who'd done this to him. Try as he might he could only draw a frustrating blank, causing his brain to pound more incessantly than it was already.

''What the fuck indeed.'' A voice nearby intoned.

Len groaned in pain and gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position. ''Man, get off of my ass! Can't you see I'm fuckin' bleedin' here?''

''What the hell happened?'' The forth man Dan asked, heading over to where Harley's dead body lay on the floor. He yanked the bolt from his back before bringing it over to where Joe stood staring down at the disgruntled Len. A burly man with dark grey hair and a serious stance, their self proclaimed leader held it up in front of his face, seeming fascinated by the blood that dripped down its length.

Len pointedly at it accusingly. ''Yeah! You see that? Whoever shot that fuckin' thing is the asshole that did this to me!'' He paused to spit a wad of dead blood from his mouth. ''Goddamn motherfucker! Look at this!''

He held out his blood covered hand as if trying to prove to Joe that he was actually injured and not just talking the mass amounts of shit that was usually his nature. Joe lowered the arrow and pulled down on the short scruff of his beard as if in deep contemplation.

''Tell me, why do you think it is… that this fellow would want poor departed Harley over there dead like he is and you damn near incapacitated, doing nothing but making a mess all over this floor?'' Joe pinned Len with a cold stare under which the latter just squirmed uncomfortably.

''What does it fuckin' matter man?'' Len grumbled from where he sat nursing his injuries.

''I'll tell you why it matters.'' Joe growled, pointing the bolt in his hand at the man on the ground like it was an extension of a disappointed wagging finger. ''It matters because I'm down a man simply because you two fucking idiots couldn't keep your dicks in your pants, am I right?''

''Damn, ya mean there actually was a girl here then?'' Dan chimed in from behind, not having believed the farfetched notion before when he'd been told it.

Joe answered, not caring that Len was glaring at him. ''Indeed there was. But there isn't one in here now though, is there? I mean... I know I sure as hell don't see one. Do you, Dan?''

''Nah, I ain't seeing one… sure would like to though.'' Dan paused, lost in thought before getting back to the matter at hand. ''Goddamn, and there we were wondering where the dude we were looking for just upped and disappeared to and turns out he was over here!''

''That's right!'' Joe clapped his hand on his thigh and looked over at Dan like he had just won first prize behind door number one. ''Over here killing Harley and beating the shit out of Len, all when the slight misunderstanding could've been easily avoided if the two of them had just brought the girl to me like they were instructed to do. If they had just done that, we could've used her to draw out her man so we could just kill him with no muss, no fuss… but unfortunately, the two of them obviously had another agenda for her and well, here we are.''

''This is some bullshit right here!'' Len howled, insulted for the last time. ''Ain't none of that there's my fault! We were just tryin' to have a little fun… ain't my fault that piece 'a shit Harley decided that he was gonna attempt to fuck her! Why the hell are we still here dickin' around about it? Are we goin' after 'em or what?''

Dan stepped over Harley's body and picked up the discarded shirt that was laying on the ground. Holding it up, he looked over and drawled, ''Least tell us ya got a good look at the bastard. Lights weren't workin' where we were at, makin' him nothin' but a goddamn shadow skulking around.''

At that, Joe's curious gaze swung around to await the answer as well.

Put on the spot, Len unsteadily pulled himself to his feet before finally managing to spit out ''Man, I didn't see him for shit! Look at my head, numbnuts! I didn't get the back of my skull cracked open by casually sitting here drinkin' a beer an' inviting him to come over and hit me now, did I?'' He groaned in pain as he put a hand back to the area in question, grumbling under his breath, ''_Unfuckin'__believable_…''

''Alright, alright…'' Joe finally uttered, hold up a hand complacently. ''Len, you alright to make it to the car or do you need a moment…''

''I don't _need_ shit!'' He growled in frustration, "Why?''

''We have to go get them, that's why.'' Joe stated matter of factly. ''The girl got away. The man killed one of our own, injured another. I don't think I could rightly live with myself if I just let these transgressions just slide.''

''Fuckin' A right!'' Len muttered, bending over to pick up his discarded crossbow from where it fell under a nearby rack. ''And just so both of you know, I'm still calling 'claimed' on the girl! I get her first! The check that asshole wrote on the back of my fuckin' head is gonna get cashed by her, in full!''

Joe just nodded before turning to the other man who was staring down at the body of their dead companion. ''What say you Dan? You in?''

''Yeah.'' Dan dropped the shirt in his hand to reach under Harley's jean jacket to pull the mans .45 out from where he had it wedged uselessly in the back of his pants. He checked to make sure it was still loaded before shoving it in the back of his own as he followed the other two men out of the department.

''I'm wanting to see this bitch myself," Dan muttered to no one in particular, " 'specially considerin' that Harley wanted ta stick his dick to her bad enough that he got his dumbass killed for it.''

….

Daryl's inherent ability to see his way in the dark managed to keep the two of them moving steadily through the trees until they all but stumbled across a back road that would lead them out of town. Peering down its darkened length, he could honestly say that he didn't give a shit where it went as long as it was as far away from the store and the place he had stashed the motorcycle as possible.

The way he figured, if those assholes were hell bent on looking for them, the first place they'd go would be back to the road where Beth had been spotted the first time, the very same road where the bike was now safely hidden. Daryl knew it's what he would do if he were them. Heading out in the opposite direction would buy the two of them time over what the two flat tires he'd given the LTD initially afforded, time they were going to use to put as much distance under their feet as possible. Right now, that was his only objective. He could always go back for the bike later, once the coast was clear and it was safe enough to do so.

Panting slightly, Beth came over to stand next to him as he checked the position of the few stars he could see past the limbs of the trees hanging over the road. Their placement told him that it had taken them about an hour to get to this point. That was a shit load of time used for not a lot of progress. Having the disadvantage of being on foot meant they were going to have to seriously pick up the pace if they were to get as far away from Barnesville as he wanted to be.

Hefting the crossbow back up in his arms, Daryl gave her a brief glance before headed off down the narrow strip of winding road. If it were up to him their asses would be running, but he didn't think Beth had it in her to do so in the current state she was in. It already said something about the tenacity of the girl that she had managed to keep up and make it this far. His only hope was that she was able to dig a lot deeper because they still had a hell of a lot further to go.

As he walked, Daryl resignedly speculated that there was probably going to be no 'if's' about it. The men whose grasps the two of them had barely just slipped through were likely making it their life's mission to find the two of them right this very second. Why the fuck wouldn't they? He had killed one of 'em even though the bastard had deserved it three times over. And because his anger had been nowhere near satiated afterwards, he had then proceeded to beat the shit out of the other.

Feeling his nerves fraying at the edges, Daryl pulled a cigarette out and lit it under his cupped hand. As he drew the nicotine into his lungs he knew that it went without saying that the recapturing of the girl would likely just be the cherry on the proverbial cake. As much as Daryl didn't want to think about it, his laying waste to Beth's two assailants probably just served to seal her fate to worse than what had even been initially planned for her if that was even possible. To someone like her, that would be worse than death itself.

Daryl sullenly kicked a rock out of his way. Christ, this whole situation sucked.

Why the fuck had he agreed to her idea of splitting up in the first place? It wasn't like he hadn't felt the tingling under his skin telling him that it was a bad idea, he had just chosen to ignore it in the face of her asinine logic. He should've listened to his gut on the matter and now he had no one to blame but himself for the fact that they were now running for their lives.

Having been lost in thought, Daryl looked up and saw that they had finally cleared the outskirts of town. The amount of trees lining the road had begun to dwindle as the lay of the land emptied out to a wide open plain. Overhead, the clear moonlight made it easy to see that they were heading into the outlying farmlands that quilted the area. Acres upon acres of tilled fields sat withered and wasted on flatlands that spread for miles, the river that flowed between them glittering in the far distance.

There was a small sign on the road ahead that said that the town of Piedmont was eighteen miles away. Relieved as shit to have a potential destination present itself, Daryl gave a cursory glance over his shoulder to finally check on the girl he was with. He had been so focused on getting the two of them the hell out of there as quickly as possible that he had all but left her to her own devices to keep up.

Looking back to where Beth was now, Daryl could see that she was doing her best but was starting to lag further behind the longer they went. He guessed it was understandable after the ordeal she had just been through and he slowed his pace to give her a chance to catch up. As she made her way closer, it didn't take much for him to realize that there was no way she was going to make it another eighteen miles… hell, she looked like she could barely make it eighteen feet! As much as Daryl didn't want to, he knew for her sake they were going to have to stop somewhere soon and hole up for the night.

With no other choice, he came to a stop and turned around to wait for her. She hadn't said a single word since leaving the place and while that had initially been a necessity, now it was starting to become unnerving. He guessed that he had gotten used to hearing the sound of her voice asking him a ridiculous amount of stupid questions. While he wouldn't go so far as to say he missed it, right now he would take it over this disconcerting silence.

''Ya doing ok?'' He asked around the smoke in his mouth, the concern evident in his voice.

They were standing out alone in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the moonlight and stars shining overhead. Scattered trees, barns and fences were the only things that broke up the monotony of the flat landscape and the air was so still that only the sounds of their own breathing and the current of the distant river could be heard.

Beth just swallowed and nodded. Even in the dark Daryl could make out the bruise on her face from where she had been hit. He pulled another drag from the cigarette in a vain attempt to suppress the anger he felt upon seeing it and took a long look over the bleakness of the surrounding landscape.

''A'right… I'd rather call it a night an' get off this road than continue on at this pace.'' He decided.

A guilty look quickly swept over the girls face, making him rectify the unintentionally harsh sounding statement. ''Nah, it ain't you. Didn't mean it like that. Trust me, ya done good all things considered. I was thinkin' it best ta put as much distance between us an' them as possible, but now I reckon that stoppin' here will do… at least for right now.''

Beth's shoulders immediately slumped in relief, the small action making him feel like a dick for forcing her continue on for as long as she had. With a severe lack of viable options, he pointed over to a decrepit barn in the distance. It was nestled within a sporadic group of spindly trees and had a partially broken fence running around its perimeter.

Daryl pointed to it. ''It ain't gonna be the best but least we'll have a roof over our heads.''

Readjusting the bag on her back, Beth followed him as he headed off of the road, finishing his smoke as he went. The barn sat abandoned over by the rivers edge and it took some time for them to traverse the large overgrown expanse it was sitting on in order to get to it.

The pale moonlight silhouetted a large number of dark masses dotting the wilted fields that had been completely indiscernible from where they had been walking on the road. Now as Daryl cautiously approached one, he saw that they were actually the rotten carcasses of dead cows. Making sure to steer clear of them, they climbed the fence to finally arrive at the barn itself. Daryl walked around its perimeter and then pressed his ear to the door, banging noisily on its dilapidated wood siding with the flat of his hand. He listened carefully and was relieved to hear nothing out of the ordinary making itself known from the other side.

''Still gonna go in an' check it out.'' He whispered, pushing the rickety door open on its hinges as quietly as he could. ''Stay right here an' I'll be back for ya.''

Once inside, the barn proved itself to be deceptively large and it took Daryl longer than he wanted to sweep through all its downstairs stalls with the flashlight. It looked as though in its better days the place had been used to bale hay. There were still piles of the stuff littered all over the place, rustling in the drafts that wafted through the wood slats that comprised the barn walls. The large bailing equipment he found in the back confirmed the notion, the flashlight showing it to be wasting away in a state of rusted disrepair.

With the main level cleared, he climbed the precarious ladder that led to the upper loft. The loft doors were long gone, allowing what light the moon could provide to flood into the enclosed area. The sound of the nearby river met his ears and from his vantage point, Daryl could see everything below a hell of a lot easier than if he was at ground level. The open fields and the dead animals all came into view… shit, from here he could practically see the curve of the earth.

Reckoning that it was as good of a place as any to crash for the night, Daryl dropped the bags from his shoulder and stretched out the arm that had been holding the weight of them. He was about to head back downstairs to go get Beth when he happened to catch sight of her in his peripherals. If he could do so upstairs from the back side of the barn, that meant that she was nowhere near where he told her to stay.

''Beth!'' Daryl whispered down as loudly as he could. Goddamn it, what part of stay the hell put didn't she understand.

She looked up to where he was in the loft doorway and slowly began backing away. Daryl called down again, this time his brows drawing in confusion. What the hell was she doing?

The insistence in his voice only seemed to spur her into action. She turned unevenly and ran down the path that lead from the back of the barn down to the river that flowed behind it. Even in just the moonlight, Daryl could still see her stumble and fall before she determinedly pushed herself to her feet again so she could keep going.

Dumping the crossbow and flashlight, Daryl swung himself back onto the ladder, nearly losing his grip on it in his haste to get down the fucking thing. There was something about the look she had given him that didn't bode well in his gut and as he pushed through the large wooden doors to get back outside, he was starting to seriously regret not making her talk to him in the time it had taken for them to get here.

With the remembrance of her suicide attempt at the farm forcing its way to the forefront of his brain, Daryl ran down the path as well, only coming to a stop when the edge of the water prevented him from going any further. Panting for breath, he scanned the length of the sandy mud that comprised the river bank, his eyes straining to peer into the darkness beyond.

''Beth!''

He stepped on something and he looked down to see the bag she'd been wearing laying there discarded.

_''Beth!''_

Not seeing her for shit, Daryl was about ready to go diving into the murky water when her voice finally reached him. ''Stay away from me!''

All the instincts that made him an efficient hunter immediately honed in on her position and he ran down the length of the shore to find her kneeling in a shallow part of the water furiously scrubbing at her face and arms.

Beth glanced over to see him skidding to a halt nearby and burst into tears. ''Oh my god, I …I said stay away!''

Daryl held up his hands placatingly, ''Jus' hold up…''

He instantly realized what she was attempting to do, inherently recognizing it the moment he saw her doing it. The girl had been a hairs breath away from being raped brutishly and now the reality of the situation had decided to make itself painfully known. She was still fully clothed but didn't seem to care as she scoured at her skin, desperate to remove any memory of the violation as though it was a stain that only she could see.

''C'mon, you don't want ta be doin' that…''

If Beth heard him, she didn't show it as she began struggling against the clothes she was wearing as though the weight of the wet fabric on her skin was only making matters worse.

Upon seeing the welts she had inflicted on herself, Daryl was done. He purposefully waded into the knee high water to put an end to it. Grabbing her by the arms, he roughly pulled her to her feet before dragging her wet and resistive body out of the river.

Sobbing, Beth struggled against him. ''Get off of me!''

Understanding that she was fighting the demons that haunted her and not him specifically, Daryl set her on the sand and shook her forcibly. ''_Enough!_''

''_No! _Leave me alone!'' Beth renewed her efforts to break free despite the fact that she could barely stand. ''You don't understand…!''

"Look at me!" Daryl tightened the grip he had on her so the seriousness of what he was about to say could penetrate the horror stricken haze she was in.

Swallowing heavily, Beth stared up at him tearfully as her fingers dug into his arms.

''I'm tellin' ya I get it, for fucks sake! Ya feelin' like them bastards got the better of you…''

''They did!'' She cried out, cutting him off him, ''They… they touched me! They touched me everywhere… on my skin, in my mouth… you don't know! I have to wash them off!'' She began shivering violently and Daryl couldn't tell if it was from the coldness induced by her wet skin or if it was because she was reliving the hellish nightmare all over again.

''Nah, you're done! You ain't hurtin' no one but ya self by doin' this. They're gone! They did all they could do to ya an' you're still standing… " Daryl shook her again to pull her back from the edge, "Goddamn it, you look at me right fuckin' now 'cause I'm standing here tellin' ya that they ain't never gonna do it again! I promise ya I won't let 'em, ya hear me?''

Beth squeezed her eyes shut as the overwhelming fear she was gripped by determinedly tried to keep his reassuring words from penetrating. He grasped her chin and waited until her agonized gaze finally could muster the strength to meet his own. When it did so he continued emphatically, ''You trust me don't ya? I ain't never lied to you so I mean it when I say it… Not ever.''

Nodding weakly, Beth collapsed into his arms, beyond physically and emotionally depleted.

Daryl held onto her and felt like he could actually start breathing again now that she was seemingly convinced. The recollection of seeing her struggling under her assailant came flaring back into his consciousness as he did so, causing his grip on the girl to tighten as he was inundated with images of the mans mouth on her skin… the tears in her eyes. The skin tightening fury the sight had invoked in him had done nothing but focus his aim and hone his senses until he and the crossbow had become one. Everything had ceased around him until only the target in his sights and the inevitability of death remained. The bolt released had seen it through and was nothing less than what the goddamn son of a bitch deserved.

Beth sniffled against his chest, bringing Daryl back to the present. The emotional toll she had been wrung through still had her trembling in its aftermath but he felt fairly sure the worst of the nightmare was over.

''Why is this happening?'' She whispered near the hand she had clutched in his vest.

Daryl knew what she was asking. Why her? What could she have possibly done in this godforsaken world to deserve being treated like that? He guessed for someone who still held true to the inherent decentness of others, it had been a harrowing and unfortunate lesson to learn. To Daryl, the men that had done this to her were just prime examples of the reality of things now - bottom feeders doing shitty things just because they could.

Having known the type all his life, he knew that there was no way to fully explaining their twisted mentality. Daryl's arms unconsciously tightened around her, giving it his best shot anyway.

''I done told ya, people nowadays jus' don't give a shit. An assholes an asshole. It don't take tha end of the world ta bring out tha worst in 'em… its always there, waiting for tha right opportunity ta show itself. An' then someone like you comes along… triggers it or somethin'…I don't know.''

He peered down at the top of her head. ''Best ya can do is not let it drag ya down. Figure ya made it… jus' gotta keep on believing in that an' you'll be ok.''

Beth gazed unseeingly out to the nearby water from where her head lay under his chin. Exhausted, she nodded in agreeance and whispered. ''I never been so scared in all my life… but... I guess you're right.''

Thinking his little pep talk had worked, Daryl felt his shoulders fall in relief.

''… those guys _were_ assholes.'' She finished indignantly.

Daryl sniffed in surprise, the unexpected humor a blessed relief after the last few tense minutes the two of them had shared. At the strange and unusual sound, Beth pulled away to stare up at him only to watch as his features inherently schooled themselves back into their normal standard roughness.

Upon seeing his walls lock back into place, she smiled faintly in recognition of it and stepped away, giving him the space she obviously thought that he needed. The cold air hit his wet clothes like a hammer without the buffer of her warmth against him and Daryl found himself dropping his gaze from hers uncomfortably, feeling suddenly exposed and put on the spot for reasons far beyond him.

Looking right at him, Beth said quietly, ''Just so you know, not everyone out there is like them. There are still good people in this world… like you…''

With that, she reached up on her toes and pressed her lips softly to his, lingering there warm and sweet for the barest of moments only to pull away before he could react.

''_Thank you…_''

The words were breathed sincerely against his ear before she ran past him to go back to where she had left the backpack in the dirt. Grabbing it, she made her way back up the path that led to the barn and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Daryl stood there a moment in stunned silence, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that that had just happened. The unexpected feel of her mouth still remained on his skin and he pressed his lips together against the spot where she had been, still not quite believing that she had actually just kissed him.

After reflecting on it for quite some time, Daryl made his way back to the barn himself, still somewhat confused but overall thankful that the eventful night was drawing to a close. His damp clothes clung to his body and he wasn't looking forward to sleeping in them for shit. It also wasn't helping his general mind frame to know that Beth's clothes would be clinging to her body as well, making sleep even less goddamn likely.

While he was determined that the small token of gratitude wouldn't change a thing between them, Daryl couldn't help but lose himself in the thoughts of what would've happened if the kiss had lasted longer. Would she have yielded to him, allowing him access to explore her further? Or would the recent experience she was still traumatized by scar her against doing so, taking the moment into an uncomfortable place for both of them.

Heading up the ladder, Daryl shook the thoughts thoroughly from his head**. **They weren't accomplishing anything other than making him uneasy for speculating about what could or couldn't happen either way.

Beth had made a bed out of hay near the where the loft opened to the outside and in the moonlight Daryl could see that it was intended for the both of them. She was already tucked away in it, having buried herself under the stuff in an effort to get herself warm. Checking to make sure the Horton was nearby, Daryl shrugged off his jacket and vest and quietly laid down next to her, the exhaustive days events weighing on him heavily.

He hadn't been laying there but a minute before the girl rolled over in her sleep to press herself against his length, shivering as her cold body attempted to absorb the heat of his own. With nothing for it, Daryl lifted his arm and allowed her to fully settle herself next to him, the contented sigh she released after doing so telling him that she was going to be stationed there for the rest of the night whether he liked it or not.

Sweeping some more hay over the two of them, Daryl resigned himself into letting her do so, staring out at the stars overhead as Beth's breathing evened back out against him. Despite all of his reservations his arm tightened around her, and from there it didn't take long for the the mutual warmth shared by their bodies to finally and gratefully send him to the welcoming abyss of sleep.

…...

**I love reading your comments and reviews so thank you if you feel so inclined to leave one! This was my longest chapter yet and one I took my time with. It was a hard one but I absolutely loved writing it! It was worth the hours invested, if only because it came out just as I wanted. **

**No TWD copyright infringement intended. "What Still Lies Ahead" belongs to fans of Daryl and Beth.**


	19. Chapter 19

…. Chapter 19 ….

The grotesque leering faces of Harley and Len began infiltrating the corners of the dream Beth was having and with a stilted gasp, her eyes flew open. With her stomach in a knot, she immediately tried to dispel the horrible visions that she couldn't escape… the two of them closing in on her, both of them putting their hands all over her. Laying there frozen in the recollection, Beth swallowed in an effort to calm herself, thoroughly depressed that the whole thing wasn't just some horrible nightmare she could just wake up from. It had happened… it was real.

The morning sun streamed in through the lofts open doorway to reflect across its dilapidated wooden floor. In a trance, Beth watched tiny particles of dust in the air dance in its brightness until her breathing finally tempered back out to normal. Still in the bed of hay with Daryl, she was tucked under his chin with her back pressed to his chest, the steady rise and fall of which informing her that he was still fast asleep. He had one arm thrown around her waist, his fingers managing to tangle themselves haphazardly in the hem of her shirt. Her head was using the other as a pillow.

Unlike the last time on the office couch, Beth wasn't surprised at all to wake up in such close proximity of him. This time she knew exactly how she had ended up there. With the days traumatic events finally over, she had purposefully instigated the move in order to be closer to him. The fact that she'd been able to get warm in the process had just been a bonus. What was surprising though was that Daryl had let her... not that she'd really given him much choice in the matter.

Beth picked a piece of hay out of her hair and twirled it absently between her fingers. Her clothes had dried awkwardly against her skin, unfortunately reminding her of all that had transpired down at the river bank. Gazing unseeingly past the stalk in her hand, Beth attempted to recall what had induced the intense, overwhelming need that had all but consumed her to be cleansed of what had happened. Just the stomach churning thought alone of Harley's saliva still being adhered to her skin had gotten her running and before she knew what she was doing, she had been knee deep in the water.

Nothing else past that had registered in her mind, not until Daryl had stepped in to take control of the situation. He had managed to pull her away from the ledge she hadn't even known she was standing on to begin with.

Daryl's arm sleepily tightened around her, drawing Beth back to the present. His hand inadvertently grazed over the softness her belly as he did so causing her heart to throb so loudly she was sure he could hear it echoing in his dreams.

Oh God, she had kissed him!

Interestingly, it didn't take long at all for her initial shock at her own actions to settle into a calm acceptance. After all, she had been completely caught up in the moment and had been in an understandably compromised state of mind, right? And besides, the kiss had been nothing really, quick and fleeting… nothing at all… just a small token of gratitude between friends…

Ok, that didn't even sound convincing even to herself.

Beth sighed resignedly, admitting once and for all that she had thought about kissing him before and decidedly not as a friend. She just never thought that if it happened, it would be under such emotionally traumatic circumstances.

Daryl shifted around behind her and then suddenly rolled away from the nearness of her body without preamble. Beth didn't need to turn over to know that he was now awake and instantly uncomfortable in the position in which he had found himself. Letting him edge his arm out from underneath her, she waited until he grabbed his crossbow and was down the ladder before she sat up herself. From the vantage point she had through the loft doorway, Beth watched as he took the path that led down to the river until he finally dropped out of sight.

Shaking her head at the predictability of the man, Beth took a moment to look down at herself and saw that she was covered in a dry crusty layer of dirt and mud. Her shirt was stuck to her body in odd places and pieces of hay had found their way into her bra. There was no denying that she had definitely looked and felt better.

Looking back down to where Daryl had disappeared, she pondered at her options. Although the temperature of the water nearby had been bone chillingly cold, she figured she could manage it in order to take a much needed bath. In fact… the more she thought on it, the more she realized that there was absolutely nothing else in this world that she wanted to do more. She could finish what she started but do so in a positive way, one that could cleanse her of the wretched memory in more ways than one.

Pushing herself out of the makeshift bed, Beth opened the nearby backpack with a renewed sense of determination. She dug out a towel she had the foresight to grab from the store and in it went some of the new clothes she had picked out for herself, her brush and one of the travel kits. Rolling the towel up on itself, she tucked it firmly under her arm and traversed her way carefully down the rickety ladder, jumping down to the ground before heading outside herself.

Beth rounded the barn and followed the same path that Daryl had taken, maybe not as deliberately fast but definitely with the same level of conviction. As she went, she knew he'd find some ridiculous reason to have an issue with her decision so she mentally prepared herself to tell him that she was doing this, with or without his approval.

She went down to the waters edge to find him nowhere in sight which was strange because it wasn't like there were a whole lot of places he could go. Looking around one more time, she ultimately decided that it was probably a good thing, having always been one that preferred asking for forgiveness than permission anyway. Besides, if she was quick enough, she could be in and out before he even knew to have an problem with it in the first place.

Setting the towel on a nearby rock, Beth kicked her damp boots off so she could peel her jeans and socks down her legs. After one more furtive glance around just to be sure Daryl wasn't around, she slipped her shirt over her head as well. After quickly brushing out her hair, she grabbed the travel kit and tip toed over to the waters edge, her bra and underwear quickly proving themselves to be not very effective in fighting off the chill that came over her as soon as she stuck her toes into its murky coldness.

Beth hesitated, unable to help herself. She didn't recall it being that brisk last night and she was now left hovering on the shore wondering if potential hypothermia was worth actually being that clean for. With nothing for it, she pulled a deep breath and waded out as far as she could manage before the sheer shock of the waters temperature gaspingly stole it from her.

She dived under a couple of times, having found that always helped when she used to go swimming at the lake with her family. After coming back to the surface the third time she could feel her body gradually acclimating. Opening the kit floating nearby, Beth got to the reason she had braved the frigid water to begin with.

After shampooing her hair and brushing her teeth, she ran the razor that was in the pack over her legs and underarms. When she was done, she couldn't help thinking that those things alone were worth the shiver inducing effort it had taken to get in. Having washed herself and feeling amazingly better for doing so, she closed her eyes and floated languidly to the surface, losing herself in the moment. If she tried hard enough, she could almost pretend that the sun shining down brightly on her was doing so somewhere far away from here, where everything was normal and life was how it should be...

''You 'bout done lounging tha day away or ya plan on stayin' in there awhile?''

Scrambling at the sound of Daryl's voice, Beth came up choking as water instantly went up her nose. Somehow, she had not only forgotten that he was somewhere nearby but also about her intention of being out and done long before he got back. Still sputtering, she saw that he was sitting on a fallen log near where her clothes were piled, nonchalantly skinning what looked like a rabbit between his legs.

Beth pushed the wet hair from her face before dropping her shoulders self consciously under the water. Her heart thumping painfully, she gasped over to him, ''Oh my god Daryl! You scared me half to death!''

He shoved his knife into the dirt at his boot and began tearing the skin from the animal with his bare hand.

''Yeah... well... reckoned I'd leave ya to it.'' He huffed against the effort the task was requiring. Looking back over at her, he smirked before indicating down the length of the water with his chin. ''That was until it seemed like ya planned on floatin' off down stream…''

Beth pursed her lips on a smile, his teasing making her comfortable enough to begin treading water again.

''I wasn't going to float away. It's just such a beautiful morning, I couldn't resist.'' Feeling the need to justify herself further, she added, ''I just… I just wanted to finish what I started, you know?''

''Hmm, figured as much.'' He muttered. Pausing for a moment, he squinting over at her through his hair. ''Ya feel better for doin' so?''

Beth nodded, somewhat surprised that he would care enough to ask. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded in return before yanking his knife from the ground and standing up, the skinned carcass hanging limply in his hand.

''Then I guessin' it was a good thing that I weren't here ta tell ya that there's probably snakes in that water… who knows, maybe some 'gators too…''

Beth immediately stopped paddling. She didn't recall there being any such things when she had gone swimming as a child! She glanced around nervously only to be reminded that this was actually a river and not a lake. There was no way to know what manner of creature could find its way down it!

''Are you serious?!'' she asked earnestly, ready to bolt out of the water despite the fact that he was standing there and she was only in her underwear.

''No.'' He said before looking over at her with a glint in his eye. ''But if I was… would ya have listened?''

Beth felt a flush of color heat her cheeks despite the chill of the water. Her lower lip found its way between her teeth before she said the only thing she could say.

''Maybe.''

Daryl smiled at the expected answer before walking away to give her the privacy she would need to get out on her own. Beth watched him go, her breath catching in a way that had decidedly nothing to do with the waters frigid temperature. As she waded her way back to shore, she realized that the bath and that smile had her feeling better than she had felt for a really long time now. Yesterday was the past and she was thankful to have the ability to put it behind her and revel in the small meaningful moments that allowed her to appreciate today.

Picking up the towel, Beth ran its course texture across her wet skin. She shivered as she did so, still tingling from the excitement that had come over her the moment Daryl had made his presence known. She didn't know how long he had been sitting there for, but she was fairly sure it was long enough to watch her sun herself on the waters surface. Just the thought of his eyes possibly drifting over her half naked curves had her feeling intoxicatingly euphoric.

She was attracted to him. More importantly, she was over trying to deny it. Everything male about him undoubtedly stroked all that was feminine in her. Beth could feel her body practically humming with it. She also knew that if she ever had the opportunity to kiss him again, she would do it… and it wouldn't be just in gratitude. She may not be experienced enough to know what it all meant, but she still burned with a need that was becoming more and more prevalent the longer she was around him.

Quickly discarding the wet underwear and bra she was in for the new ones she had brought to the river with her, Beth dumped them with the rest of the dirty clothes she planned on leaving behind. She put on new jeans and a yellow t-shirt before sitting down on the log where Daryl had been to put on two pairs of socks in an effort to counteract the lingering dampness of her boots. As she did so, she made a noted reminder to herself to take the damn things off the next time she decided to have some kind of emotional meltdown that involved water.

As she slid her arms into the grey sweater, Beth realized that Daryl was right - she shouldn't let those two assholes get the better of her. Sure, they had tried their best but it wasn't like they had succeeded. And as easy as it would be to rely upon Daryl to make sure it stayed that way, Beth knew that wasn't what she wanted. What she really wanted was to be able to rely upon herself. It was her own fault that she had hesitated to pull her knife on the two of them and now she was choosing not to live in fear due her own mistake. Daryl had offered to train her, and as she made her way back to where he was at the barn, Beth decided that she was going to take him up on it.

…..

Daryl poked at a piece of rabbit meat with his finger, the action causing the fat to sizzle down angrily into the small fire that he built beneath it. The rabbit itself hadn't been much to look at but he reckoned it was still better than nothing. Besides, it wasn't like there were a shit ton of options this far out in the sticks to be too goddamn picky about it.

As it always did, the act of hunting helped center him, allowing him to clear his head from the chaotic and almost surreal events of the day before. It had been so long since he had been able to get out with the Horton and do it that he had almost forgotten about its relieving ability to do so. As sparse as the surrounding landscape was, he found that just being alone in it was calming, which was exactly what he needed after waking up in the loft to find Beth pressed up right against him with her ass in his lap.

His eyes had flickered open to find that he had his face practically buried in her hair, his arm wrapped comfortably around her waist like it belonged there. Even covered in dirt and mud, the faint smell of wild flowers had clung to her skin, immediately assailing his senses. Before he was even fully awake, he had pushed himself away from her, if only to avoid the natural reaction his body tended to have when put in such a circumstance. The situation had been uncomfortable enough without the acknowledgement of his dick making matters worse.

She had fit against him perfectly though, there was no denying that, and as Daryl hunted down the length of the river bank he had found himself wondering if all the warm places of her body would do so. Luckily for him, a rabbit picked that very moment to cross his path, thereby preventing him from torturing himself further with such pointless thoughts.

The rabbit itself hadn't been hard to take down. If anything, the fact that he was rested and on point made the kill even easier. Daryl chose not to read too heavily into it, not wanting to admit even to himself that having the girl at his side all night long had kept the persistent nightmares that plagued him at bay and had allowed him to get some decent sleep for a change.

As the meat continued to cook over the fire, Daryl sat on a nearby bale of hay and used his bandana to clean the bolt he had used to kill the animal with, giving thanks yet again that he was able to restock the Horton of them during the time he'd had alone in the store. The bolts weren't the only things he had managed to score there before the whole endeavor had gone to shit, having also found a machete, matches and some camping gear. As he had bagged them up he recalled thinking the trip there to be well worth it, that was until both him and Beth had run into trouble.

He had looked for guns as well but the place had been long cleared out, probably since the beginning. Daryl had been disappointed but not necessarily surprised. When the shit hit the fan and the dead began walking around, it was understandable that guns were the weapon that most people gravitated to. After all, when your goal was to avoid as many unwanted close encounters as possible, they were a solid option. They also didn't require much skill or knowhow to get the job done right the first time, an unfortunate fact he had seen evidence of repeatedly in his travels since the turn.

At least it explained why he had been able to still find bolts at the store at all. Using a crossbow wasn't for everybody, it took proficiency to master and that wasn't something that could just be excelled at over night. With the way things were, you either already knew how to use one or you foolishly attempted to learn as quickly as possible. Daryl could get things done just as well with a Glock, but when ammo eventually ran out as it was bound to do, he could still be reusing his bolts.

Locking the one in his hand back onto the frame of the crossbow, Daryl looked up from what he was doing to see Beth making her way up the dirt path that led from the river. Her hair was down and he was stuck almost immediately by the fact that he had never seen it so before. That particular realization would just have to get in line behind the other first he had witnessed today as far as the girl was concerned, and that was only because he hadn't expected the sight that had greeted him when he'd come back from hunting at all.

At first, he had hadn't seen or heard her in the water… hell, he hadn't even known she was awake. It wasn't until he saw the discarded clothes piled up on the sand that he had figured it out. Daryl had looked out across the expanse of water to see her floating there seemingly without a care in the world, the sun reflecting over the expanses of pale skin making it painfully apparent that she was only in her bra and panties. Unable to help himself, he had sunk down on the log nearby, decidedly thinking that he must be a glutton for fucking punishment as he did so.

Despite all of his reticence, he had allowed himself a moment to look at her as she drifted lazily on the waters shimmering surface. Goddamn, she had the beautiful body of an eighteen year old - all toned and tight in all the right places. Her breasts were small but perfectly proportioned on her lithe little frame and even from where he was, Daryl could see that the frigidness of the water had caused her nipples to jut enticingly at the snug bindings of her bra.

It was at that point he had decided to his presence known before things became uncomfortable for the both of them. Once he did, he could see that she was feeling a lot better than she had the night before which was a good thing. He wouldn't go so far as to say he had anything to do with that… but then again… she had kissed him.

Daryl was checking over the rest of the Horton when Beth rounded the corner of the barn. When he glanced up at her through his hair, she indicated towards the river with a tilt of her head. ''All yours.''

Sniffing indignantly, he set the crossbow aside so he could finish tending to the meat over the fire. ''Whaddya tryin' ta say? That ya think I stink?''

Beth sat on a bale across from him and wrapped the sweater she was wearing tighter around herself. At some point in the last hour the sun had disappeared behind the clouds that had rolled into the area and with it went any semblance of warmth in the air.

''No,'' She said, eyeing the food he was cooking, ''but who knows when either one of us will have the chance again… unless, of course, you have some kind of aversion to soap and water.''

Pulling a piece of meat from the fire, Daryl checked its doneness before holding it out to her. ''Nah, what I got is an aversion ta freezin' my ass off jus' so I can parade 'round in my underwear.''

A flush of color instantly flared over the girls cheeks as she took the food that was offered. Daryl went back to what he was doing, not feeling bad in the slightest for giving her a rash of shit about it. Way he figured, she deserved it for constantly putting him in situations where he was left feeling uncomfortable and out of sorts while she just got to do whatever the hell she wanted.

'' 'Sides, I'll take one later... gotta feeling this river runs through Piedmont anyways.''

Beth sat back down to pick at the meat with her nails. She composed herself enough to ask, ''Is that where we're going?''

''Yeah.'' He shoved a piece of the rabbit meat in his mouth and licked his fingers clean. ''Game plan ain't changed. We hole up somewhere before the winter hits an' I figure there is as good a place as any ta do so.''

Her brows drew and she looked over at him. ''We're still going to go back for the bike though, right?''

Daryl stood up and kicked the dirt at his boot over the fire to extinguish it. ''_I'm_ going back for the bike… you're stayin' holed up.''

In the time it had taken for her to do what she needed to do, Daryl had consolidated the contents of all the bags they had into one. He picked it up from where it sat next to the Horton and handed it to her. At the questioning look on her face, he felt compelled enough to justify his reasoning for leaving her behind despite the fact that it wasn't something that he considered up for discussion.

''Gonna do so once I'm sure tha coast is clear an' them bastards ain't scoping tha road it's on… an' I can do its lot quicker an' quieter on my own.''

Beth paled slightly as she threaded her arms through the straps of the backpack. ''So you _do_ think they'll be looking for us.''

It wasn't so much a question, more a defeated realization of what she had been hoping wasn't true. He could see trace elements of the fear that had haunted her last night flare back into her eyes. As much as he wanted to just lie to her, it wasn't in his nature. With no way to sugar coat it, Daryl just nodded and dropped his gaze from hers.

She looked crestfallen for a moment and Daryl put a hand on her arm, for some reason not wanting her to forget that they were in this together. ''I meant what I said to ya. Don't think 'bout it... we'll figure it out.''

Beth nodded and with that, they headed back to the main road they'd been on the night before, cutting across the untilled field to leave the barn behind to be nothing more than a shared memory between them.

As they walked in silence, Daryl couldn't help but to lump this current predicament in with all the other shitty situations that had happened to him since the turn. If it wasn't one damn thing, it was another, and all of it was a never ending cycle of hell. The Governor, Hershel's death, the fall of the prison… this… all of it weighed on him heavily. Beth was the tie he had to all of those things and Daryl didn't want to speculate what darkness waited for him if he allowed something to happen to her.

In the far distance, he could see the trees and power lines that indicated the end of the farmlands and the outskirts of the next town over of Piedmont. With the sun now hidden away, the chill in the air only served to remind Daryl why they were even out here to begin with. If the area was suitable, they could not only look for somewhere to lay low until this shit blew over but also a place where they could ride out the winter safely and get back to looking for Rick and everyone else.

It was about as good of a game plan as it was going to get, and as Daryl followed behind the girl he could only hope that it didn't become another regretful situation to fall in line with the rest in his unfortunate track record.

…...

**We're 19 chapters in! It's pretty amazing to go back and see how far this story has gone and the responses that it has gotten. Thanks for your comments and private messages, I understand what others mean when they say they help fuel the fire! **

**No copyright infringement intended against TWD or their characters.**

****** Update ******

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	20. Chapter 20

…... Chapter 20 …..

Adjusting the backpack straps on her shoulders, Beth sighed tiredly as she peered up through the web of tree limbs that were tangled overhead. It was with no small degree of relief that she saw the sun struggling to break through the heavy cloud cover that lingered ominously over the area. The sporadic glimmers of light managing to filter down through the branches were definitely a welcome sight. For the last two miles she had worried that the grey skies above were destined to open up on them, effectively making what was already an arduous day even harder. It was difficult enough to keep up with the grueling pace Daryl set for them as it was without being rained on only making things worse.

The two of them were still on the road they had been walking on for miles now. It had stretched endlessly through the open plains of overgrown fields to bring them right to the edge of the next town over. Beth didn't need a map to tell her that Piedmont was going to be a much smaller area to navigate through than where they had just come from. Where Barnesville had large modern amenities such as chain restaurants and shopping malls, this place had a dilapidated water tower and signs on the road that said 'Yield For Tractors'. If anything, it reminded Beth of her own hometown.

Lost in memories of the Greene family farm, she almost didn't feel Daryl put his hand on her shoulder from behind. ''Hold up here a minute.''

Beth turned to him questioningly only to see him looking up ahead. She followed his line of sight, her eyes narrowing in an attempt to see what he saw in the far distance. A couple of walkers gradually became apparent, having been all but camouflaged by the dreariness of the day along with the shadows created by the dense trees that lined the road. Even though there weren't many of them, Beth could still feel her shoulders slump in disappointment under his hand.

Without taking his eyes off of them, Daryl muttered, ''Best cut through the woods here, get off tha road.''

Her brows drew. ''Why? You don't think we could take them?''

Daryl shook his head slightly. ''Nah, ain't that. Think about it, when was tha last time ya jus' saw three or four of 'em wandering 'round alone? They don't travel that way anymore. Fuckers ain't been doin' nothin' but converging as tha food supply dwindles. Guarantee ya, that's either tha ass end of a horde or tha precursor ta one.''

Beth glanced back to see a few more emerging, realizing that he was probably right. The two that had stumbled upon her and Daryl back at the store had only foreshadowed the mass that had followed, leaving the unfortunate herd of deer to be caught helplessly in between.

'' 'Sides, better ta be safe than sorry.'' He said, heading off into the surrounding foliage.

She followed him through the heavily wooded area in what she could only guess was an attempt to circle around not only the assumed horde but the center of the town as a whole. Although the trek wasn't quite as easy as just walking the straight and narrow of the road, it still wasn't bad. The terrain was flat with the trees around them being the only real obstacles blocking their way.

Glancing over at Daryl, it was clear to see he was relieved to be back in his element. The man looked more at home in the woods than he did anywhere else she had ever seen him. Beth remembered observing him once at the prison, thinking that he seemed very much like a trapped animal there… more so than anyone else, including the equally feral Michonne. On a particularly testy day, Daryl had walked the fenced perimeter for hours just staring out through the chain link. When asked about it, Carol had just said that some things were never meant to be caged and had left it at that.

He wore it well though, being out in the open. The calming effect of being in nature relaxed his features and diminished the lines that seemed all but chiseled on his hardened face. The rugged, alpha male qualities that were steadily becoming more apparent spoke to the growing inclinations Beth was having about him, undeniably attracting her to him… and she found herself wondering why she had never seen it there in him before. Being aware of Daryl on this new level only made Beth want to know more about him and in turn, have him become electrifyingly cognizant of her.

But how? She had already used her get out of jail free card with the kiss at the edge of the river and was now left wishing that she had lingered against him longer or at least stuck around afterwards so she could've gaged his reaction. For never having an issue getting a guys attention before, she was at a loss. For every time she'd thought something could possibly be there with Daryl, he'd turn around and do at least three things to counteract it.

Coming back to the moment at hand, she looked to where he was picking his way around the trees. With a smile, she at least felt secure enough in the nature of their relationship to be able to say, ''Admit it, you just wanted to get back into the forest again.''

Caught in thoughts of his own and not expecting to hear the sound of her voice, Daryl glanced over before muttering with a shrug, ''Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Put it this way, I feel a hell of a lot better for not bein' as exposed as we've been the last eighteen miles, how 'bout that.''

It was true, the unforgiving stretch of road they had been traversing had been as barren as the fields it ran between. The two of them would have been spotted for miles with no place to hide if anyone had the inclination to search it for them. Understanding that, Beth found herself vocalizing the thought that had been running rampant through her head for a while now, if only to pick his brain about it to see what he'd have to say.

''Why do you think they'll come looking for us anyway?'' She asked cautiously.

Practically hearing him huff in exasperation, she continued, only this time doing so with a lot more conviction. ''Seriously, think about it! Take a look at this area. It's pretty big, right? Plus, they don't even know what direction we took, we could be literally anywhere… not to mention the walkers all over the roads…''

She was counting off what she thought were the legitimate points she was making on each one of her fingers before pausing uncertainly. ''I mean, surely they must have something better they could be doing. I guess what I'm saying is… why even bother putting out the effort when the chances of finding us are so slim?''

Beth hadn't even realized that she had stopped walking until Daryl stopped as well and was now heading back towards her. The look on his face made it clear that the only thing he believed from all the things she had listed was that she was almost desperate to believe them herself.

With his boots crunching into the dead leaves that littered the forest floor, the intensity of his gaze didn't waiver as he lowered the crossbow in his hand. Beth found herself subconsciously twisting her fingers together as she waited for the bad news she knew he was about to deliver. He didn't disappoint, closing the space between them as if doing so would ensure that he'd never have to explain the severity of the situation to her again.

''Don't mean ta rain on your parade but they ain't lookin' for me, they're lookin' for you.'' He growled, pointing his finger between the two of them. ''The only reason them bastards even know you've got a man with ya is 'cause I handled the two you were with. They don't know what I look like. There ain't a damn single one of 'em that could pick me out in a lineup for shit…''

Beth found herself staring unseeingly at his chest, having not realized that he potentially considered her to be in this on her own. As if reading her mind, Daryl dropped his head down and forced her distraught gaze meet his own.

''Secondly, _you're_ what makes it worth tha effort. You're young… an' you're beautiful. That alone will make ya a prize worth searching for. I sure as hell didn't help ya out none by fuckin' killing one of 'em but… well, there weren't nothin' for it. Bottom line is that they done had their hands on ya once an' I can't think of nothin' else out there worth doin' that would stop 'em from tryin' it again. I ain't giving 'em that chance.''

His point made, Daryl backed away.

''All tha things ya jus' said? They'll help bide us some time…'' He acknowledged, ''but I'd rather be thinkin' them assholes are out there doin' what assholes are known ta do than be caught unawares an' have somethin' happen ta you… or ta me.''

Making it clear that he had meant everything he had told her by the river, any momentary doubts Beth might've had to the contrary immediately fell to the wayside. In the middle of it all, he also happened to say that she was beautiful. The compliment had stood out in stark contrast to the rest of his dire predictions and had been so completely unexpected that Beth couldn't tell if it was his personal opinion or something he was just saying to prove his point.

She pulled a calming breath and nodded, hoping that the small gesture was enough to let him know that she finally understood. With the slight acknowledgment noted, Daryl pulled the Horton back up against his chest and went back to walking, not looking back but trusting that she'd know to keep up.

While she may not have wanted to hear the sobering dose of reality he provided, she didn't regret putting herself out there and allowing him to give it. As always, he had managed to remind her that not all people out there had decent intentions. She personally couldn't think of any worse fate than being at the whims of the man Len again. While Harley had be bad enough, for some reason Beth suspected he would be ten times worse. Feeling her stomach churn with the sickening notion, she quickly caught up to where Daryl was ahead of her.

''Wait a minute…'' She said as she fell into line next to him, ''Did you mean it when you said you'd show me what to do? We've only really ever trained once… but if what you're saying is true, I feel like I'm going to need a few more sessions.''

Stepping over a fallen log in his path, Daryl's gaze shot over to her. ''I done told ya that I ain't gonna let anythin' happen to ya. What… you don't believe me or somethin'?''

''No… I mean, yes…'' Beth faltered, trying to figure out the best way to make him understand. ''No, what I mean is that I want to be able to handle situations like this on my own… and maybe I could of if I had been more confident in what I was doing. It's… it's like what we talked about before, you can't depend on anyone for anything nowadays. I don't want to have to rely on you to protect me because... well... you might not always be there to do so.''

At that, Daryl stopped and turned around, his eyes narrowing as he regarded her. ''Huh…'' He grunted matter of factly, ''Didn't know I had somewhere else better ta be.''

Beth came over to stand in front of him, realizing that she was going to have to explain herself further. Hoping that it didn't sound like she was trying to backpedal too much, she stressed emphatically, ''You know what I mean. It isn't fair to you and… well, I don't want to be someone you always have to worry about. You wouldn't be the way you are towards me if I were Michonne, lets put it that way.''

The intensity of Daryl's gaze didn't waiver and Beth found herself uncomfortably shuffling from one foot to the other as the silence dragged on. What was he thinking? That she was saying that she didn't need him? That she could handle the situation on her own? That was nowhere near the point she was trying to make…

''Wouldn't want ya ta be Michonne.'' He muttered quietly, looking equally uncomfortable for saying so.

''Well… that's good.'' Beth said on a smile, hoping to put him more at ease. For reasons beyond her, she was thrilled with the simply spoken statement. She continued with the lightheartedness by asking, ''Wait… is that because you'd get real bored not having to step in to save the day all the time?''

She could see him fighting the smirk that threatened to crack the hard countenance of his face. With the effort not working, he still managed to say with a fair amount of conviction, ''Somebody 'round here has ta do it. Wouldn't have ta be me if a certain girl… ain't sayin' no names mind you, could keep outta trouble when she needn't be lookin' for it in tha first place.''

Beth's mouth fell open in indignation before ultimately deciding to let him get away with it for the sake of proving her argument.

''Ok… I may deserve that…'' She conceded. Before he could go so far as to agree, she quickly rushed to defend herself. ''But if there is trouble to be found, I don't mean to find it… sometimes it just finds me. That's what I'm trying to say! I may not be like Michonne… or you, for that matter... but I can try to be. That way when I do get into trouble, I can be the one to do something about it… um, with your help of course.''

That was it. Beth didn't know what else she could possibly say to justify her reasoning to him.

Realizing that she wasn't just going to let matter drop, Daryl swept his hand down his face. ''Fine. As soon as we find somewhere ta stay for tha night, I'll show ya a few more things.''

Beth hesitated, her lower lip finding its way between her teeth. She was really hoping to take advantage of the determined resolve currently fueling her courage... just in case it wasn't available later.

''Well… um, why not right now?'' She dared to ask. Unable to help herself, she bit down on a smile, instigating the point further by saying, "Or what, 'Ya got somethin' better ta do'?''

She dropped the air quotes and waited. There was definitely something about provoking Daryl that got the blood stirring in her veins. She was getting good at mimicking his voice and secretly enjoyed how much he hated it. Of course, she didn't feel bad in the slightest. He had used the exact same words against her in order to achieve the same thing so she didn't see anything wrong with throwing them back at him now to do the same.

Tsking at her audacity, Daryl shook his head, recognizing not only what he'd said but also the situation they'd been in when he had said it. Still, Beth felt her breath hitch in her throat when he sighed defeatedly and turned to prop the Horton against the log he had just stepped over. She'd be lying to herself if she said she hadn't wanted him to concede. By engaging him this way, not only would she get the further training she was asking for, but it would also give her the opportunity to interact with him on a much more personal one-on-one level.

Shrugging off the backpack, she pulled her knife from the holster at her hip. As nervous as she was, there was no denying the underlying flood of excitement that was also managing to work its way through her system as well. Taking Daryl on like this had the air practically charging around them and Beth had to make a discerned effort to focus herself back on the task at hand.

Her heart beating a mile a minute, she swallowed against the anticipation that had her in its grips as she warily watched him circle around her in the small clearing. What they were doing was had her nerves unraveling in more ways than one but she still had to be ready to defend herself against everything and anything he could possibly try. She gripped her knife a little tighter, the fact that he said he didn't think for one moment that she could land anything coming back to taunt her. The look on his face made it clear that he still felt the same way, making Beth want to do nothing more than prove him wrong.

Seeing his opportunity, Daryl lunged at her only to pull back when her knife came within a hairs breath of slicing across the back of his hand. It was by far the closest she had ever gotten during any their training sessions and Beth was ecstatic.

Daryl checked his skin to assure himself that she hadn't actually connected. He glanced up to find her staring at him as contritely as she could manage.

Beth gave a shrug as though the determined swipe had been completely beyond her control. ''Oops… Sorry.''

His eyes narrowed on the glint of disbelief elicited by her so-called 'apology' before he got back to the lesson at hand, only this time seemingly taking the endeavor they were engaging in a lot more seriously. Beth could sense the palpable change in his demeanor and tried not to revel in it too much to where it hindered what she was trying to accomplish.

''Y'know, have I ever told ya that your impressions of me suck.'' He smirked, indicating with a crook of his finger that she come at him this time. ''…so I'm guessin' they're right there in line with ya fightin' skills.''

''Oh… was that a joke?'' Beth said in mock amazement, hovering just out of his reach as she now circled around him. Adjusting the knife in her hand, she searched for an opening in his defenses while managing to say, ''Don't tell me you've suddenly developed a sense of humor because I might spare you the effort of training me by keeling over right here in shock…''

Daryl lowered his hands, his face making it clear what he thought of her smart ass commentary. Upon seeing the chance he had taught her to look for, Beth darted at him in the hopes of catching him unaware of it.

Unfortunately, the overconfidence given to her by the knifes previous close encounter proved to be her undoing.

Attempting to use her size and her speed to their best advantage, Beth swept in low, trying to employ a technique he had shown her previously. Easily anticipating it, Daryl didn't hold back as he quickly disabled her, managing to pry the knife from her hand to toss it uselessly into the leaves at their feet.

Discouraged but not defeated, Beth yanked against his hold before drawing her free arm back in order to slam her elbow into his ribs. 'By any means necessary' was what he had said - repeating it over and over again until he was sure she understood that the weapon in her hand was not the only one at her disposal. Daryl grunted as she made contact, the unexpected hit causing the air to expel from his lungs. Caught off guard and decidedly not happy about it, he tightened his grip on her wrist, manhandling her off her feet to roughly take her down to the ground.

Landing in a flurry of leaves, Beth gasped in shock at the new position in which she found herself. She struggled against him as he held her there, only stopping when he somehow managed to work his leg between hers in order to pin her hand firmly over her head. Panting heavily, she stared up at him, the brace of his arms the only thing preventing his body from crushing hers beneath him.

As if suddenly aware that the kinetic energy flowing between them had nothing to do with the lesson at hand, Daryl's brow drew in uneasiness. As was his nature when put in such a circumstance, he became instantly uncomfortable, purposely releasing his hold so he could push himself off of her like she had suddenly become contagious.

Taking the only chance she might get, Beth surged up onto her elbows and pressed her mouth to his before he could, allowing his lower lip to linger between the both of hers before they each pulled away.

Not quite believing she had followed through with the purely impulsive idea, she found herself breathlessly searching his face. While she was surprised at her own boldness, she'd be lying if she said she was sorry - the intensity of the moment and the nearness of his body had ignited the blood in her veins to boiling. Time seemed to crawl to a standstill as they stared at each other, the nervous trepidation Beth was feeling making her lightheaded as she readied herself for the repercussions of doing such a rash thing.

Daryl's gaze swept questioningly over the flush of color that was now staining her skin, having obviously not expected her to kiss him like that. Being right over her, he was so close Beth could see the deep grey flecks in his eyes flare intensely to life. Despite the obvious reluctance that lurked there also, he slowly lowered his head, capturing her mouth beneath his own to kiss her again. With her heart thumping in elation, Beth shyly responded, molding herself softly to him as his lips slanted heavily across hers.

Leveraging her back down into the leaves on the ground, Daryl determinedly took over the dynamics of the kiss. He ran a demanding tongue over her lower lip seeking entrance, the unexpected tactic causing Beth to gasp against him. Taking the opportunity as soon as he had it, he swept himself inside, his tongue grazing over hers to taste the sweetness that lay within. With her fingers tangled in the front of his shirt, Beth clung to him, pulling him closer as the thigh he had wedged firmly between her legs pressed against her intimately.

With her tongue tentatively engaging with his, every nerve ending traversing Beth's body now felt like it was on fire. Daryl grunted in satisfaction and purposefully deepened the kiss they were sharing, the guttural sound making her arch into him as she succumbed to the pulse pounding sensations he was invoking.

Accepting her yielding as an invitation to take things further, Daryl sunk his body more fully onto hers. As soon as he did so, flashbacks from the store came searing back into the forefront of Beth's memory completely and entirely against her will. Having had waited so long for this moment with Daryl, she could've cried when the recollection of Harley pressing her into the cold linoleum completely infringed down upon it, making her tense unwittingly beneath the man on top of her.

Behind her closed eyes, it was Harley's face Beth saw leering down upon her as his hands groped her roughly under her clothes, Harley's weight that had her pinned. It was that weight more than anything that had her breath now lodging in her throat. The heaviness on top of her was stifling and she could do nothing but lay there helplessly as he crushed her. Oh God! This couldn't be happening! Not again!

Unaware of the debilitating dilemma in which Beth found herself, Daryl's hand found its way to the taunt plain of her belly, his calloused fingers grazing across the soft patch of skin above her belt buckle. As soon as he touched her, Beth shoved against him with a muffled cry, finding herself completely submerged in the darkness of the nightmare she had been diligently trying to suppress. Daryl instantly rolled off of her like he had been burnt, leaving her laying there alone with tears prickling the back of her eyes as she desperately attempted to reel herself back to present.

After a few heart stopping moments of gazing unseeingly at the tree boughs overhead, the incapacitating panic finally subsided. With a sniffle, Beth's head lilted over to see Daryl laying on his back nearby with an arm thrown over his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to draw an even breath.

If Beth had been by herself, she would've gladly given in to the overwhelming urge she had to curl into a ball and cry. The recollections of the horrible attack couldn't have come screaming back at a worse possible time. The first real kiss she had shared with Daryl had been going achingly well and now the unchartered territory the both of them had been tentatively exploring was marred beyond repair.

Chancing another tear filled glance back over at him, she had no way to gage how he was going to react from this point on. She barely knew what to think herself. It went without saying that the guilt starting to weigh down upon her was only making matters worse... guilt she felt for taking the two of them down this path to begin with.

''I'm so sorry…'' She whispered, meaning it. ''I didn't…''

At the sound of her voice cutting into the tense air around them, Daryl immediately shoved himself to his feet. Beth wiped the tears away and gingerly sat up, feeling overwhelmingly despondent and unsure. She watched as he walked over to collect the Horton from where it lay, his broad shoulders locked in rigid determination. She could practically see the defense mechanisms he relied upon so heavily come crashing down right back into place, effectively ressurecting his wall to lock her out. Compared to the stirring intensity they had just shared, even the notion of it made her more unhappy than she already was.

''Daryl…''

''Yeah, you can stop right there.'' He interrupted, staring uncomfortably down at the ground. ''Shoulda never have gone there ta begin with, but… well, I reckon that's on me. Ya don't have'ta say a damn thing. I can see why havin' some redneck piece a' trash kissin' ya would be unappealing. Trust me, ya ain't the first one ta say so…''

Barely able to look her in the eye, he swung the weapon into his back. ''It ain't never gonna happen again.''

With his assertion hanging heavily in the air, he stalked away, leaving her sitting there with a mess of dead leaves snarled in her hair blinking after him in confusion. What? Did… did he seriously just say that? Completely stunned, Beth couldn't believe he would actually think that she didn't want to kiss him based upon some preconceived outdated notion that only he had about himself. With the ache between her hips lingering in memory of the effect he had on her body, it couldn't be further from the truth if it tried.

Pulling a deep breath to compose herself, she stood up and swept the dirt and debris from the back of her jeans. Grabbing the backpack, she set out to find her knife, taking out her frustration with him and the situation in whole on the piles of leaves annoyingly in her way. Tossing aside handfuls of them, Beth was quick to realize that Daryl's interactions with women outside of the bedroom obviously hadn't done him any favors. While she was the one that was supposedly inexperienced, it was clear that he didn't have a clue!

Finally finding the blade nowhere where she thought it would be, Beth ran out of the clearing after him, seriously tempted to let him just keep believing what he thought as punishment for being so ridiculously stubborn and inattentive.

In the end though, she knew that wasn't what she wanted. With this electrifyingly new aspect to their relationship just beginning, it wouldn't be fair to either one of them. For Daryl, years of being made to feel like he wasn't good enough wasn't going to be extinguished with just one kiss. For Beth, that same kiss had been game changing.

….

**This was one of my favorite chapters for obvious reasons and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! **

**No TWD copyright infringement intended. Reviews and/or comments are appreciated, thanks if you feel inclined to give one.**


	21. Chapter 21

…... Chapter 21 …..

Daryl traversed his way through the woods, the inner calmness he had felt when doing so before now completely shot all to hell. He was pissed off and confused all while attempting to subdue the erection that still ached painfully against his zipper. The volatile combination of the three were trying their damndest to provoke him into throwing his fist through the closest available surface, but instead he just pulled out a cigarette and lit it under his cupped hand.

Christ, did all that really just happen?

It sure as shit hadn't been his intention, that was for damn sure. Just as it hadn't been when he had told the girl she was beautiful. Somehow, his personal feelings had made their way into the intended dose of reality he'd been laying out for her and as a result, seemed to all but set them on the path to where they were right now.

The smoke hanging practically forgotten from his lips, Daryl's fingers subconsciously tightened around the strap of the Horton until his knuckles ached. Why the hell was he blaming himself in this? He didn't fucking ask her to kiss him! The whole point of the training session had been to take her down to the ground and leave her ass there with the lesson learned. He would've never gone anywhere near her if he had known for one minute that he was going to get so goddamned turned on by it.

And it had turned him on… more than he wanted to personally admit. Her body pinned tightly under his, she had stared up at him as if daring him to do something about it. It was at that very moment he knew they had reached a point of no return.

For his part, Daryl had been willing to step back from that line, everything that made him who he was uncomfortable enough to insist upon it. Beth obviously hadn't felt the same way, surging up to kiss him when he wouldn't make the move.

And that had been it. That was all it had taken to kick down the doors of his resistance, just that moment of shy acceptance… the look of yearning she was too inexperienced to hide… the next thing he knew, he was kissing her back like it had been the objective all along.

Even more surprising was the fact that she had let him, her lips parting under the insistent pressure of his own like she'd been put on this earth to have them do so. From that point on the only thing Daryl remembered thinking was how good she tasted… as good as he always imagined she would in the few times he had allowed his mind to dwell on such things. With his dick fully concurring, it had taken everything he'd had not to press himself fully against her, to settle his weight between her thighs and take the interaction further than she was probably willing to go.

Not that it mattered in the end. Chancing to touch the soft expanse of silky skin at her hip, the next thing he knew she was shoving him off of her like she had suddenly realized what the hell she was doing, and more to the point - with who. He had lain there for a moment completely bewildered and on fire, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened along with the multiple other things that were all taking place simultaneously in his brain. By the time she started apologizing, he'd already decided he had tortured himself enough, getting up to stalk away so he didn't have to hear whatever justification she could come up with to explain why she hadn't intended on things going that far with the likes of him.

Back in the present, Daryl pulled another drag off the cigarette, inhaling the smoke into his lungs despite knowing that it wasn't helping to calm him down for shit. It wasn't like the influx of nicotine could magically erase the feel of the girls tongue gliding around his own inside the warmth of her mouth or the sultry little sounds she had been making from beneath him...

Mad at her and beyond pissed with himself, Daryl pulled the smoke from his lips, flexing his stiff fingers before curling them into a tight fist. Knowing that it should've never of happened to begin with was only adding to his black mood… but it was the fact that it would never do so again that had him wishing there was an available walker around, one that could withstand the severe fucking beating he was itching to give something…

''Daryl… wait…''

Even through he didn't turn around, he could still hear the sounds Beth's feet made on the terrain as she hurried to catch up to where he was walking determinedly ahead of her.

''Nah, we ain't doin' this right now.'' He growled, not breaking his stride as he ducked under a low hanging branch in his way. As he went, he pressed the end of the cigarette out between his thumb and forefinger, the burn bringing him back from the edge of the downward spiral he was raging on.

''Will you just stop!'' She snapped, making Daryl expel an annoyed expletive from where he was ahead. Still, he couldn't help but question his own judgment when he found himself doing exactly that, grinding to a halt next to a large ravine that happened to run through the area. With his back to her, he gazed unseeingly across its distance as he waited for her to somehow contradict what he considered to be the undeniably obvious.

''Whatever it is that you're thinking, you're wrong.'' Beth said without preamble. ''That had nothing to do with you…''

''Nothin' ta do with me?'' He swung around to see her standing there, her shoulders locked in defiance against the attack she must have already predicted was coming. Not one to disappoint Daryl bit out, ''Weren't I the one that just had you flat on ya back or is this jus' some bullshit game ya tryin' ta play with me?''

Beth huffed at his obstinacy, her jaw clenching. ''Are you going to let me explain or are you just going to stand there and continue making yourself angrier?''

Slowly approaching him much like one would a wounded dog that had its teeth bared, she looked over his hardened features before saying up to him quietly. ''I'm asking you to listen because it's important… and I would like to do what we just did again at some point, but I feel like I… that we won't be able too unless we clear this up right now.''

Although she now had his full attention, he still felt the need to grouse, ''Don't matter. I done told ya that shit ain't happening again 'an I meant it.''

Daryl could only hope that he at least sounded somewhat convincing because he was a hairs breath away from calling Bullshit on himself. It _did_ matter. Why the hell else would he still be standing there for waiting for her to convince him of otherwise if it didn't.

''Well if that's how you feel, then I'm asking you to let it be for the right reasons.'' Beth implored, her fingers twisting together anxiously as she faced him. ''Because that's not what I want. When I say it had nothing to do with you, I meant it. The situation at the store… what happened there… it crept up on me at the worst possible time, when I least expected it to. I was doing fine until then... _More_ than fine if it makes you feel better…''

As if detecting a slight thawing in his demeanor, she shrugged self consciously. ''I just felt like… like I was drowning for a moment and I couldn't find my way up to the surface, you know?''

He stared at her skeptically through his hair for a few moments, caught in the sincerity that was plain on her face. Knowing the truth when he heard it, Daryl was now left inexplicably wondering why the hell he hadn't taken that into account.

Dropping his gaze from hers, he realized he already knew the reason why. When the rejection he'd fully expected to happen actually did, it was a hell of a lot easier to slam back into defensive mode than it was to put himself out there and attempt to give a shit. The ingrained reactive mechanism had served him well in the past and came to him naturally when there was the slightest chance that his feelings were about to be compromised. He was in real danger of that happening with her... to the point where it had blinded him to all other plausible explanations.

Pulling a deep breath, Daryl nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

''Guessin' then that I might have over reacted somewhat.'' He reluctantly went so far as to concede, feeling like the lowest piece of shit for not taking what had happened to her into consideration. Remembering it in hindsight, he was kind of surprised that he had gotten as far with her as he had.

While he was beyond uncomfortable admitting he was wrong, what else was he going to do. Most interactions he had with females tended to end equally as poorly, usually because he'd rather assume the worst from them rather than chance their expected disapproval. The tendency made him an asshole much like his brother and insensitive as all hell. Daryl guessed that some things were never going to change, no matter what.

Standing nearby, Beth relaxed her defensive stance, her shoulders practically slumping in relief.

''No, it was my fault… '' she said, pulling him back to the present ''I kissed you first and didn't take into account how you might feel about it." A flush of color seared over her pale skin and Daryl found himself watching its progress in interest when he knew she wasn't looking. ''Anyway, I'm sorry if it put you in a bad position… or if you felt uncomfortable by it.''

Feeling varying degrees of both, Daryl managed to shrug, ''What's done is done. Still ain't gonna happen again.''

Her brows drawing, Beth opened her mouth as if she had something she wanted to say about his decision. He stood there almost warily expecting her to do so when she seemed to change her mind, instead just concurring with a stilted nod of her head. Daryl's stomach tightened for a moment, honestly unable to tell if he was relieved or disappointed. She hadn't even asked his reason why, not that he really even knew himself.

It just sounded like the right thing to say, and Daryl could only hope that if he said it enough he'd eventually believe it was what he wanted as well.

…...

''These woods seem never ending. How much further do you think we need to go?'' Beth asked.

When no response was forthcoming, she turned around to find Daryl a lot further back than she expected to see and definitely well out of earshot. Having thought that he had been right behind her, Beth wondered when had that happened? Sometimes the man walked through the leaves so quietly that it was completely unnerving. When compared to his silent tread, she often felt like she all but stomped around the place. Well, at least the noise she made ensured that he always knew where she was so he wasn't left talking to himself like an idiot.

Noticing that he was focused on tracking something on the ground, she stopped to wait for him. Whatever it was, it had his full attention, so seeing as she had nothing better to do she gave him hers.

As they had multiple times now for the last mile or so, her thoughts wandered back to when he had kissed her. His eyes had fallen to her mouth before his lips had followed and even just thinking on the surreal moment caused Beth's heart to thump heavily against her ribs. She had never been kissed like that before. Sure, she had made out with Jimmy and Zack and some other dates she'd been on in high school, but nothing like what had just transpired between her and the man steadily making his way towards her.

It had been so electrifyingly different it was almost frightening. He hadn't coyly toyed with her, there had been no teenage insecurity… he had just taken what he wanted and demanded her response. It had been toe curlingly exciting, that was until it had been ruined by the horrible incident she guessed wasn't as far behind her as she would personally prefer.

While they had managed to clear the air of any confusion after the fact, Daryl had still made it clear that he didn't want what happened between them occurring again. While she had been disappointed, she had chosen not to argue. Beth still wasn't sure how to process this new dynamic to their relationship either. Agreeing to his terms just bought her time to think about it, which she fully planned on doing once she got past the fact that he had even returned the kiss to begin with.

When Daryl finally got close enough, Beth found herself whispering, ''What are you looking at?''

He glanced up and regarded her. ''Are ya askin' for shits n' grins or do ya really wanna know?''

''I'd really like to know.'' Beth looked to his boots to see nothing but dead leaves and dirt. ''I mean, I know you're tracking something down there but I can't see what. Besides, you did say you'd show me a few more things… so, show me.''

''I don't know…'' He muttered as he dropped to his haunches, "showing ya things gets dangerous…''

Sweeping away some debris with his hand, he indicated with a nod of his head for her to come down and join him.

''Don't worry,'' She said, taking a knee down next to him, ''I promise I'll keep my hands to myself.''

''Yeah, well... ain't ya hands that I'm worried about.''

Smiling secretly to herself, Beth focused back on what they were doing and looked over the area he had cleared. ''So… what is it that you see here?''

He ghosted a finger over the spot like he was pointing out the painfully obvious. ''Footprints. Ya see 'em? Someone came through this way recently.'' He muttered.

''Recently?'' Her brows drew. ''How can you tell?''

''Jus' can.'' Daryl said dismissively, ''Been tracking all my life, wouldn't be much good at it if I couldn't tell tha difference between whats old an' whats new. Reckon whoever made this one left it in tha last day or so.''

Beth must've still look confused because Daryl released a sigh before explaining himself further. ''Trackings all about lookin' for the inconspicuous under what's obvious. Ya gotta have an eye for it. Bottom line is that ya looking for three things: displacement in tha natural terrain, unusual impressions left behind an' indications of tha general direction taken.''

He glanced over, seemingly surprised to see her taking what he was saying so seriously. When she nodded for him to continue, he did so. ''See that right there? That indentation? That smooth rounded edge ain't something you'd normally find in nature. Notice tha trail of that scuff mark? Tha ridges left by boot tread? Shit like that.''

''I see it.'' Beth said in wonder, tracing her finger around what now suddenly seemed so clear. ''There's one there… and there as well. But… how do you know what made them?''

As Daryl elaborated, Beth looked over and noticed that he seemed to be quite happy to talk about the subject at hand. In fact, it was damn near as close to enthusiastic as she'd ever seen him. The skill tracking entailed obviously meant a lot to him and she couldn't help but feel somewhat privileged that it was her that he was choosing to share his valuable knowledge with.

''With animals, it's all about the area an' what's considered normally common to it. People an' walkers are harder ta differentiate between. Walkers tend ta drag through tha dirt somewhat but both will leave tha same kind of tracks behind for tha most part.'' He stood up and pointed to the trail of prints he'd been following that led away from where they were. ''Whoever made these ones came from back there an' headed out that a'ways…''

Beth pulled herself to her feet as well and followed his line of sight, only to be distracted by a squirrel circling its way up a tree trunk close by. She was so engrossed in its progress that she didn't see Daryl pull the Horton from his back and take aim until the poor creature was pinned to the bark with his bolt running through its neck. Daryl went over and yanked both from the wood, sliding the animal from the bolt to hang its dead bleeding carcass from his belt.

Beth couldn't help but grimace as she looked down at it. ''Ugh, have I ever told you that I really hate squirrel meat?''

Daryl smirked as he locked the bolt back on the frame of the Horton. ''Tell ya what, next phone we come across, you can order ya self a pizza.''

''Oh my god, I wish!'' She closed her eyes for a moment, lost in the memory of melting cheese and pepperoni. Reality infringed soon enough and she sighed as she watched him shrug the weapon over his shoulder. The ease in which he had taken down the squirrel suddenly reminded her that she had really wanted to try the crossbow for herself.

As they began walking again, she recalled having asked him about letting her try the Horton earlier, right before their first run in with the black car. Although at the time it had been easy to see that he was about to say no, Beth hoped that now he may possibly be more agreeable to it. He seemed as though he was in a good enough mood, so despite the fact that she had never seen anyone other than himself ever shoot the thing she figured that there was nothing wrong with asking.

''You know, you never did answer my question.'' She hedged apprehensively.

Daryl snorted on a smile from where he was beside her. ''Pfft, which one?''

''Oh, you're a comedian now?'' She retorted, her eyes narrowing at his jab of her ongoing habit of asking multiple questions, like she had a choice in the matter. ''The one where I asked you if I could maybe try the crossbow. I'd really like to learn how to use it.''

Daryl instantly looked over at her like she had just asked him to cut off his left arm and give it to her on a silver platter. If Beth hadn't wanted to get her hands on the Horton so badly, she would've laughed at the stricken expression on his face. Biting down on the smile that threatened to overtake her anyway, she assured, ''I swear to god I'll be real careful with it.''

Sighing resignedly, Daryl pulled the crossbow from his back and passed it over. Although she had previously held the weapon for him, Beth realized that she had never actually looked down its sights or aimed it at anything with the intent to kill before. Setting it against her cheek, she looked over to where he stood and awaited instructions.

Giving her a crash course, Daryl walked her through the basics: how to properly hold it, the do's and don'ts of aiming it and the easiest way to reload it were all quickly covered. Beth absorbed everything he showed her like a sponge and when they were done, Daryl must have felt secure that she knew what she was doing enough to let her hold onto the weapon, at least for a little while.

Beth settled the Horton against herself and glanced over at him. ''Thank you for taking the time to show me this. I really appreciate it.''

''Well, figure anythin' I can show ya at this point is as much of an investment in my survival as it is yours I'm guessin'.'' Daryl said with a semi-uncomfortable shrug. When she smiled at the muted response, he motioned ahead with a wave of his hand. ''C'mon, lets go find ya somethin' ta practice on.''

After walking through the woods for a while, Beth could feel herself start to get nervous. It was one thing to want to shoot the weapon, but the prospect of doing so in front of Daryl himself was understandably daunting. He was such a natural with it, the thing was practically an extension of his arm. She couldn't help but feel that if she missed whatever target he picked out for her, he'd never let her touch it again.

With the apprehension she was feeling getting the better of her, Beth found herself asking, ''Are we close?''

''Almost there…'' Daryl said quietly from behind her.

Although she didn't see anything but trees and more trees, Beth inexplicably felt the need to pull the Horton up just so it was at the ready. ''How do you know?''

''Signs are all there, jus' gotta learn how ta read 'em.''

Well, what in the world did that mean? Her nerves already frayed, she figured it best to just ask. ''What signs?''

''You tell me.'' He muttered. Beth turned around to glare at him exasperatedly. Not budging an inch, he said with a shrug, ''You're tha one that wanted ta learn.''

Tightening her fingers around the handle of the crossbow, Beth drew a deep breath and looked down at the ground. This time however, she was able to see past the leaves and debris to detect the subtle differences he had shown her to look for.

Pointing down with the head of the Horton, she whispered, ''Well, I can kind of see that something came through here… the patterns all zig-zaggy.'' Her eyes widened in recognition of what she was looking at. ''It's a walker!''

Proud of herself, Beth looked over to find Daryl nodding in concurrence, ''See? Ain't so hard when ya know what you're lookin' for.''

''I'm getting good at this!'' She said smugly, leaving him behind as she followed the prints left by the walker in question. ''Pretty soon, I won't need you at all.''

''Pfft… yeah right.'' Daryl muttered to himself, having no other option but to bring up the rear. ''Best jus' keep on trackin' ''

Having walked through more wooded areas now than she ever had before the turn, Beth could instinctively tell that they were coming to the edge of the forest that they were currently making their way through. Overall, the time taken to cut around Piedmont's center had been worth the effort, the two of them managing to avoid running into anything or anyone that would've caused a problem. With the density of the trees starting to thin out, Beth could see flashes of fences and walls that marked the far end of town laying in the distance.

Coming up to a small clearing, she paused when Daryl put a hand on her arm. Beth didn't need him to point out the walker that was just ahead, the loud gorging noises it was making gave away its presence almost immediately. She peered past the bushes to see the large male crouching over an unfortunate animal of some kind, his decaying face completely covered in its blood.

Seeing the belt at his waist, she turned back to Daryl and whispered, ''He's got a knife…''

Daryl nodded, still giving her the go ahead to take it down. With his approval, Beth squared her shoulders and settled the Horton to her cheek before slowly advancing in on the walker that had yet to notice her. Step by careful step, she made her way into the open area, looking for the sweet spot Daryl had told her to aim for. The whole time, she repeated the rules he had taught her in her head.

Aim the sight just under the target… Line the bolt… Expel a breath while depressing the trigger…

She could do this. Just one more step…

With her eyes locked on the walker, Beth didn't see the animal trap that lay just under her boot until it snapped down heavily on her heel, bringing her down to the ground with a cry of pain. That was all it took for the walker ahead to grunt over in her direction, animal entrails hanging forgotten from its teeth. It surged unsteadily to its feet, the promise of the fresh meal sitting helplessly nearby giving it an uncanny burst of speed as it stumbled threateningly towards her.

Her leg incapacitated, Beth struggled to lift the Horton back up, quickly realizing that Daryl and his knife might not get to where she was on time. She fired the loaded bolt only to see it impale the oncoming walker through its gore covered mouth, slowing it down momentarily but not taking it out like a brain shot would've done. Beth winced in remorse, the pain shooting up her leg making everything blurry.

Running past her, Daryl snatch the Horton from her hands to smash the butt of it across the walkers face, scattering jaw fragments and brain pieces all over the forest floor. After stomping on what was left of its head with his boot for good measure, he skidded over to where Beth was trying to unlock herself from the jaws of the trap.

''Goddamn!'' He huffed, ''Ya alright?''

He pried his fingers into the steel teeth and strained to open the rusty mechanism enough for her to escape. Beth blinked back the tears of pain as he tossed the thing aside, his hand returning to help her flex her ankle slowly. ''Can ya move it?''

Swallowing, she gritted her teeth and forced herself not to fight his ministrations as he tested her range of movement. Her boot had prevented the trap from doing any severe damage but it still hurt like the devil. ''Yeah… Ow, I think so…''

He moved back so she could try it on her own. Beth winced as she slowly circled her ankle before finally nodding that she'd live. His shoulders slumping in relief, Daryl collapsed back into the abundance of leaves that covered the clearing they were in and groaned loudly.

Dragging his hands down his face, he stared up unseeingly to the grey clouds that lingered above. ''Christ! That 'bout gave me a fuckin' heart attack!'' He breathed. ''Thought I told ya… I'm too goddamn old ta be doing shit like that!''

Smiling through the tears at his exasperated tone of voice, Beth gingerly pulled off her boot before glancing down to where he lay. ''I know you did.'' She chagrined, ''If it makes you feel better, my ankle hurts like hell.''

''It don't...'' He muttered, glancing over to see her press upon the tender area with a grimace. Setting his arm under his head, he continued resignedly, ''Jus' means we'll be finding somewhere close to crash an' sooner than we expected. Can't have ya risking a worse injury by attempting ta continue walkin' on it.''

Beth nodded, reluctantly sliding her foot back into her boot. She was going to be left with a hell of a bruise there and the residual pain piercing up her leg was starting to give her a headache.

''Fuck it, ain't like it won't be dark here in a few hours anyways.'' Daryl said, pushing himself to his feet. He held out his hand to her and Beth stared up at it unexpectedly from where she sat before sliding her own into it. '''Sides, don't know 'bout you but I'm pretty damn sick an' tired of traipsin' 'round out here.''

Favoring her uninjured leg, Beth let him help her stand, holding onto him as he picked up the crossbow that lay nearby. Testing her footing, she found walking on the limb was painful but manageable. Either way, she wasn't about to complain about it. After shrugging the weapon over his shoulder, Daryl slid his arm around her waist so they could slowly make their way out of the clearing, leaving the body of the walker laying there bleeding behind.

There was a comforting heat radiating from his body and as she hobbled along Beth sniffed back a smile.

Confused, Daryl looked down and asked, ''What's so funny?''

She laughed despite the pain, unable to help herself. ''Face it, you'd get so bored not having to step in to save the day all the time. It's a good thing I'm around to make sure you stay busy.''

''Pfft, there ain't no gettin' bored 'round you.'' Daryl muttered, adjusting his grip on her. ''Tell me, have ya always been this much trouble or is it jus' me that brings it out in ya?''

''Oh, it's totally you. After all, somebody's gotta keep you on your toes.'' Glancing up at him, Beth attempted to look as sincere as possible. ''I mean… you're old. We wouldn't want you withering away or anything.''

Daryl sighed from where he was next to her, rolling his eyes at her sarcasm before giving up with a shake of his head. ''Fuckin' smartass.''

…..

**Reviews and comments are always welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading 'What Still Lies Ahead' and have a great weekend!**


	22. Chapter 22

…... Chapter 22 ….

''Can I… can we hold up here a second?''

Daryl had been cautiously surveying the area when the question reached him and he glanced down to the girl leaning precariously on his arm. The two of them were standing at the edge of a large decrepit cemetery that cut jarringly into the surrounding terrain, the tombstones and mausoleums sprawling out in front of them as far as the eye could see. The new headstones intermingling with old were a clear indication that someone had been there burying the dead since the turn, the plantation-style funeral home that sat in the far distance damn near guaranteeing it. As weather worn as the graveyard it presided over, the mortuary had its windows boarded up but other than that didn't seem much the worse for wear. It was probably a good thing because the they had run out of options.

Beth was staring at the depressing landscape as well when she winced in pain, biting at her lip in an attempt to mask it.

Stepping away, Daryl watched as she tentatively flexed her ankle, now able to do so since he was no longer making her walk on it. Despite the fact that she was limping badly, they had still managed to make it about a mile from the clearing. It was then that they had stumbled upon the cemetery. As morbid as it was, Daryl for one was grateful, not knowing how much further Beth could've made it otherwise. While she was doing her best, it was obvious she was hurting. Until they were able to find somewhere safe to crash for the night, knowing the extent of the damage done was understandably having to wait.

''Ya a'right?''

''Yeah,'' She breathed, tentatively trying to stand on it once more, ''I think... I just need to sit down for a moment.''

Daryl hesitated and looked back over to the building just past the headstones. While her request sounded good in theory, the sun would be setting in an hour or so and he still needed to clear it. As much as he wanted to give her the moment she was asking for, it just wasn't feasible right here where they were at the far end of the cemetery, not when they were so close.

''Hold up...'' He muttered, shrugging the strap of the crossbow over his head to let it hang down in front of his chest. Turning his back to her, Daryl held his arms back and indicated for her to come closer. ''A'right… hop on.''

He glanced back to see Beth staring at his backside disbelievingly. ''You're serious…''

Daryl supposed her speculation was warranted, especially since the last situation in which they found themselves with her legs wrapped around him hadn't ended so well. He put that purposefully aside. ''Yeah… it's a serious piggyback. C'mon, jump up.''

She put her hands on his shoulders and did as he asked, vaulting onto his back in a predictably feminine fashion. Locking his hands under her knees, Daryl adjusted her positioning on him before groaning out exaggeratedly, ''Holy shit, you're heavier than you look!''

Beth gasped indignantly from behind him, ''Oh my god Daryl! I am not that heavy!''

As he began walking through the tombstones, Daryl suppressed a chuckle, managing to huff out, ''I don't know… Whatcha got in that backpack? I think my back's breakin' here.''

Beth wrapped her arms around his neck as they settled into an even gait. ''Oh, you're hilarious… and I thought it was me that was supposed to be the smartass.''

''Yeah, well… guessin' it's my turn.'' He grunted as he traversed an inclined slope underfoot. ''Been takin' your shit for a while now so it ain't like you don't fuckin' deserve it.''

''That's only because you make it so much fun to do so." Beth said from behind him with a smile in her voice. "I don't think I've ever met anyone so stubborn and hard headed and… so stuck in his ways as you before! I mean seriously, you almost make it too easy.''

''Pfft! Since when did ya get so comfortable giving me hell?'' He couldn't help but ask, hefting her weight up once more before continuing, ''I swear at tha prison, ya practically ran in tha opposite direction anytime I came near ya. Thinkin' that I'm startin' ta miss those days…''

''Liar.'' Beth said, unknowingly proving just how comfortable she was. Looking out from over his shoulder as he walked them around a fenced area that housed a family plot, there was a moment of silence before she added quietly, ''I used to think you went out of your way to intimidate me. I don't know… I guess it worked.''

Daryl's gaze dropped to the dirt at his boots, knowing himself well enough to believe it. Carol had told him on more than one occasion that he always looked like he had a chip on his shoulder a mile high, effectively making anyone who hadn't known him from the Atlanta camp steer clear of him. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't used it to his own advantage whenever he could, never really having much tolerance for the idle chit chat and pleasantries that came naturally to some of the other occupants of the prison, like Glenn or Carol herself.

Not having anything by way of an excuse, Daryl sighed. ''Yeah, what can I say... ya ain't tha first one ta ever tell me so.''

He wasn't about to apologize for something that came so inherent in his nature and luckily Beth didn't seem like she was expecting him to, settling herself against him to say, ''Just so you know, I don't feel that way about you now.''

His brows drew. ''I ain't sure that I wanna know how ya feel 'bout me now…''

''Why?'' She asked, and Daryl could tell by the subtle shift of her body that she was attempting to get him to look at her. There was no way in hell that was going to happen. ''Does knowing my feelings towards you make you uncomfortable?'' She teased at his ear when he wouldn't give in.

''Stop.'' He groused. ''This whole line 'a conversation makes me uncomfortable 'an I know that ya know it does. 'Sides, ain't ya supposed ta be hating me immensely? Don't think that I don't remember ya telling me that an' lookin' like ya fuckin' meant it.''

''I said sometimes.'' Beth rectified, ''Usually when you're being stubborn and hard headed and stuck in your ways! But… I guess in the long run, a girl has the right to change her opinion.''

''Jesus, what the hell does that mean?'' He asked, silently cursing the fact that he wanted to know.

Beth's confidence seemed to sputter to a halt the moment he put her on the spot. ''Um... I'd rather not say.''

''That so.'' Daryl asserted smugly as they finally reached a path that led directly to the house. She could obviously dish out the teasing but didn't have the necessary experience to take it. The way he figured, it served her fucking right for attempting to try it on him. ''Guessin' I ain't tha only one here that's uncomfortable...''

When Beth didn't respond, Daryl almost wondered if he had taken the ribbing too far. It wasn't until she unwound her arms from around him and slid from his back that he saw the reason for her silence. He turned around to find her staring at an old battered tombstone, one that had the epitaph 'Beloved Father' etched meaningfully into it. As she slowly made her way over to stand in front of it, Daryl could clearly see that she was now lost to thoughts of her own, about a father left behind, far away from here.

Coming over to stand next to her, Daryl also felt the need to pay his respects. Knowing that Hershel would never get the funeral he deserved still bothered him to this day. Despite at times thinking him to be painfully delusional about the new world order, the old man had still managed to earn his respect, proving himself to be indispensible to Rick and everyone else at the prison. Daryl recalled once calling him a tough old son of a bitch and he had gone out like one, never once relinquishing under the Governors blade.

Daryl glanced back over at the girl standing next to him, realizing that her memories of the man would be far different than his own. With his hand steadying the crossbow against his chest, he reached down and pulled a handful of wildflowers from an overgrown patch of them nearby. Stepping up to the gravestone, he placed them on top of it, leaving them there to stir in the cool evening breeze.

Coming back to her side, they both stared at the marker, each lost in recollections of their own that neither felt the need to share. Daryl was about to step away to leave Beth to finish the moment in private when he felt her hand tentatively reach for his own, her fingers managing to thread their way in between his. Closing his hand around hers, he remained where he was, willing to do so if she found it helpful in any small degree. After about a minute or so, he glanced past the mortuary nearby to note that night was quickly approaching, somehow inherently knowing that the sun would be setting soon despite the grey clouds that dwelled overhead.

As if realizing that her time was up, Beth looked up at him and Daryl was beyond relieved to see that her eyes were clear and dry. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before releasing it, only just then realizing that the kind of relationships he normally had with women never tended to go as far as hand holding. He found himself flexing his fingers subconsciously as she climbed back onto his back, the phantom presence of hers lingering against his skin as they finished the trek to the house. The mood between them now was much more subdued. She obviously didn't want to talk about what had just happened at the tombstone and that was more than fine by him.

Looking at the house ahead, Beth propped her chin on top of his head and said on a whisper, ''Maybe there are people there.''

Daryl squinted at it too through the hair that hung in his eyes, figuring it to be a possibility. ''Well, if there are, I'll handle 'em.''

''There are still good people Daryl.'' She insisted quietly, obviously still lingering in a somewhat reflective mood.

Approaching the fence that surrounded the homes garden, Daryl sniffed skeptically as he pushed open the gate attached to it. Being far more realistic and still thinking of her father, he muttered, ''I don't think the good ones survive.''

Climbing the steps that led to the front door, he deposited Beth onto the porch so he could pull the Horton from around his neck. Finding the door itself to be unlatched, Daryl gave it a slight push to let it creakily swing open. The two of them hovered in the threshold as they peered into the dim interior of the foyer, neither one of them seeing anything really amiss.

Banging on the door jam with the butt of the weapon, Daryl whistled loudly into the empty space. Shivering without his warmth against her, Beth stared at him as they both strained to hear any movement that would indicate a threat within. Hefting the crossbow up, Daryl stepped inside, quickly checking through the open doorways that lined the vestibule to find each room beyond equally deserted.

Sweeping past the large staircase that went to the next floor up, Daryl heard Beth say from behind him, ''It's so clean…''

''Yeah…'' He looked around to see that she was right. There wasn't a speck of dirt on the lobby tables, not a ball of dust on the hardwood floors. ''Someone's been here tendin' to it.''

Heading through the largest doorway, they found themselves in the funeral homes main reception room. What was left of the light outside streamed in through the slats of wood covering the windows, illuminating the dead body that lay forgotten in the open casket that sat there. Daryl slowly approached it, not really expecting it to reanimate but figuring it better to be safe than sorry. Knocking on the coffin's side, he stepped back and waited a moment, his finger hovering over the trigger of the Horton. When the corpse laying there did exactly what corpses were supposed to do, they both felt comfortable enough to take a closer look.

Poking at its face with his finger, Daryl pulled his hand away to see the smear of grey that now marred its rubbery skin. It was clear that the makeup used by the funeral director only served to hide the decay that festered underneath.

''I wonder why they just left him here?'' Beth whispered as she stared down at the well dressed body in distaste.

''Don't know. Whoever did this might still be around.'' He glanced at her before indicating around the room with a wave of his hand. ''These old places? The undertaker in 'em usually lives upstairs. Might be the reason why everything's so damn on point.''

''Do you think he could be up there now?'' She glanced apprehensively past the rows of viewing chairs back to the foyer staircase beyond.

Daryl almost hoped so, that way they didn't have to sit around waiting to see what kind of person was going to show up and what their mentality would be upon finding the two of them encroaching on their space. That was likely just wishful thinking though, knowing that he was still going to have to go upstairs and check for himself one way or the other.

''You wait an' I'm gonna go find out.'' He pointed down to the closest chair.

Beth glanced over nervously at the darkening window, the shadows it cast making the ghoulish body laying in the room even more disconcerting.

''I'll be back long before it gets too dark in here for ya.'' Daryl said reassuringly, keeping it light. He nodded down to her ankle before handing her the flashlight he kept in his pocket. ''Don't worry, could be wrong but I'm fairly damn sure you've maxed out on ya bad luck for tha day. Here… take this just in case.''

Taking a calming breath, she took it and eased herself into the seat, wincing when the ankle in question complained about the lack of weight being applied to it. Pulling the crossbow up, Daryl didn't think to glance back as he left the room. If he had, he would have seen her watching after him as he went.

With the girl temporarily situated, he made his way to the apartment upstairs, not really surprised when he was able to quickly sweep all the abandoned rooms without feeling anxious or fearful while doing so. In moments like these, he was never much one to worry about what could potentially happen, preferring instead to focus only on what needed to be done. The inherent tendency served him well when hunting and had done so ever since, no matter what kind of post-apocalyptic insanity he tended to find himself in.

With the upstairs cleared, he headed back down and stopped in the doorway of the room where Beth still sat waiting for him. She looked over when he appeared, obviously glad to see him despite the fact that he'd only been gone for fifteen minutes tops. Relieved himself to see that she hadn't decided to up and move around for a change, Daryl couldn't help but joke, ''Is that what it takes ta get ya ta stay where I put ya? A sprained ankle?''

Beth stood up and limped her way over to where he was. ''Y'know, I actually don't mind doing what you ask,'' she said with a small smile, ''…when you ask it nicely.''

''I'll be sure ta keep that in mind.'' He indicated down the hallway with a tilt of his head. ''C'mon… there ain't nobody here. Let's go check that ankle before ya keel over.''

Refusing any help, she followed him downstairs to where the mortuary prep room was located. Daryl leveled the crossbow to his cheek as they got to the bottom floor only to find he didn't need to. The room was a wide open space, sinks and supply cabinets lining one wall with long preparation tables for the soon to be buried butted against the other. With its high windows providing the only light to see by, Daryl figured he had just enough time to get done what he had brought her down here to do before the daylight was officially gone.

There was a suited corpse of a man on the stainless steel table closest to them and setting down the Horton, Daryl left Beth standing beside it as he headed over to the cabinets to look around for what he needed.

''Let's get that ankle wrapped.'' He said, sifting through the bottles of embalming fluid and makeup palettes until he finally found a roll of bandages that would suffice. Tearing it open with his teeth, he came back over to see Beth lost in thought as she stared down at the pristine body.

Daryl spared it a glance as well, despite not really wanting to. ''Looks like somebody ran outta dolls ta dress up.'' He muttered indifferently, not finding anything about it to be remarkable or even noteworthy.

''It's beautiful!'' She said, looking over at him almost reproachingly before her gaze fell back down to the dead man in front of her. ''Whoever did this… cared. He must have wanted these people to get a real funeral.''

With the bandages forgotten in hand, Daryl looked back down again, struggling to see whatever it was that she saw in the withered figure just laying there. Completely at a loss, he was hard pressed to find anything other than the fancy suit that indicated a goddamn thing, nothing beyond the base line job description of the average working stiff undertaker at least. His gaze shifting back to Beth, it was clear that she was able to see something more though… a respect for life or an ingrained belief in the decency of people that he had long forgotten perhaps. For reasons beyond him, Daryl was moved.

Beth continued reflecting on it quietly, unaware of his intense regard. ''He remembered that these things were people once, long before all this… that they were somebody's friend or family member. He didn't let it change him in the end.''

She looked over only to ask him in all sincerity, ''Don't you think that's beautiful?''

Caught staring at her, Daryl froze, the only thing running through his head being how beautiful he thought _she_ was. With the fading light skimming across the curves of her face and the imploring look in her eyes, he dropped his gaze without an answer. Christ, he needed to pull himself together.

''C'mon,'' He said quietly, gently steering her back toward one of the empty prep tables. ''Lights fading fast an' we gotta get this done.''

Luckily for him, Beth didn't push for a response that he didn't have in him to give, not saying another word as she hefted herself up onto the cold table's surface. She winced as he carefully pulled her boot off, biting down on her lower lip to suppress the pain the necessary action induced. Other than glancing up at her once in confusion when he peeled two socks from just the one foot, Daryl didn't look at her again until the ankle was wrapped tightly and both socks and boot were back in place.

''How's that feel?'' He asked, no longer quite as uncomfortable for having her bare foot resting in his lap.

Beth climbed down from the table to step down on his handiwork gingerly. A slow smile spread over her face. ''Better.''

Satisfied, Daryl stood up. ''Good. Let's get tha fuck outta here then, ol' boy over there's givin' me tha creeps.''

Using the flashlight to lead the way, they headed back up to the main floor foyer, Beth able to traverse the stairs a little more easily for having her ankle tightly wrapped. Thinking that they were going back to the viewing room where they'd been before, she was understandably confused when Daryl continue up the next flight of stairs, the ones that led to the upstairs apartment.

She paused, her hand on the bannister. ''Where are we going?''

Daryl turned mid-step, swinging the flashlight around with him.

''Upstairs to bed.'' He said matter of factly, having assumed it was a given.

When her eyes widened, he quickly rectified the answer, suddenly realizing how it sounded now that he had a moment to think about it. ''Fuck sakes, ya know what I meant. There's two bedrooms up there – one for me an' one for you!''

''What? I didn't say anything!'' She feigned in self defense, ignoring his glare as she started up the stairs herself. Unable to leave it alone, she added under her breath, ''Besides, I'd like to think you'd at least buy me dinner first…''

While it was painfully obvious she was teasing, Daryl could still feel the flush of heat sear down the back of his neck, making his hair press uncomfortably against the collar of his vest. He was starting to seriously think that she liked to make comments like that just so she could laugh to herself about how goddamn unsettled it made him, the flirty tone in which she had said it not dissuading him from the notion in the slightest.

''Stop.'' He growled as he continued on to the top landing, ''Swear ta god, ya keep that up an' it's gonna come back an' bite ya in tha ass.''

With her goal of ruffling his feathers achieved, Beth didn't feel the need to acknowledge his response as she took a moment to glance around the small apartment. Daryl pointed to the bedroom she'd be using with the beam of the flashlight and she released a long yawn before asking at the tail end of it, ''What about the people who lived here?''

''What about 'em?'' He said quietly, choosing to light some of the many candles that were scattered on every viable surface so he could preserve the batteries in the flashlight. He handed one over to her. ''They ain't around here, that's for damn sure. They could've headed for tha Atlanta evac center, they could be dead… who tha hell knows.''

Since he had his lighter out, Daryl pulled one of the smokes from the pack she'd given him and shoved it into his mouth. He held the flame to its end and inhaled a much needed drag into his lungs. Picking up another candle, he continued what he was saying around it, letting it hang loosely from between his lips as he did so. ''Either way, I'm still gonna set a couple of walker traps 'round tha place tomorrow, just in case there are any stragglers in tha area lookin' ta catch up with that horde.''

Beth looked up to meet his gaze. ''We're staying?''

Daryl pulled the cigarette out only long enough to say, ''Yeah, least for a couple 'a days. It'll give me time ta assess tha long term situation and let us both pull ourselves together. We've been moving non stop since tha prison fell an' I don't know 'bout you but I'm runnin' on fumes.''

She looked relieved with his decision, enough so that he didn't feel the need to have to ask if she concurred with it.

''Ok… well, I guess I'll go to bed then.'' She said hesitantly, pushing her hair from her eyes to tuck it behind her ear.

''Sounds good ta me.'' What the hell? Suddenly everything out of his mouth sounded like it was some kind of fuckin' sexual innuendo.

Each of them holding a candle, they headed in opposite directions to the bedrooms that sat across the hall from each other. Beth was about to close her door when his voice reached her, and she turned to see him standing just outside the doorway to his room.

''Hey… leave ya door open an' stay dressed. If something happens during tha night, you come over here an' I'll take it from there, ya hear?''

Pushing her door back open, she just nodded in acknowledgement and left it at that. After seeing it done, Daryl went inside his bedroom, dropping the crossbow onto the mattress before tossing his jacket and vest onto the only chair the space had available.

The room he was in was the smaller of the two, most likely the guest room. It was depressingly bare of anything that would make it homely, which only made it fit right in line with the type of house it was in. Through his open door he could see Beth settle down for the night across the way, choosing to pull the comforter on her bed over herself rather than attempt to crawl under it.

Crashing down next to the Horton, Daryl wondered yet again why the things he was saying lately seemed to linger on the air between them like he had some sort of ulterior motive. Shoving a pillow under his head, he finished his smoke and contemplated it, all the while staring at the flickering candle he had set on the table nearby in a tiredly induced trance.

Who the fuck knows… maybe he did.

Ever since Beth's incident with the trap, he'd done a fairly good job of not thinking about the fact that he had kissed the hell out of her, to the point where he was almost damn near proud of himself. Now as he lay there with absolutely nothing else to preoccupy his head, the recollection of her arousing response came flooding back into the forefront of his thoughts, effectively guaranteeing that his first night sleeping in a bed in ages was going to be spent uncomfortable as shit in it.

He glanced back across the darkened hallway to her room.

Just past the candle she had set on her own side table, Daryl could clearly make out that the girl was laying there curled up in her coverlet staring back over at him. He turned away, having meant what he said about shutting down whatever this thing was that was churning insistently between them. Now all he had to do was hammer it into his brain that it was what he wanted and what was ultimately the best for the both of them.

It wasn't her age that was the problem… hell, it wasn't even the fact that she was a virgin. It was the goddamn all encompassing sense of responsibility he felt – to Rick, Maggie, to her father, even to Beth herself… all dredged with the overwhelming guilt he would feel if he betrayed their trust… trust he worked damn hard to earn. Both were sentiments that would likely crush him if he gave into the base line impulses that were hell bent and determined to test his resolve, and all of it weighed upon him heavily.

In his peripherals, he saw Beth blow out her candle, plunging her room into darkness despite the rest of the candles that still flickered softly in the hallway. Daryl couldn't help thinking it had been done as though she'd been able to inexplicably read his thoughts. Looking for a degree of closure himself, he lay there for a while mentally attempting to do the same, trying his damndest to extinguish any beacon of light she could possibly represent to him.

Stubbing out his cigarette, Daryl sighed resignedly into the coolness of the room, too fucking tired to try to apply the sheer grit and determination necessary to stand by his convictions. Not helping was the fact that his mind kept drifting back to the taste of the girl as it lingering in his mouth, the shy undulation of her hips against him as her body unknowingly searched for what it had never felt before...

Starting to get irritated, Daryl rolled over and determinedly closed his eyes. For reasons he preferred not to think about, he chose to leave his candle burning.

….

**Thank you for reading "What Still Lies Ahead" as always. Posting Chapter 22 means that I just finished Chapter 27 and I really like where I'm heading so far. From the comments that I'm reading, I see that some of you are worried about just how faithful I will be to the plot line of "Alone" and all I can say is that you'll just have to trust me. This whole endeavor started out as a way to expand upon my favorite episode (''Still'') and I honestly never thought I would actually make it this far. I have your comments and encouragements to thank for proving me wrong. Now that we have reached the events of "Alone'', nothing has changed for me. I still only see lots of room to fill out what transpired during the episode, places I can give it new life or take it in a different direction. Action, dialog and sexual interplay… all will all be a part of it. Some things will stay the same… but some will excitingly change. I hope you'll stick with me to find out!**


	23. Chapter 23

…... Chapter 23 ….

Daryl turned and faced the horde of walkers closing in on him as he had so many times before, not surprised in the slightest to see many of the usual suspects lumbering through the haze towards him. There was that one he had decapitated at the CDC, still especially gory. Beside it was the one he had killed on the bridge while helping out that Mexican family, its head crushed to the point of being barely recognizable as a body part. Making his way between them was Patrick, the infected kid from the prison that had been the catalyst that led to the fall of the place. He was leading multiple faceless ones in bright orange jumpsuits. And last but not least… Sophia, glaring at him accusingly.

Wait… there was another one coming from behind the little girl, one that was new to the reoccurring nightmare Daryl had suffered through more times than any one person should. Straining to see past the murky masses before him, he waited nervously to find out who the newcomer was all while dreading the impending guilt trip it was undoubtedly going to bring with it.

The walker slowly came into view and Daryl took a step back when he saw it was that fat piece of shit Harley from the supply run in Barnesville. With a bolt still protruding from his back, his face was blackened with decay but for some reason he was grinning like a deranged lunatic. It didn't take Daryl long to see the reason why.

Getting dragged in the bastards wake was Beth, still alive and kicking as she cried out against the grip the dead rapist had on her. Daryl could only watch in a surreal daze as every walker surrounding him also turned to stare at the nightmare within a nightmare that was unfolding in front of them all. In a gut wrenching twist to the norm, the horde began wandering off to converge on the girl as well, leaving him standing there with his heart thudding in his chest and his feet rooted to the floor.

Finding himself left behind, unable to move and with no weapon to speak of, he tried like hell to draw their attention back to him, yelling at them with everything he had despite the fact that he couldn't hear a fucking thing.

Struggling futilely, Beth disappeared down amongst them and the all encompassing fear Daryl felt at seeing her do so caused him to surge out of the nightmare in a full blown panic…

''Daryl! I'm right here!'' Her voice echoed through the blood that was now roaring in his ears, ''Wake up!''

Panting in the aftermath, Daryl sat there, doused in his own sweat and completely disorientated. His chest heaving painfully, he tried to find his bearings in the unfamiliar setting, pulling a calming breath if only to slow the furious racing of his heart. With her voice lingering in his consciousness, he could only surmise that Beth was somewhere close by so he forced himself to find her if only to reassure himself that it had all just been another shitty bad dream. She was sitting on his bed, having obviously rushed into his room as soon as she heard the unintentional commotion he'd been making. Even with the lone candle illuminating her face, it still took him a moment to actually register that she was none the worse for wear, something that couldn't be said for himself.

Slumping back against the headboard, Daryl pressed his damp palms to his brow, applying pressure as though it could somehow erase what he had just witnessed.

_''Fuck!''_ He snarled in frustration, unable to help himself.

His heart continuing to beat erratically at his ribs, he sat there for a moment, staring off unseeingly to the dark corners of the room. As he did so, he seriously wondered if this bullshit was going to continue indefinitely because he was beyond sick and goddamn tired of it.

Beth hovered on the edge of the bed and waited out his anger. When she was fairly sure he wouldn't bite her head off for having the sheer audacity to inquire, she finally mustered the nerve to ask, ''Are you alright?''

His natural inclination to respond with _'Do I look fuckin' alright?'_ was quelled when he saw that she seemed genuinely concerned. Not wanting to take his ire out on her, Daryl just released a deep breath and nodded sullenly. Now that he was awake and fully cognizant to the fact that she was sitting there and staring at him worriedly, he couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed that she of all people had just witnessed what he had always tried so hard to keep suppressed. Not wanting her sympathy or her compassion, he braced his shoulders defensively in anticipation of dealing with either.

If the girl noticed his guarded stance, she didn't show it. Instead, she seemed reassured that the incident was over enough to feel comfortable collapsing back on his bed in relief. ''Oh my god! I heard you from my room.'' She breathed, putting her hand to her chest as she stared up at the ceiling. ''You were yelling my name and I thought something was wrong.''

''Yeah, well… it's over now.'' He groused, wanting nothing more then for that to actually be the case.

Considering any conversation that needed to be had about it over now as well, Daryl waited for her to get up and leave so he could attempt to go back to sleep. Yeah right, like that was going to fucking happen. After the ordeal the nightmare had just wrung him through, he honestly didn't know if he'd be able to ever sleep again.

Beth rolled onto her side and regarded him, propping her head up on her hand. ''Do you want to talk about it?''

''No."

Her eyes dropped to the old comforter she was laying on as her nails picked unassumingly at a random thread. ''That's… not the first nightmare you've had, is it?'' She asked quietly.

Finding the subdued moment more calming than he cared to admit, Daryl could feel his body slowly easing back into the semblance of normalicy. She was laying across from him and now that he was finally able to move past the residual effects of the nightmare, he noticed that her hair was down and flowing onto the bed covers. Watching the candlelight play in its length, Daryl leaned back against the headboard and just shook his head.

Beth gave an understanding smile, not needed him to explain the muted response further.

''I get them too.'' Her gaze stayed focused on the mindless task her fingers were preoccupying themselves with rather than chance losing herself in the details of the recollection itself. ''I'm usually locked in my daddy's barn with my mom and my brother. They see me and… well, let's just say it doesn't end good.''

She looked up, hesitant to ask but doing so anyway. ''What's… yours about?''

''Nothin' I wanna talk about.'' Daryl muttered more gruffly than he intended. He immediately felt guilty as shit when a completely discouraged look swept over her face. Christ, he could be such an prick.

''Oh… ok.'' She swallowed, pushing herself off his bed now that he had given her no reason to stay. ''Well, I guess I'll leave you alone then.''

Daryl sighed resignedly. Beth was almost out of the room when he found himself saying, ''Tha walkers I've killed.'' He glanced over to where she was hovering in the doorway, ''They all wanna piece a' me… an' most times they get it.''

He paused for a moment, not really that surprised that he didn't want her to go. ''You ain't gotta leave… jus' ain't used ta talking 'bout it with anyone is all.''

Beth nodded and tentatively came back into the room. She sat back down next to him on the edge of the bed, so close that Daryl had to shift himself over to make some room for her. Glancing back over her shoulder at him, she whispered, ''Was I a walker in your nightmare? You said my name.''

''Nah… but you were there.'' He said, equally as quietly. The candlelight highlighting her features forced him have to look away just so he could continue. ''Instead of comin' after me as they usually do, they went after you 'an I couldn't get to ya in time.'' Caught up in the remembrance of it, Daryl subconsciously looked over at the Horton laying next to him on the bed. ''I don't know… it's tha first time you've ever really shown up in one an' I reckon I didn't like it.''

With the admission hanging between them, his gaze met hers as she said assuredly, ''It's probably a good thing that it was only a dream then. Besides, you always get to me on time. Of course, you're not always happy about it, but I always trust that you'll come for me.''

Daryl gave a single shrug, for once not completely uncomfortable being told such a thing. ''Yeah, well… Guessin' I ain't got much choice in tha matter. Kinda used ta havin' ya around.''

Beth smiled at the begrudgingly spoken response. Daryl's gaze dropped to her mouth and the last fleeting remnants of the nightmare faded from his mind. It was replaced instead by the memory of her being underneath him, leaving him wondering what was it about the girl that kept drawing him back to her. He had been with a lot of girls before the world went to hell, none of them much worthy of a second thought. Having the bar of his expectations set so disparagingly low, he'd be straight lying to himself if he said that the growing attraction between himself and Beth wasn't confusing the shit out of him.

From next to him, Beth shifted nervously under his silent regard, her lower lip finding its way to wedge apprehensively between her teeth for lack of anything else better to do. Blaming the dimly lit stillness that surrounded them, Daryl found himself asking the one thing he swore up and down that he wouldn't even vocalize, only because he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear her response to it either way.

''Did ya mean what ya said before? 'Bout… what happened between us, wanting it ta happen again?''

Her eyes widened, the question seeming to be the last thing she expected to hear from him. Taking a moment to think about it, she finally managed to say, ''I'd… like for it to. I mean, I don't know… you said it wasn't going to and I guess I believed you. Why? Isn't... that what you want?''

Daryl pushed himself up, his new position placing him in such close proximity of her that she gasped involuntarily at the suddenness of it. The unintended reaction of her lips parting caught his attention.

''Don't think ya wanna know what I want.'' He drawled, his fingers skimming lightly over her jaw before sliding around the back of her neck. He pulled her in close only to stop when his mouth was within mere inches of hers.

The girl hesitated just enough for him to feel the throbbing pulse just under her ear skyrocket beneath his thumb. Accepting the subtle challenge in his eyes, she tentatively closed the distance between them, her mouth softly pressing against his own. With her giving him her consent Daryl took it as such, nudging her lips apart to give himself the access he was demanding. Beth gave a breathy little moan against him as he deepened the kiss. Finding the sound sexy as hell, he delved further inside, his fingers sinking into her hair as he kissed her thoroughly. She tasted just as fucking good as she had before, only this time was made somehow sweeter by the fact that she had conceded to him immediately, just as he had wanted her to.

Her arms wrapping around his neck, Beth surged on to him, straddling him on the bed before Daryl even knew that she planned on doing so. Now laying under her, he could hear his conscious attempt to remind him that he was doing nothing but confirming himself to be a bullshit liar. As her tongue heatedly engaged with his own, it wasn't hard at all to ignore the guilty feelings. What the two of them were doing just may be all manner of wrong but the feel of her responding to him so enthusiastically had put him way past the point of giving a shit.

Daryl settled back onto the pillow and let her try her hand at taking over, forcing himself to keep his hands in safe places as her small breasts dragged against him. With her silky hair falling down around them both, Beth arched against him as he traced his hands purposefully down her back to wrap them firmly around the curve of her ass. Gripping her tight, he let her kiss him until he was all but grinding the raging hard-on she was causing insistently between her legs, the calloused fingers at her hips holding her to him so he could wedge himself snugly against the heated center of her.

When confronted with the hardened evidence of his arousal, Beth pulled back nervously, a flush of color staining her skin. His eyes following its path, Daryl didn't need the instincts that came naturally to him as a hunter to know that his fervent reaction had scared her, the air surrounding her now tense body was practically humming with it. Seeing the chances of anything further happening between them diminish before his eyes, Daryl felt his erection begin to follow, unable to get past the fact that he would never make her do something she wasn't completely comfortable in doing.

With a defeated sigh, his fingers tightened in the denim at her waist before he lifted her from on top of him, depositing her back to her original position on the bed.

Looking at him with a mixture of breathless confusion and innocent lust, she put on a brave face enough to ask, ''What's… the matter? Did I do something wrong?''

Daryl ran his hand down his face and purposely shoved himself off the bed. He wasn't mad about the situation but he sure as hell wasn't happy about it either. It wasn't her fault by any means but he couldn't help but feel that he had compromised what he had been so goddamn adamant about only to not have it play out like he wanted. It was doing nothing for him except making him feel like a grudgy asshole.

''Nah,'' He muttered, shoving his arms into his jacket so he could go have a smoke and beat himself up about it some more. ''Ain't you. It's fine… ya didn't do nothin' wrong.''

Beth sat on the edge of the mattress, obviously not getting it. ''Then… what?'' She insisted, her fingers twisting into the coverlet, ''Don't you want to kiss me?''

Daryl sighed again, unable to help it. ''Nah, it ain't that… an' you already know it ain't. Jus' still don't think it's a good idea is all''

''Why not?'' She asked indignantly, her inexperience in such matters blinding her to the fact that she probably wasn't going to like his answer. ''You were obviously fine with it a few moments ago.''

Just because it was the truth, it was the absolute last thing that Daryl wanted to hear. The surge of irritation it caused quickly coalesced with all the other prevalent emotions running rampant through his system. As much as that may be the case, right now all he wanted to do was go outside and bury his feelings about the whole situation next to the rest of the shit he preferred to suppress.

Knowing that the sexual tension running rampant between them mixing with his anger would only spell bad news for them both, Daryl found himself dishing out the hardened dose of reality that she was unknowingly chomping at the bit to hear.

''Ya wanna know why not? 'Cause you're a virgin, that's why not… an' you obviously ain't ready for what kissin' leads to. As much as you may want me ta be, I ain't one of your boy toys that would be ok with just gettin' ta kiss ya and leavin' it at that jus' 'cause ya say so. I'm gonna want more… a lot more. More than you're willing ta give, that's for damn sure.''

Despite the adamance of his tone, Beth still managed to say for herself, ''That's not fair, you can't know that.''

Daryl was almost at the door to the room when he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. His eyes narrowed in on her through the hair that hung in his face, ''Can't I? What, you tellin' me that you're ready ta go all the way with me? Ta have me be ya first? 'Cause if ya are, I'll strip ya down right here, right now and have ya naked an' panting beneath me before ya finish givin' tha word. Is that what you're sayin' ta me?''

Caught in his crosshairs, Beth could only stutter, ''Yes!...No… I don't know ok!?''

''Yeah… Well, I done reckoned as much.'' Daryl sniffed knowingly, pulling the pack of smokes from his jacket pocket to pull one out.

Pretty damn sure the situation had spiraled past the point of no return, he stopped in the doorway before heading down the stairs. ''While you figure that shit out, know this… I want ya so much I can barely stand my fuckin' self. There ain't a damn thing about ya that doesn't make me wanna be inside 'a you… Is that what ya lookin' ta hear? When you're ready for that, then we can resume tha kissin' thing because otherwise, I ain't doin' nothin' but torturing myself an' that shit stops now.''

Leaving her alone in the room, Daryl shoved the cigarette into his mouth and used the flame from the lighter that lit it to find his way back down the stairs. Crossing the lobby, he checked between the slats covering the front door windows before heading outside. Once there, he leaned against the wood paneling on the side of the house and pulled on the smoke, staring out sullenly into the darkness of the cemetery the whole time he did so.

His parting shot had been a low blow, one she hadn't necessarily deserved. The shock value of it had only been intended to draw his line in the sand and now that he had, there was nothing left to do but to hope that she wouldn't cross it. Still, the blatant sexual nature of it had been heavy handed and Daryl was now left wishing he hadn't thrown in her face like it was some kind of ultimatum. The whole damn thing had come out fucked up, the heatedly spoken words not helped at all by his general tendency to be a dick when things didn't go his way.

He could blame himself all he wanted but what other choice did he have? He had no experience dealing with virgins and she had none at all. Despite the fact that she could kiss like she had been put on this earth to do so, it was obvious that none of her teenage boyfriends had ever made it any further than that. The girl had climbed on top of him with intentions she hadn't been able to follow through with and that was no fault of her own. She may have started them on this path they were on but tonight he was the one that walked it, having already known he was going to kiss the hell out of her the moment she came back into the room.

It wasn't fair to either of them and the last thing Daryl wanted to do was pressure her into something she wasn't ready for. The innocent trepidation in her eyes had been like a slap in the face, reaffirming to him that of the two of them only he had the fortitude to stop this thing before it ran away with itself. Bottom line, he knew better… anything that happened between them from this point on would be on him. As much as he wanted her, Daryl didn't know if he was ready for the damndable guilt that would come along with it.

Feeling about as resolved with the situation as he could be, Daryl finished his cigarette and crushed the glowing butt beneath his boot. The air around him was so quiet and still it was starting to become unnerving. The thick layer of dark clouds blanketing the sky warned of an impending storm heading their way, the damp chill on the air indicating its arrival causing the hair on the back of his neck to lay awkwardly against his skin.

Huffing a cold breath, Daryl stood there for a moment and buried his hands in his pockets. It didn't take him long to realize that the only reason he was still hanging around outside freezing his ass off was because he was apprehensive at the possibility of finding the girl still in his bed waiting for him. Calling himself out for being a chickenshit, he squared his shoulders and went back inside the house, making a point to lock the door silently behind him.

Once upstairs, any trepidation he had that Beth would be there waiting to ambush him proved itself to be unfounded, the candle left burning on his nightstand illuminating the fact that his room was empty. Looking across the hallway, Daryl saw the door to her room was closed. The symbolism of it wasn't lost on him and despite having told her earlier to leave it open, he chose it in his own best interests to just let it go.

Realizing that he was hovering outside her room, he went back to his own and slumped back down next to the Horton, the springs of the bed creaking under his weight. Stuck between staying awake and dwelling pointlessly on what happened or going to sleep and having another shit poor sorry nightmare, Daryl lay there in limbo wishing that he didn't have to do either. Some time later, just staring disappointedly at the shadows created by the flickering candle made up his mind for him, lulling him off to sleep where the only thing that came to him had luminous blue eyes and long honey blonde hair.

….

**Thanks as always for reading and following this story. I loved writing this chapter just for the angsty aspect of it! Reviews and comments are always welcome and appreciated.**


	24. Chapter 24

…. Chapter 24 …...

A loud clap of thunder boomed overhead and it was all it took to jerk Beth awake with a start. She lay there for a moment, her hand at her chest as if holding it there could stop her heart from furiously pounding at her ribs. As the clamorous rumbling it left behind faded off into the distance, she forced herself to draw a slow even breath as she looked around the unfamiliar room she was in. With the dim morning light illuminating everything she had missed the night before, the space look unnervingly different. It took a moment before the disorientation that came from waking up so fast receded enough to where she was finally able to remember where she was.

Beth didn't need the tangle of blankets she was caught up in to let her know that she had slept like crap, the achiness in her back and shoulders immediately informing her of the fact as soon as she tried to free herself from their jumbled mess. Giving up, she slumped back down onto the pillow, feeling like the night had been spent with rocks in her stomach. Unable to place the reason why, she lay there staring unseeingly at the ceiling while she mentally scrolled through the previous days events. As the rain pelted at the boarded windows outside, it didn't take long for everything to fall disparagingly into place.

What had transpired in Daryl's room instantly and unequivocally overshadowed everything else and Beth pulled a sharp breath as it unwittingly played out again in her mind.

Oh god! That had actually happened!

With the recollection of it now coming back to her, she pulled the covers over her head with a groan, barely able to believe the unfortunate interaction had actually occurred and wasn't just the bad dream she had wished it was. The whole incident had spiraled ridiculously out of control, so quickly in fact that she had lain awake stewing about it for hours. The overwhelming exhaustion she had already been laboring under was quick to blow it out of proportion and the result had been a restless sleep that had her tossing and turning most of the night.

She resurfaced from the comforter and pushed the tangle of hair from her eyes. As easy as it would be to rehash the encounter over and over again in her mind, Beth recognized the pointlessness of it. The outcome would remain the same. What was done was done, and to ensure she didn't lay there dwelling miserably upon it she pushed herself out of the bed.

Sitting in the rooms only chair to put her boots back on, Beth couldn't help but wonder what the previous nights events meant for the two of them now. Was Daryl mad at her? At the situation itself? Had he meant what he said about not kissing her until she was ready to take things further? How was she supposed to know if she was ready unless he kissed her? There were so many unanswered questions floating around in her mind that she was surprised that she had been able to get any sleep at all.

Wincing as she shoved her foot into the left boot, Beth pulled it off so she could gingerly lift the edge of the bandage Daryl had wrapped around her ankle to check on the injury. Even in the dimness of the room she could see the large ugly bruise that bled from under the wrapping. Gritting her teeth at the sight of it, she slowly flexed the swollen joint only to find that her range of motion was practically none existent. Tossing the boots aside, she gave up. With it raining like it was, it wasn't like she was going anywhere anyway.

Carefully opening her bedroom door, Beth looked across the hall to find Daryl's room empty, his bed looking nowhere near as slept in as her own. Barefoot, she ventured downstairs only to find that he wasn't there either. She stood alone in the lobby and looked around, her brows drawn in confusion. The entire house was unnervingly quiet, the only exception being the torrential downpour outside that pounded incessantly at the shingles of the roof.

Wait a minute… he wasn't so mad that he would just up and leave her here alone, was he?

Opening the front door, she stepped out onto the porch that ran the length of the house and immediately noticed the string of hubcaps and empty cans that ran between the posts. The makeshift warning system had gone up without her knowledge and her growing trepidation wasn't helped at all for seeing it. As the rain tinkled at the hanging metal, Beth has to make a determined effort to silence the paranoid voice in her head. She could do without thinking that such a thing would be completely unnecessary if Daryl planned on being there to deal with any walker threats to the house himself.

Leaning against the porch rail, she stared out to the cemetery beyond, the heavy rain making the already bleak landscape even more depressing than it already was. Beth couldn't believe that Daryl would opt to go out in such conditions rather than just stay and face her, and surmised that it said something about the man and his own particular mentality that he would choose to do so. After all, he was the one that initiated the kiss last night, despite all of his adamance and stubbornness to the contrary. He was probably out there in the storm somewhere, wandering around feeling resentful and pissed off about it, to the point that he'd rather just stay out there and make himself ill than face any potential fallout that could have been avoided if he had just kept his word.

Not that she had minded that he broken it... in fact she had been thrilled. Daryl wasn't one to change his mind once he set it and as he had closed in on her, it had seemed as though he had wanted her to change it for him. The stirring excitement invoked by the subtle challenge in his eyes had caused her surge onto him, unable to help herself. From there she had kissed him with all that she had, reveling as his hands had tangled in her hair to hold her still for his mouth. With the blood in her veins quickening, it had been all too easy to lose herself in the heart pounding moment.

At least that had been the case right up until his equally fiery reaction quickly reminded her that this was no awkward teenage encounter that she was engaging in. A man full grown, Daryl had assertively responded to the nearness of her body as such, pressing his erection against her intimately. The soft folds protected by her jeans had yielded to him instinctually as he manipulated her hips to forcibly stroke her center against him. The surge of pleasure and pain caused by the friction had unnerved her, making her realize that it was the furthest she had ever gone with a guy. For all of Beth's previous encounters, none had ever ventured past the point of kissing, despite the fact that both Jimmy and Zack had tried. What was it about Daryl that made her lose the control that she had relied upon so heavily in the past?

In the end, it hadn't mattered. He had seen right through her trepidation and had called her out on it as was his nature. As he stalked away, the sexual connotations of his words had hung on the air behind him, quickly coalescing with the heated ache his body against hers had left behind as well. With little choice in the matter, Beth had sat there reeling in his wake with her heart hammering in her chest. Daryl had made it clear that he was shutting down this thing that stormed between them, feeling the need to do so in the most contentious way possible. His parting shot had been like a punch in the gut, only adding to the frustration Beth already felt at the fact that her mind was obviously not ready for what her young body was teeming for.

Back in the present, the remembrance of the amazing kiss they had shared merged with the cold damp air around her, causing Beth to shiver as she pushed herself away from the rail to go back inside. The storm that blanketed the area was only getting worse and the two of them were fortunate to have come across this place when they had. Locking the door behind her, she wandered around aimlessly for a while, making a point to avoid any room that still had a dead body lying in it. Digging through in the kitchen upstairs, she found a stash of food that had been left by the previous tenants – canned goods, peanut butter, bottles of water and a few other things. As long as they rationed it carefully, the score could last them for as long as they chose to stay.

Having not eaten in a while, Beth grabbed a jar of the peanut butter along with a spoon and continued looking around while she picked at it. The hours slowly passed as she completely explored the house, finding nothing really of interest other than an old console piano that was collecting dust in one of the viewing rooms. Running her fingers gently down the keys, Beth was overwhelmed by the recollections of the one she had just like it in her mothers sewing room. Feeling the tears well in her eyes, she snapped the lid shut.

In an effort to keep herself busy, she gathered all of the medical supplies she could find in a basket. When the two of them did finally decided to leave this place, they would take with them what they needed. Until then she figured it best to consolidate everything she found in the upstairs bathroom where it would at least be easily accessible.

Sitting on the hamper there, she changed the dressing on her ankle, relieved that the swelling had subsided somewhat and she was finally able to get her boots back on. She then unpacked the travel kits from the backpack so she could clean herself up using a bucket of cold rainwater she had collected from outside. As Beth brushed her teeth, thoughts of Daryl came back to her, not that they were ever that far away to begin with. She couldn't help but worry about the fact that he hadn't come back yet. It went without saying that the storm brewing outside was doing nothing to alleviate the dread she was feeling about the fact that it would be dark soon. Something could've happened to him and not only would she never know it, but she'd be stuck there in the large cavernous house all by herself.

Determined to not cave into her fear, Beth was in the process of collecting everything she needed to light a small fire in the fireplace when the detection system Daryl had set up outside begin to clang insistently over the thunder that rumbled above. Her heart dropped to her stomach. Pulling her knife, she silently made her way to the front door to peer between the wooden slats that covered the window in it.

Sure enough, there was a walker there tangled up in the thing. The constant rain had bleached its skin to a ghostly grey and its clothes were plastered to its bloated decaying frame as it wrestled with the string. In the distance she could see another one lumbering its way towards the house, the metallic banging of the hubcaps drawing it over like a moth to the flame.

Beth opened the door and ran out onto the porch, quickly realizing that the discordant commotion would be the equivalent of a dinner bell to any other strays that happened to be roaming the area.

Completely preoccupied, the one in the trap didn't see her knife as she took it down cleanly through the ear, the string it was ensnarled in snapping immediately as its body tumbling down the steps in a shower of car parts and cans. Beth looked through the rain to see the other one still heading over, decidedly undeterred by the lack of noisy enticement. With no other choice she went out to meet it, not wanting to take the chance that others might see it and decide to investigate.

Getting completely soaked, Beth tightened her grip on her knife as it ambled closer. The weather made the large male look more ghastly than usual and she swallowed her trepidation as she prepared to engage it. As was its nature, it lunged at her and she swept under it arm to sink her knife into the back of its head, finding the best spot to do so immediately this time. The tangle of her fingers in its hair took her down to the ground with it and Beth found herself straddling its back as she leaned down heavily on the blade, gritting her teeth with the effort it was taking to impale the thing beneath her weight. The walker clawed at the puddle they both were struggling in until finally, it moved no more.

Beth yanked her knife free and allowed herself a brief moment to let the relief flow over her along with the deluge of cold rain. Pushing the wet hair from her eyes, she squinted through the downpour to check for any other unnatural movement in the area only to see another silhouetted figure stumbling its way through the cemetery towards her. Still panting from the previous exertion, she pushed herself unsteadily to her feet, the dire warning that several walkers tended to precursor a horde ringing nervously in her ears.

The blurry figure limping its way closer had a crossbow dangling from its hand and Beth felt her breath hitch painfully in her throat as her heart ceased to function. Her eyes straining to peer past the gloom, she stepped forwards to see Daryl emerge from the haze, his face a picture of exhausted determination. His free hand was clutching his side and he had a number of nasty cuts that were bleeding profusely despite the rainwater that seemed determined to wash the evidence of them away.

Beside herself with relief that he wasn't a walker, Beth ran over only to find that he looked even worse close up. ''Oh my god! Daryl...''

''What tha hell ya doin' out here?'' He grumbled, like it mattered in the slightest.

Pointedly ignoring him, she picked up the crossbow from where it was practically dragging on the ground and slung it haphazardly over her shoulder. Surprisingly, he chose not to fight her on it, immediately relinquishing his grip on the weapon to let his arm hang freely at his side. Still being Daryl though, he unsurprisingly refused any help further than that, shrugging her off to limp away on his own. With the rain pummeling at them relentlessly, Beth followed him back to the house, lingering behind far enough to give him the space he felt that he needed while trying to stay close by, just in case he keeled over due to his own hard headed stubbornness.

Once back in the house, Daryl's natural inclination to crash down heavily upon the reception room couch was prevented when Beth veered him off at the pass.

''No.'' She said firmly, trying to infuse as much authority as she could into the simple command. ''Upstairs so I can take a look at you.''

''Told ya, don't need ya help,'' He muttered, applying the last remnants of his willpower to traverse himself up the stairs anyway. ''Can take care of it on my own.''

From behind him, Beth sighed before asserting calmly, ''I'm sure you can but you don't have too. Looking at the blood I can see from here, you're going to need stitches. I can do that. Luckily, everything I need is already in the bathroom... all you have to do is walk into it and let me.''

Not saying a word, Daryl headed into the bathroom. Beth followed in behind him, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the fact that the man had to be reasoned with at all. She set the crossbow against the wall, vaguely noticing that the bolt holder on it was empty. Daryl slumped down on the same hamper where she had sat earlier and shrugged off his vest and jacket, gritting his teeth with the effort required. As he did so, Beth took a quick moment to sweep her hair from her face and pull off the saturated sweater she was in as well. Left shivering in just a tank top, she tossed it down on top of his stuff, the pile of soaking wet clothes accumulating on the floor creating a puddle underneath them that couldn't be helped.

Kneeling at his side, she began peeling back Daryl's wet clothes so she could start assessing the damage. It didn't take long to find out that the man was a mess. He had a fair number of cuts and abrasions, the worst being a deep one in his side that was now steadily pooling blood onto the linoleum. Beth winced and glanced up at him with the full intention of asking him what the hell had happened, only to pause when she saw that his eyes were closed.

''Daryl…'' She urged, needing him not to lose consciousness as he sat there. ''Daryl!''

He groaned noisily before snapping out, ''Christ sakes… _what?!_''

Beth drew a calming breath, desperately trying to convince herself that his orneriness was due to the pain he was in and not just because he was purposely trying to be rude. ''I need you to stay awake! Can you do that?''

''Do I have a fuckin' choice in tha matter?'' He ground out harshly, glaring down at her from under the wet hair that was still plastered to his forehead.

Quickly realizing what kind of patient he was going to be, she glared right back up at him. ''Yeah actually, you do. You can sit there, go into shock and let your blood pressure bottom out or you can quit with the crappy attitude and help me help you!'' She crossed her arms as they faced off against each other. ''There's always a choice in the matter so feel free to make yours now.''

Her tone not brokering any argument, Daryl huffed irritably before conceding, ''Goddamn… Fine! I'm awake!''

Squaring her shoulders, Beth took a moment to mentally shake herself free of the frustration she had with him so she could get to work creating a makeshift prep station at his side just like her father had taught her to do in such situations. She finished the set up by pouring two bottles of water into a large bowl and soaking some washcloths in it. The gloominess of the storm howling overhead made the small room too dim to see by, so thinking quickly, Beth gabbed as many candles as she could carry from the hallway and set them on every available surface in the bathroom. Picking up Daryl's jacket from the floor, she dug in its pocket for his lighter, wishing more than anything that she could just get started with the daunting task in front of her already…

''That there's stealin' ya know…''

Completely focused on lighting the candles, Beth looked over to see him staring at her from where he sat slumped against the wall. His eyes were glossy with pain but at least the teasing tone of his voice indicated that his general disposition had improved somewhat. She was also glad to see that he was at least making a discerned effort to do as she asked. Both factors were going to make the next few hours of her life a hell of a lot easier.

''It's not like you're in much of a state to do anything about it even if it was.'' Beth said, returning to kneel back at his side.

Daryl had his hand pressed tightly to his wound in an effort to minimalize the bleeding and setting the last candle down next to him, she peeled his fingers away so she could take a closer look at it. He tried to suppress a hiss of pain as she felt around it gingerly. The bleeding had slowed somewhat but it still needed to be cleaned and stitched. Upon seeing another dark red stain blooming at his chest, Beth realized that his shirt may be hiding several more just like the one she was looking at, ones that may also require the same level of attention. In order for her to know for sure, it needed to go.

Hesitating, Beth glanced up at him nervously. This was no time for delicate sensibilities.

''Umm… I have to… uh, take your shirt off so I can see what I'm doing…'' She stammered, praying that the candlelight nearby hid the fact that her face felt like it was on fire.

''That so.'' Daryl said, the corner of his mouth smirking up. ''Ain't ya supposed ta buy me dinner or somethin' first?''

Having been fully prepared to fight with him about it, the welcomed attempt at humor instantly put her more at ease. Considering the unexpected wisecrack to be his consent, she bit at her lower lip before saying with no small degree of regret, ''The easiest way would be to just cut it off… is that ok?''

Daryl nodded resignedly, probably from having expected such a predicament to arise. Pulling her knife, Beth began carefully cutting his shirt from his body, only stopping to press a piece of the wet fabric against the other deep wound she had seen on his chest. Daryl remained still for the most part, wincing now and then as he looked everywhere but at her directly. Beth could tell he was uncomfortable but there was nothing that could be done about it. She was still surprised that he was even conceding to letting her do what needed to be done to begin with.

With the garment in a tattered pile on the floor, Beth picked up the tweezers and began carefully cleaning the wounds, starting with the big one on his side first.

''Tell me what happened.'' She demanded quietly, figuring it as good a time as any to get him to do so since they were going to be there a while.

''Now?'' He rasped out between his gritted teeth as she dug out a particularly painful piece of debris.

She dropped the large wooden splinter down amongst the pieces of fabric laying at her knees before looking up at him. ''You got something better to do?''

''Yeah," Daryl muttered, "...pass tha hell out an' pretend like none 'a this ever fuckin' happened.''

Beth let him stew on it for a moment. As he did so, she concentrated on carefully flushing out the nasty laceration gouged into his side with the clean water. This was going to be her only chance at making sure it didn't give him a life threatening infection and she wanted to make sure that she got everything removed from it that shouldn't be there.

Daryl slid his arm under his head in an effort to keep the limb from hindering what she was trying to do. He settled his head back on it and released a deep breath as he stared off unseeingly to the other side of the small room. Still waiting, Beth glanced up to see that the ambiance of the flickering candlelight and her ministrations had seemingly put him in a fatigue induced trance.

''Don't know… What can I say other than this whole fuckin' day's been 'bout on par with what we're doin' right now. Couldn't sleep last night so I figured I'd go out an' kill somethin'.'' He indicated to the rain outside with a tilt of his chin, ''Jus' ended up gettin' caught out in this shit instead.''

He winced when another large splinter was removed. ''Anyways… things went from bad ta worse when I ran into a group of walkers out by that ravine… you remember it don't ya? Tha one you an' me got ta talkin' next to while we was on our way here?''

Beth thought about it a moment and then nodded when it came to her. She dropped the bloody washcloth she was using into the bucket of rainwater she had brought in from outside, making sure to only use the bottled water to clean the wound for fear of bacteria. The progress she had made so far had caused a fine layer of sweat to materialize on his skin and he swiped it from his face before continuing.

''Yeah, well… none ta say, didn't take too damn long ta run outta bolts an' what was left of them bastards closed in on me before I knew it.''

Beth listened as she worked, glad he was preoccupied with his story enough to not move around too much. For her part, she was struggling to thread the needle in her hand. The narrative he was regaling her with was causing her heart to pound, making her lightheaded.

Daryl happened to glance down and see what she was ineptly attempting to do.

''Wait… ya know what you're doin', right?'' He asked, eyeing her skeptically.

Cursing the needles eye and the candlelight she was trying to see it by, Beth stopped what she was doing to stare at him unbelievingly, ''Isn't it a little late to be asking me that?''

''Depends on ya answer.'' Daryl muttered. ''Where'd ya learn how ta do this anyways? Ya dad?''

Beth nodded, giving a moments thanks that she had watched her father stitch up more people at the prison than she cared to remember. It was only because she had been called upon to help him in the infirmary so much that she knew exactly what she was doing now.

Finally getting the wretched thing threaded, she urged him to continue. ''So… what happened then?''

Daryl set his head back on his arm, obviously trusting that she wasn't out to kill him with her incompetence. ''What happened then is that tha goddamn ledge of tha ravine gives out under tha weight of us all… _Christ Almighty!''_ He hissed out between his teeth as the needle entered his skin. ''Ya couldn't have warned me you were 'bout ta do that?!''

Pulling the thread taunt, Beth glanced up from what she was doing. ''Did you or did you not just see me threading this thing? What did you think I was gonna do with it, sew some curtains or something?''

''Shit hurts like a son of a bitch…'' He gritted out before glancing back down to where she was concentrating on the task at hand. ''My life was a hell of a lot easier back when ya weren't so goddamn lippy, ya know that?''

''Liar.'' Beth smiled, undeterred by the begrudgingly spoken complaint as she continued suturing his skin together. She paused for a moment before saying exasperatedly, ''Are you going to finish telling me what happened or just continue to sit there and cry about this paltry scratch?''

''Pfft… scratch. Whatever… I could be dying here an' all I'm gettin' is sass…'' Daryl shook his head unbelievably. Beth tied a knot in the thread, the action seemingly prompting him to finally finish what he was saying. ''Where was I? Oh yeah, anyways… Tha ledge of tha ravine gives out, so I'm guessin' tha ground was beyond saturated 'cause all of us go careening down that fuckin' thing in a hale of mud, bouncin' off damn near every tree stump an' rock as we went… least forty feet I reckon… I don't know. Fall took out some of tha walkers an' I stayed conscious jus' long enough to take out tha rest with my knife.''

Beth's mouth fell open. ''Oh my god! You lost consciousness?''

''Yeah… Probably be dead if the slope had been dry." He ran a hand down his face, the simple motion bringing him back from the recollection. "Too much weight… somethin' had ta give.''

"What is it with you and ravines?" Beth couldn't help but ask. "Seriously, I'm starting to think you like falling into them."

Completely aware of what she was referring to but too physically and mentally depleted to respond, Daryl just shrugged, indicating that it was beyond his control.

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence after that, allowing Beth to focus back on getting the task at hand done in as quick a time as possible. At least his story explained why it was she was having to dig a ridiculous amount of wood shards from his body. Unfortunately it didn't do much to help the pang of guilt she felt that she had assumed the worst with his absence. Her worried state of mind had led her to jump to conclusions. If she had been thinking about it more clearly, she probably would've known better. It wasn't in Daryl's nature to go back on his word once he had given it and he had given it to her that they were in this together.

After badgering him to gain access to his back, Beth carefully tended the two cuts that he had there, stitching up the one while applying some antibiotic and a couple of bandages to the other. Neither one of them said anything about the long faded scars that snaked angrily down its length and that seemed to suit Daryl just fine. She couldn't help but lightly run her fingers over them though, swallowing back the heartache she felt for the child that had to endure such a thing. He tensed under her touch but didn't pull away, the muscles under his skin releasing as soon as she was done.

Looking everywhere but at her directly, Daryl settled himself back onto his arm again only to throw the other one determinedly over his face. While doing so helped substantially as she worked her way around to his other side, Beth knew it was much more likely that he was attempting to avoid the questioning look that must have been clear on her face.

With both of his arms held high and out of her way, Beth was able to finish suturing and dressing the rest of his wounds quite quickly. Mostly just lacerations and scrapes, the minor injuries he had accumulated seemed to all but confirm his theory that he just might have hit everything he could of on his way down that ravine. Despite that fact, there weren't as many of them as she'd initially thought, which at this point was a good thing for both of them.

Applying a final bandage to the last cut, Beth leaned back to critically regard her own handiwork.

Not bad… Her daddy would be proud.

Although the bruises that were starting to make themselves apparent would most likely be full fledged by the morning, she had done about all she could do tonight. Nothing was going to change the fact that he was going to be very sore in a few hours time.

Daryl still had his face buried in the crook of his elbow as he bided his time until she was done. The position had kept him completely still as he had sunk himself into whatever mental state best allowed him to withstand all of her poking and prodding. Whatever technique it was, Beth knew she wouldn't have been able to finish without it.

As a reward to herself, she let her gaze sweep past all of the work she had done to linger over the rest of his body, having never seen him shirtless before. With his arms at his head, the tension needed to hold them there had the sinew running their length pulsing. The sheen of sweat that had accumulated on his chest now ran down his abs, disappearing at the deep indentation beneath his belt. Watching it make its way, Beth felt her breath quicken in her throat. The random bandages and bruises scattered all over him did nothing to detract from the potent masculinity that made him who he was, if anything, they inexplicably seemed to enhance it.

With the small candle filled room suddenly stifling, she noisily cleared her throat.

''Ok… umm, I think that's it…'' She managed to say, causing Daryl to start at the sound of her voice cutting into the quiet.

''Ya done?'' He asked, dropping his arms back to his side and breathing a sigh of relief now that he could.

Beth sat back on her heels and nodded. As she did so she happened to glance down to see that she was a mess herself. The heat induced by the close quarters of the room had her blood and mud covered clothes sticking tackily to her skin and she had a large scrape running the length of her arm from her fight with the walker outside. Somewhat embarrassed by the state she was in, Beth tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear as Daryl shoved himself to his feet.

Running a blood stained hand down his face, he spared her a glance before muttering, ''I'm fuckin' sore as shit. Gonna go crash, sleep it off…''

With his intentions hanging in the air, he opened the bathroom door and left, the cool darkness of the hallway instantly infiltrating the sweltry space causing the candles set within it to flicker in his wake. Still kneeling on the floor, Beth looked around at the mess of bloody towels and pieces of debris strewn all about her. She was exhausted and sore herself but still had a lot to do. The bathroom was in shambles and the clothes that she needed to wear again weren't going to wash themselves. With nothing for it, she achingly pushed herself up, feeling melancholy and out of sorts for reasons she couldn't quite place.

From out of nowhere Daryl suddenly reappeared, returning to grab the Horton that was still propped precariously against the bathroom wall. With the rain still pelting at the bathroom window, Beth made a point to not look at him while he did so, not wanting him to see how ridiculously emotional she was feeling. Instead she busied herself by dumping the water in the bucket she'd been using into the bathtub, leaving it there to drain so she could clean it later.

Straightening up, she glanced back over at the doorway only to find him still standing there, looking at her. Feeling self conscious under the intensity of his regard, she dropped her gaze to the floor, wishing he would just go and do as he said.

''C'mere.'' He drawled quietly.

Beth hesitated, her brows pulling together in confusion. Why? Did she miss something? She had thought she'd been so thorough…

Subconsciously doing as he asked, she'd been about to voice the question out loud when he slid his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. Closing the slight distance between them, Daryl lowered his head and kissed her, his mouth lingering on hers just long enough to make her pulse throb to life. It was like nothing they'd ever shared before and Beth found herself clinging to him, leaning into the warmth of his bare skin as she attempted to lose herself in the achingly poignant moment. The kiss was followed by a smaller softer one before it ended as slowly as it began, her eyes drifting open to meet his.

''Jus' wanted ta say thanks.'' Was all he said in explanation, his voice low over the storm that raged outside.

Without another word, Daryl hefted the crossbow back up in his hand and went back to the darkened hallway that led to his bedroom. Beth sat down onto the hamper he had just vacated and watched him as he went, all of the sad misgivings she'd felt just a moment ago seeming to leave the room with him. Without them fueling the last of her energy, she slumped back against the wall, completely lost in thought as she gazed tiredly at the candles as their shadows flickered in the bathroom mirror.

The unexpected kiss had left her confused and aching, setting her mind and body against each other. Daryl had been so adamant against anything happening between them again that she was left wondering what could have possibly happened to change his mind. The gesture itself hadn't been ablaze with the searing intensity that seemed to run rampant between them, leaving Beth hard pressed to believe that it was done in mere gratitude. It had been alluringly intimate… sincere even, completely different than anything she would've expected from him and undoubtedly catching her off guard.

Somewhere deep within her, in a place that had previously remained untouched by all who had tried to reach it, something stirred insistently at her heart. Upon feeling it, Beth surged away from the wall with a gasp, the very thing that had caused her to do so now throbbing insistently in her chest.

She immediately submerged herself back into the chore of cleaning up the bathroom, making a determined effort to suppress the unwanted emotion as she did so. With the profound effects of it lingering, she could only pray that it wouldn't come back to haunt her again later. She would do everything in her power to make sure that it didn't, she absolutely had to…

The very last thing that she needed to do right now was to fall in love with Daryl Dixon.

…..

**I have been writing like crazy lately and have just started Chapter 30. I can't believe what a rewarding journey this has been! This was my longest chapter by far so thanks for taking the time to read it. Have a great weekend!**


	25. Chapter 25

\- Chapter 25 -

Len rolled over and agitatedly shoved his pillow back over his pounding head. He had no idea why he was even attempting to try and sleep for, it wasn't like anyone else in the house was. Even from upstairs he could hear Joe, Dan and Tony commiserating noisily in the kitchen, the whiskey flowing freely. It was almost like they hadn't come back to the house to find Lou deader than shit, lying face down in a puddle of his own drool on the bathroom floor.

With the three men downstair only getting louder, Len gave up on sleep, throwing off the pillow to go check on his injuries. With a candle reflecting into the bathroom mirror, he pressed his finger against the tenderness that lingered at the back of his head, wincing as he did so. He stuck out his tongue only to find it blackened and bruised. Upon being reminded yet again of the damage inflicted at the store, Len felt another palpable wave of anger flow through him, the vehemence of which encompassing all else that seethed below it. The rage he had was focused, it had a target… and that was the girl.

When Len had last seen her she had been struggling to climb out from underneath Harley's dead fat ass, shoving frantically at his body as the tears had run down her face. He'd barely noticed the arrow protruding from his partners back when the lights had gone out, a flash of searing pain the only precursor to the blackness that followed. Who the hell knew how long he was out of it for, laying there bleeding on the linoleum like a piece of dead meat. The others arrived by the time he'd woken up and had quickly proceeded to give him an rash of shit about the incident, like he had asked for or wanted to hear their fucking opinions about it.

Joe and Dan had plenty to say though which had pissed him off to no end. His head throbbing, Len hadn't given two shits that him and Harley were told to only grab the girl and hold her upstairs so they could draw the man out. After all, it wasn't like there was anything in that plan for him. What he wanted took precedence over any other bullshit idea fostered on him by someone else and the moment he saw the girl, he knew he wanted her.

After they had discussed the situation a hell of a lot longer than was necessary to make a goddamn decision about it, the three of them had booked ass outside only to find the LTD sitting on its fucking rims and the pair they'd been chasing nowhere in sight. Somehow, both the man and the girl had managed to disappear, the two of them vanishing into thin air like a fart in the wind.

The car being Dan's prized possession, he had been beside himself to find it in such a sorry state. That had suited Len just fine. He'd been starting to feel like he'd been the only one fucked over during the course of the night and had been happier than a pig in shit to see someone else get what was coming to them too. Looking back, he probably could've done a better job of hiding that fact.

Dan had seen right through the poorly disguised glee written all over his face and the altercation the two of them had gotten into had almost drawn the attention of the biters. Joe had stepped in and with a few scathing words managed to shut down the fight as quickly as it begun. The man had a knack for doing that. Having appointed himself as their leader, he expected what he said to be done and Len for one was starting to get mightily sick and tired of it. Despite Joe's flouncy way with words and all his talk about claiming shit, he was nothing but a sadistic asshole who just happened to think he could lord over the rest of them like someone had put him in charge. There was a lot of bullshit about them being a pack, but Len knew a lone wolf when he saw one. He often felt as though Joe would gladly set them all baying for blood against each other if he thought his status as king shit was remotely being challenged.

Dan, of course, had stepped away as told, wailing about the current state of the car like they all weren't aware of it. While he did so, Len took a closer look at the knife holes in the tires, coming to the conclusion that the deep gouges were likely done by the same asshole prick that had hit him. It had to have been him… the girl barely weighed a buck ten soaking wet and was likely in no state to perpetrate such a thing courtesy of the hefty backhand she had received.

It was decided that the three of them would hunt down a couple of tires to replace the two that had been punctured rather than trek after the man and the girl on foot. With no other choice, they had searched the stores cluttered parking lot looking for tires that matched the LTD's, creeping around the abandoned cars and tents to avoid the biters that wandered amongst them as well. Dan had whined about having to do so the whole time under his breath, bitching incessantly despite the fact that no one gave a shit. Len had been this close to knocking his ass out with the tire iron in his hand just to get him to shut the fuck up about it.

When they finally found two tires that would work, it hadn't taken long from that point to change them out for the flats. Antagonistic to a fault, Len pointed out that they wouldn't have had to of gone to all the trouble to begin with if Dan just kept spares in the trunk like a normal fucking person. While Dan hadn't appreciated hearing it, he made it clear that he didn't really care. For reasons beyond anyone, he preferred to keep the girls that they abducted back there instead, asininely insisting to anyone that rode with him that a kidnapping should feel like a kidnapping.

Putting the jack away, Joe pulled a regretful breath before announcing that he had changed his mind. They would be going back to the house to regroup with the others first before heading out to look for the couple. At the disbelieving look on Len's face, he was quick to say that they would do so at first light, when they'd have more people and they could at least see what they were doing. Besides, he was tired, and felt the need to insist that it was in all of their best interests if they went back and got some shut eye before the long day ahead.

Glaring at him like he had just lost his damn mind, Len had complained vociferously. Being the best tracker they had, he wanted to strike while the iron was hot. As of right now, the two they were after couldn't have gotten far, not with the girl in the state she was in. That wouldn't be the case come morning, the potential for tracks left behind diminishing greatly as the hours passed by.

To no one's surprise, Dan had concurred with Joe, the look on his face making it obvious that he was doing so just to be a dick. Having been over ruled by the two assholes he was with, Len had ridden back to the two story home they called camp in sullen silence, his mind seething.

They had arrived just in time to see Tony lumbering his way down the porch stairs, yelling and waving at them like the idiot he was. Len fucking hated Tony. He was a greasy fat two-bit thief with a misguided sense of self entitlement all because he had known Joe first. Initially Len had merely found him annoying, his so-called relationship with Joe the only reason he was even remotely tolerated. From there, it hadn't taken long for general dislike to turn to hatred, the man crossing a line with Len that he could never step back over.

Tony had taken a liking to some middle aged bitch Len had abducted from some family campsite and for some reason, she had latched onto him like he was the second coming of Christ. Having been the one that had to put in all the work to acquire her, Len had been pissed. Of course she had gone out the same way every other woman they took had, but Len had never forgiven or forgotten it. From that point on, he went out of his way to make Tony's life a living hell, despite the fact that Tony had apologized for the transgression more times than he cared to hear.

Watching as Tony made his way to the car, Joe had Dan roll down the drivers side car window so he could lean down and ask, ''What?''

Panting from the energy the trek required, Tony managed to gasp out, ''Y'all… see some fella out there running… down the road? The one… you were on?'' He hunched over with his hands on his knees, struggling to draw an even breath. From the back seat Len rolled his eyes. This could take all fucking day.

''Man, it's the dead of night!'' Dan said from behind the wheel, "Unless something crosses the headlights, we ain't gonna see shit. Why?''

''Some motherfucker was hiding out in one of the rooms upstairs… jumped Lou in the bathroom an' killed him.'' Hunching down, Tony peered past Dan to where Joe sat in the passenger seat. ''I was sleeping an' the noise woke me up just in time to see him jump out the window like a goddamn monkey!''

When Joe's eyes narrowed in disbelief, Tony continued emphatically, pointing to the darkened top floor of the house the car was parked in front of. ''Swear to God man, Lou's upstairs dead and that bastard killed him! Just strangled the shit out of him and took off!''

Joe got out of the car, prompting the other two men in it with him to do the same. As they did so, he leaned on the roof of the LTD and asked disbelievingly, ''When the hell did all this happen?''

''I don't know, a few hours ago.''

Len was at the back of the car unloading the haul they had scored from the store, pissed off and not giving a shit who knew it. Upon hearing Tony's answer he dropped the bag in his hand and charged out from behind the open trunk, ''_A few hours ago?! _You saw that fucker jump out the window a few hours ago and you didn't go chasing after him or nothing? What the hell _did_ you do? Wave him off with a parting gift an' thank him for his time?!''

Completely flustered, Tony managed to sputter out, ''Fuck you! Ya'll had the LTD an' the keys to the truck! What was I supposed to do, run after him on foot and get myself killed out there?''

''Considering that you 'bout keeled over from the effort needed to just get down the fucking stairs, I guess not!'' Len closed in, wishing more than anything that he could just take out all of his frustration on him with his fists. His mere presence was almost as annoying as what he had said. This whole day was just getting worse by the moment and Len was this close to a breaking point! He shoved a finger into Tony's chest and bit out, ''It's a goddamn shame though, 'cause at least then all of us could be spared your fuckin' stupidity!''

Tony slapped his hand away, his hackles rising. In an effort to defuse the tension running rampant between the two men, Joe stepped forward to cut through it quickly and decisively, bellowing over the heated aggression to ask, ''Where are the others?''

Reminded of the more pressing issue at hand, Tony stepped away, his fat face blotchy and red. Whether that was from the energy needed to spit his story out or from getting his balls busted in front of the others, Len couldn't say. Tossing a bag to Dan, he swung his own over his shoulder before slamming the trunk shut and heading into the boarded up house. He couldn't give a rats ass where the others were at. He just wanted to know what the game plan was as far as the two from the store was concerned. He had a score to settle with both of them and he was getting more and more pissed off the longer it was taking to get the situation addressed.

''I don't fuckin' know,'' Tony said indignantly from behind, ''I done told ya I was sleeping! Billy might have taken 'em hunting or they could've gone raiding that Terminus place Harley spoke of.''

Picking up the last bag Len had thrown in the dirt, Tony followed Joe and Dan up the porch stairs, wheezing slightly under the added weight. His brows drew in confusion as he looked around, ''Wait… Where is Harley? Ain't he with ya'll?''

''He was.'' Dan muttered, leaving it at that as he held open the screen door.

Len went straight upstairs, letting the others deal with Lou's dead carcass. While dressing his wounds his mind had inevitably gone back to the girl, where it chose to dwell for the next few hours at least. With her tight little body and her long blond hair, she was definitely in the upper echelons of the bitches he had come across since the turn, young and beautiful being a rarity these days. But had been the fear in her eyes that had really done it for him… as it always did.

The all encompassing terror that came over them was truly his favorite aspect of the freedom allowed him by the turn, and it made his dick hard in a way that no amount of tearful pleading ever could. That the girl had tried to hide hers had excited him immensely, but it was the fact that she was untouched that had made the moment really special. After the constant stream of used goods that came through their door, Len could practically smell it all over her. Whatever her relationship was to the man, he could only hope she stayed that way at least until he found them.

Leaving the bathroom, Len yelled down to the three men drinking that he was trying to sleep and to shut the fuck up. That was a lie. With thoughts of the girl filling the twisted recesses of his mind, he had never been more wide awake. Depraved and repugnant by nature anyway, the restless anger only darkened the path he was on, causing the wheels in his head to spin. He wasn't going to be satisfied until he found her... until he finished what he had started. She'd be his reward… his own pat on the back for killing the man she was with. Either way, both of them were gonna suffer for what they did to Harley and himself... and Len finally had an idea on how he was going to facilitate it.

…..

Daryl slowly woke from the black void that had held him in its grips and groaned in pain as his eyes attempted to adjust to the minimal light in the room. He squinted against it, the dim haze somehow piercing, and threw an arm over his face only to grit his teeth when the slight movement reminded him again of how sore he was. Feeling like hammered dog shit, he lay there for a moment, forcing his lungs to pull a slow even breath while he tried to remember where he was and what the hell had happened.

Everything felt murky and convoluted, like he had been dead to the world for a fucking week. Decidedly not helping was the headache that was now throbbed insistently at his temple, the constant pounding of which making him nauseous. He pressed his forearm to his brow in a useless effort to subdue it. The pressure was making the recollection of anything else damn near impossible, the effort it was taking to think in spite of it only making matters worse.

Trying his damndest to not just pass out again until the answer presented itself, Daryl forced himself from the bed to go take a piss, hoping that the sheer act of standing and being aware that he was doing so would help clear things up somewhat. Shoving the covers off, he paused when he looked down to find that he was only in his underwear. Confused by the fact but too fucking out of it to speculate upon it further, he grabbed his pants from where they lay at the end of the bed and put them on, sliding them over his hips to zip them but leave them unbuttoned. With his door already open, he gingerly made his way into the bathroom.

Daryl happened to glance into Beth's bedroom as he went only to see that she was still dead asleep. Sprawled out on her stomach, she had one arm thrown over her pillow and the other hanging precariously off of the side of the bed. Confounding him even more was the fact that she was only in her underwear as well. Even with his head feeling like it was in a cast iron vice, there was no mistaking the bare leg that had managed to kick itself free of the tangle of her blankets.

What the hell? What had he missed over the course of the night?

He saw her clothes drying over the bathtub as soon as he entered the bathroom, answering at least one of his questions. Next to them hung his jacket and vest, still slightly damp. There was a bucket of clean water sitting on the bathroom floor and after taking care of business, Daryl splashed some over his face in an attempt to get his shit together. As he toweled off, he studied his wounds in the mirror. For the most part they looked good, better than he expected. Some were still fairly raw, but none of them seemed to have an infection. Considering how rough the ride down the ravine had been, he guessed he considered himself fortunate.

Upon closer inspection, Daryl noticed that some of his dressings had been changed out while he had been asleep and wondered yet again just exactly how long that had been. He pulled a deep breath, resigning himself to having to ask the girl to fill in the blanks for him as much as he didn't want to. It was a damn good thing that his headache had receded enough for him to tolerate the conversation doing so would require.

Ultimately deciding that he looked about as fucking good as he felt, Daryl went back to his room. Once there, he peered through the wooden slats that covered his window. The storm covering the area still lingered heavily overhead, the grey expanse of swirling clouds telling him that the rain wasn't stopping any time soon. On his bedside table lay his knife and what was left of his cigarettes. Next to them, a half empty bottle of water and a couple of pills. Assuming the pills were for him, Daryl swallowed them dry before shoving one of the cigarettes into his mouth to light it gratefully. As he pulled the smoke into his nicotine deprived lungs, he glanced around the dimly lit room as if seeing it for the first time.

There was a stack of clothes sitting on the nearby chair and he dug through them as the cigarette hung forgotten from his lips. Finding a clean flannel in the pile, he shrugged it on over his bandages, letting it hang open loosely as he threaded his belt back onto his pants. Eyeing his mud covered boots for a moment, Daryl had a vague recollection of kicking them off in a fatigue induced stupor before crashing for the night. Still not remembering a damn thing past that, he decided to leave them there as he padded over barefooted to where Beth was still asleep in her room. It was time to get some answers because he was sick and goddamn tired of not knowing what else had transpired since their time together in the bathroom.

Feeling better than he cared to admit for being up and moving, Daryl sat down on the other side of her bed and propped his back against the old wooden headboard. As he continued smoking the cigarette, he looked over at the girl sleeping at his side. Beth hadn't moved at all the whole time he'd been shuffling noisily around the small apartment, and even in the muted light from where he was sitting he could clearly see why.

She was exhausted.

Of course, the dark shadows that lingered under her eyes didn't detract from her in any way. With her hair in a tangle over the pillow, she was still beautiful and, as his gaze swept down further, still in just a very thin tank top and her yellow underwear.

Daryl pulled the comforter further up on the girl, not needing the visual reminder of why he had broken his word yet again like a hypocritical asshole. It hadn't been his intention. After she had finished patching him up, he had gone to his room with the full intentions of passing the fuck out just like he said he was going to do. With the Horton forgotten back to the bathroom, he had went back for it only to see her awkwardly cleaning up the mess that his injuries had caused. She had looked lost… like how she'd looked sitting alone at the huge bar back in that country club. For reasons still beyond him and despite all the bullshit he had said to her, he had felt compelled to kiss her, the inexplicable need to remove the sadness from her eyes somehow turning the intended token of gratitude into something a lot more substantial.

And as much as he wanted to know what happened after that, Daryl now realized that he didn't actually want to go so far as to wake her to find out. From the changed bandages to the clean clothes, she had obviously done plenty while he had been out of commission and deserved the rest that she had allowed him. As if somehow agreeing, Beth sighed sleepily from the pile of covers next to him, burying herself further under them in an effort to counteract the lingering chill in the room.

Daryl pulled a drag from the cigarette and huffed a smoke ring into the air, contemplating what it was about the girl that he found so comforting to be near. Hell, just being in the same room with her had the tension that had gripped his muscles now gradually releasing. It hadn't always been that way and he wondered at what point did that particular aspect of their relationship change. Glancing back over at Beth, he was quick to realize that the sexual attraction he felt towards her made pinpointing the moment difficult. It went without saying that laying next to her in the current state of undress she was in was decidedly not helping.

In the long run, it didn't matter. What he felt was something more, a connection of some kind that he with her and only her. It was the reason he hadn't pushed for things to go further when she had been on top of him in his room. He had held himself back, denying his visceral urge to mate despite knowing how goddamn easy it would've been to work his way around her virginal defenses. That knowing was what had compelled him to head out that morning with the Horton in hand. He had been fucking tired of laying there torturing himself with thoughts of his hands on her skin, of how tight she would be...

Pressing the end of the cigarette out between his thumb and finger for lack of another viable option, Daryl could feel his eyes begin to droop the longer he stayed at her side thinking about it. He went to push himself from her bed only to bite down on a groan when his joints resisted painfully, having finally found a degree of comfort that they hadn't had for a while now. With the rain pouring down outside damn near insisting that he take it easy anyway, he settled himself back down, too fucking tired to fight it. Glancing apprehensively back over at the girl, it didn't take but a moment until he was asleep himself, the last thought going through his mind being that he hoped that he woke before she did so he didn't have to explain to her why he was crashed out in her bed.

….

**What? Another chapter so soon? This is a thank you to all who have read, followed and commented on this story! I hope it was a nice surprise.**


	26. Chapter 26

…... Chapter 26 …..

Beth's eyes slowly fluttered open and she immediately squinted against the weak light that managed to get past the layer of dust that coated the boarded up windows. While its presence told her that it was some time during the day, its dreary hue was also an unfortunate reminder of the heavy grey clouds that still lingered oppressively over the house.

Laying there for a moment, she listened for the rain that had also become a constant only to hear nothing. Having lived in the south her whole life, she knew that was likely only temporary. The weather they were having was just indicative of how the wet season went in Georgia. The entire area would be inundated for a month or maybe longer as the storms rolled through in waves. Although each front would be punctuated by feeble bouts of sunshine, the moments of dryness that accompanied them were usually just a precursor to the next torrential downpour behind it.

Stretching languidly, Beth rolled onto her side and froze instantly when she saw that Daryl was in her bed with her. Her breath hitched as she stared at him, confused as to why he was there. He was in the process of waking up himself and hadn't yet looked over to notice that she had as well. Yawning, he pressed his palms to his eyes, looking for all intents and purposes to be quite content to be there.

Unable to look away, Beth searched her memory for any conversation or clue that could explain his unexplainable presence. It had been a few days since they had both been awake at the same time so the recollections of things said and done had become convoluted. Applying the effort needed to focus her sleep addled thoughts, Beth was finally able to recall having last left him in his own room, fighting off the remnants of a fever that seemed to have developed immediately from his injuries. He hadn't woken up at all as it raged through his system, leaving her to take care of him without him ever knowing it.

After he had kissed her, she had tiredly decided that her dirty clothes could wait and had crawled into bed, falling asleep almost instantly. As exhausted as she was, Beth had still managed to hear Daryl groan in pain from the other room, the low guttural noise induced by his wounds echoing across the narrow hallway between their rooms. Her eyes had flown open at the sound, having been purposefully trying to sleep light just in case such a thing happened. Upon hearing him moan again, she had pushed herself out of her bed to go make sure that he was alright.

Some time had past since she had dressed his wounds and she remembered being quite surprised to see that it was already early morning. There had been a faint gloominess filtering in to Daryl's room and Beth had used what little light it provided to take a closer look at him. It's dimness revealed that his eyes were still closed and he was sweating profusely, neither being a good sign. Unable to see much more than that, Beth had lit another candle, quickly replacing the one that had burnt out at his side.

Sitting down next to him, she had placed a palm gently on his forehead only to find it hot and clammy despite the chill that lingered in the small room. Worrying at her bottom lip, the realization had made her nervous. Although her father had taught how to suture any wound that needed it, he had stubbornly insisted that she stay away from anyone retaining a fever. A highly intuitive man, Hershel's fear of an epidemic contagion had later proved itself to be disastrously prophetic when a mysterious disease had run rampant through the prisons close quarters. Its origins unknown, it had managed to kill a lot of people, the fever precursoring its symptoms seeming to take almost as many lives as the affliction itself.

Hoping that wasn't what Daryl had, she had checked the condition of his bandages, peeling back his covers to find that he had sweated through his sheets to the mattress beneath him. Upon seeing it, her already pounding heart had begun throbbing noisily in her ears. Unsure of what to do, she had fetched the bucket of cold rainwater she had thankfully thought to replace in the bathroom. While she did so, she had racked her brain in an attempt to figure out what she had missed.

Something she hadn't seen… an open wound on his legs perhaps.

There hadn't been any tell tale rips in his pants that would indicate any injuries being there so she hadn't felt the need to address it. At the time she had been relieved. It had been embarrassing enough to ask him to take his shirt off, she couldn't imagine the rash of hell he would've given her if she'd told him his pants had to go as well.

Coming back to his room, she was quick to find that she needn't had worried about it. At some point during the night Daryl had kicked himself free of them on his own, the searing heat radiating from his body demanding it. She remembered thinking something was seriously wrong when he, of all people, would disregard one of the most important rules of survival, one that had been drilled into all of them since the beginning - always be ready to run. Knowing it herself, she had slept in her damp clothes despite how dirty they were and how personally uncomfortable it had been.

Seeing Daryl's pants laying in a heap on the floor next to his boots had somehow made her even more scared than she already was. Much like when she had seen her father cry, she couldn't help but feel as though the more responsible one of the two of them was faltering.

After checking him over for any wounds she might have missed, she had spent the rest of the morning dipping a towel into the bucket of cold water and pressing it to his heated skin. Daryl had lain there pallidly under her ministrations, his breathing was swallow and stilted. She remembered how frightening it had been seeing him in such a way. Practically larger than life, the man seemed to walk through the world like he owned it. For having never met anyone else so custom built for surviving the hellish existence they all dwelled in, it had been almost more than she could bare to see him laid so low.

Sniffling, Beth had purposely refused to further think about what it would mean to her if anything happened to him for fear of actually crying. With her chest feeling like it was tight and constricted, she had to keep reminding herself to pull a breath. The fact that she'd been so incredibly tired hadn't helped matters any. She remembered struggling to stop herself from blowing things ridiculously out of proportion, her mind trying to run away with itself with thoughts of him dying and having to be buried in the very cemetery that lay outside his window.

With Daryl still sleeping and herself not feeling comfortable enough to do so until his fever broke, she had sat at his side and mended his jacket using the same needle and thread she had sewn him up with the day before. It was the only thing she could think to do in an effort to preoccupy her mind and keep herself from worrying. When she hadn't been pressing the damp towel to his sweltering forehead, she meticulously patched each hole, one by one.

Inevitably, the water in the bucket she was using had gotten warmer as it drew the heat from his skin. While she had another collecting water on the porch steps to replace it with, she hadn't been looking forward to actually going out into the torrential rain and getting it.

Dipping the towel in one more time, she wrung the excess out and turned around only to find Daryl's heated gaze staring right at her. She paused, more relieved than she could say. Since most of the others had never woken after the heat had scorched through their systems, Beth considered the fact that he had to be a conclusive sign that he didn't have whatever it was that they had. Swallowing heavily, she had pressed the towel to his forehead, using its damp weight to push his hair from his eyes.

''Hey.'' She had managed to whisper.

Almost immediately, his brows had drawn in confusion and he began struggling to find his bearings as the weight of the fever pressed down upon him, wrecking havoc on his body and mind. With a groan, he had tried to push himself out of the bed, paying no heed as she pushed against him in to keep him where he lay. Being weaker than he thought, Daryl seemed confounded when she actually managed to do so, the implausible feat only making him somehow more distraught and disorientated.

''Don't.'' She rushed to say as calmly as she could, ''You're hurt and you have a fever but you're going to be ok…''

Daryl being Daryl, of course he ignored her as he continued to fight the rest that he so desperately needed. It had only taken a moment before he began shivering from the effort his attempts had required, his breathing quickly becoming labored and listless in his chest. She had placed a soothing hand on his stubble lined jaw and the small gesture seemed to be all that it took to effectively make him stop in his tracks.

''Daryl, listen to me…'' She had said, ''Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up, I promise… Shhhh, just go to sleep.''

His eyes glossy, he had slumped back down on the damp pillow, seemingly taking her word for it as he proceeded to pass out again almost immediately. Beth recalled expelling a huge sigh of relief, distinctly remembering being glad not to have to resort to sitting on the stubborn mans chest in order to keep him laying in the bed.

With Daryl out again, she had gone outside to change out the buckets of water. The storm blanketing the area hadn't abated much overnight and the thin clothes she'd been wearing provided minimal protection against it as she had carefully opened the door. Going outside only long enough to grab the full container from the porch step and replace it with the empty one, she had ran back inside to the foyer, shivering helplessly as the rain immediately soaked through her clothes yet again.

She had looked down at the puddle she was creating on the hard wood floor, feeling very tired of being a cold and wet mess.

Setting the sloshing bucket in the bathroom, she returned to Daryl's side and had dared to feel his forehead again. While it had been still tacky, the heat that had taken root there earlier had subsided significantly. Considering it a turning point, the overwhelming fatigue that she had been staving off since coming to his room came rushing back all of a sudden, draining her completely of the last of her energy.

With his pants still laying on the floor and her own clothes plastered uncomfortably to her skin, she had mustered her last reserve to wash all of them quickly before allowing herself to go to bed. Back in the bathroom, she had gingerly peeled her jeans down her legs, dropping them to land in a soggy heap. Her dirty t-shirt and bra had followed, joining the wet denim on the floor. Instantly shivering for not having their cold weight pressing against her skin, she had used half of the water in the bucket to wash everything they had, a leftover bottle of shampoo serving as detergent. While hanging the items over the shower rod, she had justified her decision by not wanting to make herself as sick as Daryl was by attempting to sleep in cold wet clothes for the second time in a row.

She had literally crawled into bed from there, too damn tired to care anymore that she was only in her underwear. Her ankle was throbbing and Daryl was so out of it that he would be none the wiser anyway. At least this way, their clothes would be clean and dry by the time they were both ready to wear them again.

Feeling convinced that her last ditch effort was worth it, Beth had buried herself under her covers and had instantly fallen asleep. As much as she wanted to tell herself that it was due to the overwhelming exhaustion she had been laboring under since the moment she had seen Daryl emerging from the rain, deep down she knew the truth. It was because she cared about him, more than she wanted to admit even to herself, and he was finally showing signs of getting better.

As long as he was, that was all she cared about.

…..

Back in the present, Beth lay next to Daryl in her bed, feeling a lot better for having the events of the last few days fall back into place. With a much better grasp on what had occurred, she stared at his profile, still not quite believing that he was there. After his fever had broken she had gotten up several times to check on him, increasingly relieved with each trip to find that his temperature was evening out. In the time it had taken for it to do so, his pants had dried and she distinctly remembered laying them at the end of his bed so he would see them easily. After setting the clothes she had scored for him from the store on the chair in his room, she had placed his knife and cigarettes on his side table, just in case he happened to wake up before she did.

Her own clothes had still been slightly damp so she had left them where they hung, put on a clean tank top and had gone back to bed, still quite content to sleep the rest of her life away like she had never slept before. Beth had been in the process of doing just that when the dim light inundating the room had played across her closed eyelids, slowly encouraging her to wake up. When she had, there he was… laying in her bed next to her like he had been there the whole time.

As if finally sensing that she was awake, Daryl's head lilted over, his clear gaze meeting hers for the first time in what felt like forever.

''Hey.'' He said quietly, his voice low on the air.

Beth felt her heart begin to pound against her ribs. With the color back in his chiseled face and the stubble darkly defining his jaw, she was so relieved to see him looking like his normal self that she decided that she didn't care why he was there, she was just glad that he was.

Tucking her pillow comfortably under her chin, she regarded him for a moment before asking equally as quietly, ''How are you feeling?''

Slumped against the beds headrest, he thought about it for a moment and shrugged slightly. ''A'right, I guess. Feelin' like I'm hungover… still sore as hell. Christ, how long was I out of it for?''

Having just wondering the exact same thing herself, Beth could only answer, ''A while. I figured it best to let you sleep.''

Daryl picked up the edge of the flannel he was wearing, seemingly confused by its presence. ''This you?''

Noticing that the shirt hung open over his chest, Beth just nodded and dragged her eyes up from the expanse of defined skin it showed. Daryl pulled a deep breath and finally getting to the reason why he was there to begin with.

''What tha hell happened after I left tha bathroom? Last thing I remember doin' was crashin' hard… but this morning, I don't know… I'm feelin' out of it… like I missed somethin'…''

He seemed genuinely at a loss so Beth told him about the fever that had held him in its grips for longer than she would've liked. As she did, she made sure to leave out the fact that she had been worried about him to the point of tears. There was nothing gained by having him aware of such a thing. Instead she explained the situation as simply as she could, in as few words as possible. It was done and there was no need to expand upon it unnecessarily. Daryl wasn't the kind of person that would appreciate hearing how he had been incapacitated and at her mercy without his knowledge anyway.

When she was finished, he dragged his hand down his face, obviously having a hard time coming to terms with what he'd been told. It was clear that he didn't remember any of it. Looking over to where she lay next to him, the corner of his mouth rose. ''I ain't sure I'm liking tha fact that you're steppin' up to tha plate an' takin' over my job of saving tha day all of a sudden.''

Beth smiled, unable to help herself. ''Someone around here has to do it. Wouldn't have to be me if a certain guy… I ain't saying no names or anything, wouldn't feel the need to go falling into strange ravines he shouldn't be traipsing around to begin with. I mean, I would've thought you'd had enough of doing that at the farm.''

Knowing that she was referring to the time her fathers horse had tossed him into one when he had taken the animal without permission, he smirked and said, ''Yeah, well… at least ya didn't feel tha need ta shoot me in tha head after tha fact so thanks for that.''

''You're welcome.'' Beth managed to say, suddenly realizing out of the blue that she had never shared her bed with a man before. Why that fact had decided to make itself known at this point in the conversation, she had no idea.

Glancing over to the streams of light weakly filtering through the slats at the window, Daryl settled himself back on his pillow, seeming to take comfort in the silence of the moment before uttering, ''Stopped raining... least for tha time being. Figured I'd go back an' get whatever bolts I can salvage while there's a lull between storms.''

Beth's brows drew. While she knew it was his nature to want to go do such a thing now, especially now that he was up and moving, she couldn't help but feel that it was in his best interest not to push his recovery too far. ''Maybe you should wait… I mean, at least until you've healed a little bit more. Aren't you tired?''

Daryl gave a single shrug, indicating that he was but didn't want to go so far as to actually say so out loud.

''Then lets just go back to sleep. I'm still really tired too.'' Beth paused, hoping that her insistence didn't come off as forward as it sounded. ''Anyway, it's not like I can go with you, my clothes aren't dry.''

Daryl glanced down to where the thin strap of her tank top had fallen from the soft curve of her shoulder and sighed, ''Yeah, I can see that… an' that's tha reason why I ain't stayin' in here with you.''

''Why not? I trust you.''

''Well… don't trust myself.'' He muttered, meaning it. When Beth's confusion lingered in her eyes longer than he seemed to prefer, he explained himself further, making sure to keep his tone calm and even as he did so. ''What I said to ya before? It ain't changed. Jus' regret tha way I said it is all. You an' me? We're playin' a dangerous game here. You may not know it… but I do.''

The conversation having suddenly turned serious, Beth hugged her pillow a little closer. ''I don't think it's a game.''

''Ya know what I mean. If this thing goin' on between us continues, it'll end badly for one or both of us.'' Entrusting that she would understand, he shook his head ruefully. ''I can't have that.''

He really meant it. Beth could feel her heart constrict in her chest at the notion. Propping herself up on her elbows, she found herself asserting, ''It's no way to live being scared of living Daryl. I don't want to live my life that way… do you?''

Sitting up, Daryl swung his legs over the side of the bed. Pulling a deep breath, he looked over his shoulder at her. ''Don't know what I want. I ain't never had ta explain myself ta anyone before. Jus' know that I ain't the right choice for you… an' you… well, you ain't somethin' that would be good for me neither.''

She swallowed her trepidation before asking, ''Is it because of what you said? Because I'm a virgin? Because… that's something that could be easily rectified…''

''Christ Beth, don't say shit like that!'' Daryl groaned, pressing his palms to his eyes in exasperation. ''I ain't kidding. That's tha last fuckin' thing I need right now, that thought running 'round in my head!''

''Well, what then? Is it my age? Because if it is, there's not much…''

''It ain't none tha above, a'right?'' Daryl interrupted, his tone sharper than it needed to be for having to do so. ''I done told ya there ain't a goddamn single thing about ya that doesn't make me want ya an' I meant it.''

When he saw she was staring at him as if waiting for him to explain himself further, Daryl turned on the bed to face her.

''It's more than that… an' I ain't expectin' ya to understand. It ain't got nothin' ta do with you. It's me an' ya daddy's voice ringing in my ear tellin' me ta take care of his youngest. It's tha look Maggie will give me when we catch up ta the rest of 'em an' have ta explain ourselves. It's the fact that nothings gonna change that I'm an emotionally stunted asshole that could never be what you deserve an' when this…'' He circled his finger between them from where they both were on the bed, ''whatever this thing is that's goin' on between us? When it blows up in our faces, you're gonna end up hatin' me for it. I ain't built for what ya askin' of me an' I ain't pretending I have it in me ta give ya what you should be expectin' from… well, from someone who'd be ya first.''

Beth regarded him for a moment, her breath lodged in her throat. Time dragged out long enough to where Daryl dropped his gaze from hers uncomfortably, having lain it plainly on the line. Upon seeing him do so, she said quietly, ''You know what I think? I think you're just scared. Scared to take a chance on me, on other people… on life in general. Everyone else has disappointed you so why should I be any different, right?''

Daryl stood up sharply. ''What do you know? You think ya know me an' maybe right now you do, probably more so than most, but don't go thinkin' for a second ya know tha shit I've gone through.'' His face was serious as he continued, ''My life ain't never held no surprises. It didn't before tha turn an' it sure as hell didn't after it neither! Who is it ya think you see when ya look at me, huh? Some fuckin' boyfriend you'd be proud ta bring home for Sunday dinner? That ain't who I am an' that ain't tha world we're livin' in!''

Taken aback by the intensity in his voice, Beth sat up, dragging up the covers with her as she said just as seriously, ''I know that! I'm not stupid! And you're right - I don't know what you've gone through or what kind of person you used to be… I just know who you are now! So you can try to hide behind your brother and your bitterness and your low expectations for anyone that dares to get close to you all you want… but you're too late, I've already seen it! I saw what you did for Sophia… what you did for everyone at the prison and most importantly, what you've done for me. So, stand there and make yourself out to be the worst person in the world if that's what makes you feel better, but that will never be what I see when I look at you!''

Breathing heavier for the weight of the words spoken, Beth meant every word of it. She couldn't help but feel as though they were at a crossroads, one where both paths led to the point of no return. All she was asking of him was to open himself up to the possibility of something more developing between them, not to get married and live happily ever after! She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel better for saying what she had said to him though, having wanted to say it for a while now… usually when he indulged his inclinations was to assume the worst about himself, as he was doing right now.

Daryl ran a hand down his face resignedly, apparently arriving at the conclusion that she wasn't going to just accept his bullshit at face value. ''I ain't done none of those things so I can come off as some kinda fuckin' hero, so don't try an' paint me as one. All them things ya said? That's jus' me trying ta survive livin' in this shithole an' that's all!''

''I am too!'' Beth asserted, her hand at her chest. ''Only difference is that I'm at least willing to try and actually _live_ while I'm doing it! That's all I'm saying to you. I don't care what my sister would think, I guarantee you she's out there somewhere doing the same thing. And my dad? He would trust me to make my own decisions.''

Although Daryl was looking at her skeptically, she took it as an encouraging sign that at least he was still listening. He sat back down on the edge of the bed about as far away from her as he could manage, the same dubious look in his eyes that she had seen from him when the two of them had been alone in his room after his nightmare. He had been full of doubt and unwilling to make the necessary move on his own then and again now, Beth could see their grey depths challenging her to somehow convince him that he deserved the chance she was offering.

Beth's fingers entangled in the blanket as she continued, unknowingly putting it all on the line herself. ''Maybe you're right, maybe I'm not ready for everything that could come with taking things further between us, but that won't always be the case. I'm not naïve, I've just never felt anything like this before and it's exciting… and nerve racking… and I… I just know that I like it when I'm near you and I'm being honest enough to admit it. I want you to kiss me… and since you're stuck with me for the unforeseeable future anyway, won't you at least consider it?''

Daryl regarded her thoughtfully as he weighed the consequences of what she was asking of him. Beth sat there self consciously while he did so, not quite believing she had practically begged the man to make out with her. What else could she do? He was ridiculously hard headed when it came to the decisions he chose to set in stone and this might be the only chance she got to persuade him to do otherwise. Besides, it wasn't like she was offering her virginity to him on a gilded pillow, she just wanted him to be aware that if something like that were to happen, she'd be agreeable to him being the one that took it.

With an indiscernible sigh, he pushed himself from the bed and headed for the door. Feeling like she had rocks in her stomach, Beth watched him as he went, kind of wishing in hindsight that she hadn't been so forward when presenting her argument.

''A'right.'' He said, turning to face her. ''I'll consider it.''

Having expected him to predictably not budge, Beth was thrilled. Figuring it best not to let him see that though, she shrugged indifferently as though it made no difference to her one way or the other. ''Fine. You do that.''

Although her features were completely schooled to neutral, the ruse was hard to maintain when he was standing in her doorway looking so ruggedly appealing. With the worry he had put her through now a thing of the past, everything about him spoke to her more so than usual, the sporadic trickles of sunlight filtering through the windows casting him in the faintest of glows.

The corner of his mouth tilting up, he made the point of adding, ''Jus' so we're clear, it's kissing only. I ain't been doin' nothin' but proving myself ta be a bullshit liar when it comes ta doin' that anyways.''

After Beth nodded in agreeance Daryl indicated towards her pillow with a drop of his head. ''Go back ta sleep if ya tired. I'm gonna go get my bolts an' scout out the area while tha rains stopped long enough for me ta do so. I'll get rid of them bodies outside when I get back. If for some reason anythin' happens while I'm gone, go back ta that ravine and I'll find ya there. I mean it, ya hear? Don't be tryin' nothin' that'll make me come back here an' spank ya for it.''

Beth's eyes widened, the sexually charged attempt at humor coming from a least likely of sources. Momentarily at a loss for words, she finally managed to sputter, ''Um, I think… that would be considered outside of the realm of just kissing…''

''It would be… but don't think for a second that I won't do it.'' He drawled, the glint in his eye clearly seen past the hair that hung in his face. ''Seriously though, if anything happens, jus' get ya ass outta here and I'll meet ya there. I won't be gone long.''

Having just won her battle, Beth figured it best not to push for the entire war. ''Ok.''

Leaving her where she lay, Daryl disappeared into the darkness of the house. It wasn't until she heard the front door lock behind him that she allowed herself to fall back asleep. With him gone, there wasn't much reason to not do so.

As her eyes closed, Beth replayed their conversation in her mind and smiled to herself. Although Daryl's terms had applied to kissing only, it didn't necessarily mean that everything else was off the table. She considered it a start, a mutual agreement between the two of them that allowed them to explore this new aspect of their relationship without misgivings. After all, that was all that they needed, just for one of them to open the door. Without the others resistance, there were so many things could come from it, allowing anything to be a possibility.

….

**Comments and reviews are appreciated as always :)**


	27. Chapter 27

…. Chapter 27 ….

Daryl managed to make it back to the funeral home just in time before the next storm front rolled angrily into the area. The thunder heralding its arrival foretold that this one was going to be a lot worse than the last, the wind churning at the boughs of the trees overhead seeming only to confirm it. He had been gone for most of the day in an attempt to take advantage of the calm before it hit and in that time had accomplished as much as his wounds would allow.

He had gone back to the ravine where his accident happened to find it twice the size it had been before. The over saturation caused by the constant rain had made it collapse in on itself in more places than one, huge chunks of rocks and trees that had been there before now missing. Of all the bolts he had used there, only three had been salvageable, still protruding crudely from the carcasses of the walkers that hadn't fallen in the hole after him. While he still had the ones he had raided from the store as back ups, a bolt was a bolt, and he wasn't going to let these ones go to waste just because it was a pain in the ass to go and collect them.

Pulling the last one free, he cleaned and locked it onto the frame of the Horton, feeling a hell of a lot better for doing so. Daryl looked down and noticed that the water dredging through the base of the ravine was actually flowing past where he stood at its edge, rather than just accumulating stagnantly at its base. Following the path it cut through woods, he eventually came to the mouth of the tributary that fed it into the river. While knowing the length of water him and Beth had encountered by the barn ran through the area somewhere, he hadn't expected it to be so close by.

Standing on the riverbank, Daryl lit his last cigarette, taking a moment to watch as random dead walker corpses floated past him to ride the rough current further downstream. The sight wasn't as disconcerting as it should be, not to the likes of him. Walkers were already unpredictable enough to begin with, but severe changes in the weather only seemed to make them more so. With days of torrential rain blanketing the area, he wouldn't be surprised if the stupid bastards hadn't just walked into the water, the jagged rocks lining either side being the things that had eventually done them in.

Flicking the cashed butt of his smoke into the river after them, Daryl looked past the opposite shore to see the power lines that indicated the far side of town. Having a better idea of the lay out of the area, he felt more secure in the knowledge that he could find his way around it. With the clouds overhead getting progressively darker, exploring town was going to have to wait for now though. He had yet to see a bridge that led to the other side and it didn't look like the weather was going to cooperate in letting him find one any time soon.

Taking the long way back to the funeral home, he had come across a couple of abandoned hunting cabins buried deep in the woods. Sweeping through the first one quickly enough, he had found a couple of things worthwhile – multiple cans of soup, a small camping stove that still had some propane in it, a loaded gun with a couple of boxes of ammo, a flashlight full of dead batteries and a large bag of cash. Dumping the money onto the unmade cot, Daryl shoved everything but the gun inside the bag, slinging it over his shoulder. The gun itself went into the waistband of his pants where it would stay until he could clean it properly. Happening to look down on his way out the door, he saw a pile of books stacked precariously in front of the fireplace. He picked a couple of them out for Beth and they went into the bag as well.

The second cabin wasn't quite as easy. The door was wedged shut tightly from the inside and after finally getting it open, Daryl found out the reason why. In the small bed lay the dead bodies of a young couple, their atrophied arms wrapped tightly around each other. Scattered over the floor lay the remnants of the pills they had overdosed on, having purposely committed suicide together at some point after the turn. Why they hadn't reanimated, who knew. Daryl didn't care to investigate the corpses further to find out.

They had obviously been holed up in the cabin for a while though. The place was cluttered with small feminine touches that had made it their own private oasis from reality. Garlands of dead flowers hung limply over the bed while pale pink scarves adorned with paper hearts covered the windows.

Daryl pulled the sheet over the bodies and got to the reason he had broken into the place to begin with. Shoving aside the clutter, he dug around for a while to find one thing of interest and one thing only – a single strip of condoms. Glancing back over at the bodies in the bed, he briefly wondered why the two would've needed them. Seriously, what's the fucking point if you planned on killing yourselves anyway?

He stood there for a moment, staring at the familiar blue and gold wrappers as he weighed the connotations of taking them. With his heart thumping in his chest, Daryl knew as soon as they went in the bag he was practically acknowledging that he expected to use them. It also went without saying that doing so would also remove one of the few deterrence's he had left working in his favor.

With a resigned sigh, he shoved them in, somehow knowing that he would before he went to the trouble of wrestling with the decision otherwise. While he couldn't say what was in store for him and Beth, he reckoned it was still better to be safe than sorry.

With her waiting for him and it starting to get darker than he preferred, Daryl headed out the door, leaving the two dead bodies behind to be nothing more than an easily forgotten memory. It was starting to drizzle so he picked up the pace as he made his way through the woods that led back to the funeral home. The effort needed to trudge through the sodden mud had his body aching, the sexually charged thought of using the condoms decidedly not helping, so it was with no small amount of relief when he finally saw the old plantation style house sitting in the gloom just past the tombstones.

As he approached it, Daryl acknowledged that the two of them had really lucked out when they had all but stumbled across the place. A relic of a time long gone when customs such as burials had mattered, the mortuary was so far off the beaten path it seemed practically forgotten by anyone who could still retain a recollection of it. Stepping past the body of the walker Beth had taken out in the driveway, he dumped the bag of stuff he had scavenged on the porch before going back out in the gloom to drag both it and the one at the base of the stairs behind the house.

With the walker tangled in the bait string gone, he was able to rehang the detection system he had placed there back up between the porch posts. Daryl was in the process of rethreading the hubcaps he had used when Beth came outside, obviously having heard the unintentional noise he was making.

She shivered as she stepped outside, the cold dampness inundating the air assailing her immediately.

''You're back.'' She said, stating the obvious.

Daryl glanced up from what he was doing, feeling a little unsure about how to proceed after their conversation from earlier. ''I'm back.'' He muttered, choosing to leave it at that.

Determinedly continuing with the task at hand, he really hoped she wasn't looking to start idly chitchatting about how his day had gone. What he was doing needed to be done before the dark clouds above opened up, which by the looks of them could be any minute now.

Beth shuffled back and forth on her feet, seemingly as thrown off balance as he was by the current interaction they were having. ''Um, how's it going?''

Feeling slightly better for knowing that he wasn't the only one who was uncomfortable as shit right now, Daryl glanced up through the hair that hung in his face. Painful conversations like this were just another reason why emotionally impaired assholes like himself had no business trying to kiss the hell out of softhearted virgins. Sighing for knowing it, he just said, ''It's goin'.''

''Can I do anything to help?'' She asked, probably already knowing his answer before he went to the effort necessary to say it.

''Nah. Wanna get this place locked up tight.'' He pulled the string across the porch steps to tie it around the opposite post. ''This next storms gonna be a bad one, I can jus' tell. We're gonna need ta batten down tha hatches for the next day or so… hunker down 'till it passes.''

Looking up at the sky that churned just past the porch overhang, Beth nodded in agreeance and pulled her grey sweater closer around her. ''Ok, well… I'll see you inside then, um… when you're done.''

Christ, could this be any more awkward? Considering that they were going to be stuck in the house together for at least the next few days, Daryl severely hoped not.

With night quickly approaching and the rain starting to fall in earnest, Daryl strung up another bait trap around the back side of the house as well, using empty watering cans and anything else he could find that would make a reasonable noise. The wind had picked up so he had to fight to get the thing hung as quietly as possible while he had this small window of opportunity to do so. Checking to make sure that all the shutters and boards were as secure as they could be, he headed up the porch steps only to pause when he heard the faint strains of music coming from inside the house. It had been so long since he had heard anything like the lilting sound of it that he had almost forgotten that such a thing had even existed. Daryl went inside, locking the front door quietly behind him and slipping the dead bolt into place.

He crossed the lobby to find Beth in the main reception room, playing the old console piano that sat there and singing softly to herself. Her crystalline voice carrying quietly through the air, she was lost in a world of her own and completely oblivious to his presence. There were candles lit around the room and even though her back was to him, the glow they gave off shone through her hair, giving her an ethereal quality that stood in stark contrast to the empty wooden coffin sitting on its pedestal next to her. Daryl didn't know what she was singing, something about how it how good it would be to shotgun a beer and lay on the lawn, but he found it enticing enough to lean against the doorway of the room just so he could listen to her sing it for a little while longer.

Eventually realizing that she could turn around at any moment to find him lurking back there, he gruffly cleared his throat, not wanting to scare the shit out of her unintentionally. As soon as he did so, Beth instantly stopped what she was doing and shifted around on the piano stool to face him, her cheeks flushed from knowing he may have potentially heard her.

''Place is nailed up tight.'' Was the only thing he could think to say, coming into the room for lack of anything else better to do. Laying the Horton down on the reception room couch, he felt the need to add, ''Only way in's through tha front door.''

Beth nodded, obviously still finding this new dynamic of their relationship as unsettling as he did. Too tired and sore to ease the tension permeating the room, Daryl approached the coffin and hefted himself into it, feeling the need to lay down but not wanting to go as far as to drag his ass upstairs to do it. Besides, she was down here, and much like before he could feel the deep ache in his muscles easing off for just being around her.

Watching him as he set himself more comfortably in the caskets pale interior, Beth tentatively asked, ''What are you doing?''

''This here's tha comfiest bed I've had in years.'' He declared matter of factly, shoving the silk covered pillow under his head. ''Beats tha shit outta that one upstairs, that's for sure.''

Daryl could see her shoulders drop in relief as they tentatively rediscovered the level where they both felt comfortable being around each other again. ''Really?'' She asked, unable to keep the skeptical smile from her face.

''I ain't lyin'.'' Daryl sighed, letting his body sink into the padded lining. Resting his head on his arm, he glanced over to see her looking at the floor, just sitting there until one of them chose to fill the silence with something they felt it necessary to say.

''Why don't ya go ahead an' play some more.'' He uttered quietly, meaning it. ''Keep singin'.''

She looked up in surprise before her brows drew slightly in consternation. ''Wait… I thought my singing annoyed you.''

Shrugging from where he lay, Daryl just smirked and said, ''Yeah, well… there ain't no jukebox…''

Deciding to keep the other reasons he wanted her to do so to himself, he watched as Beth turned back around on the piano bench to pick up where she had left off quite happily. He had been raging in full asshole mode that day he had drunkenly thrown his thoughts about her singing in her face, and knew it was the reason why she had stopped playing as soon as he had come in the room. Thinking back on it, he was lucky as shit that she hadn't grudgingly held it against him. Knowing her as he did now, the fact that she hadn't only fell in line with what he knew to be true about her nature.

Unable to help himself, Daryl let his eyes drift over the girl, his heart hammering steadily at his ribs as he did so. He listened as she quietly filled the silence around them, the ridge at his thumbnail wedged firmly between his teeth. He hadn't been lying when he said that there wasn't a damn thing about her that he didn't find appealing, if anything it had been an understatement. Besides being beautiful, Beth was kind to him when he didn't deserve it and supportive when he did. From the way she stood up to him when he had his head up his ass to the faint scent of wild flowers that clung to her skin, everything about her drew him to her, much like a moth to the proverbial flame.

As someone who had grown up pissed at the world and severely lacking in such things, the temptation she presented was hard to resist. His life before the turn had been nothing more than a succession of fucked up situations, most of which were dredged with varying degrees of disappointment and shame. It wasn't until after the world had gone to shit that he had been given a singular purpose, one he could selfishly and unequivocally get behind, and that had been personal survival.

By the time he had reached the prison, Daryl had started to let go of the anger that had ruled his life and he knew he had Rick to thank for that. For some reason Rick had seen something in him… something that he hadn't even dared to see in himself... and over time the former deputy sheriff had earned his respect. As one of a few men that could actually say he had it, Rick's belief in him and the trust of everyone at the prison had given Daryl a new reason for living, and with it he had flourished beyond any capacity he could've imagined for himself.

Looking back over to where Beth sat playing, Daryl realized that she was probably right - he was afraid to take a chance on her. How could he not be? He was fairly sure that she represented every damn thing he was completely unworthy of, despite how far he had come under Rick's leadership. He would never be easy going by any means and would always have a ridiculously short fuse when provoked. Having accepted these facts a long time ago, along with the inherent belief that life for him was about as good as it was going to get, it was almost like he didn't dare to attain for something more for fear of jinxing his own progress.

She was the epitome of that for him.

The last thing he would ever want is for Beth to despise him for the traits about himself that he couldn't change, knowing that his inherent inclination would always be to not try and do so. Daryl held no delusions to the kind of person he was, he just didn't know if she had it in her to accept that.

Having finished her song, Beth gently closed the lid of the piano, bringing him back to the present moment. Smiling softly, she turned back around, seemingly happier for the moment of reprieve the time spent at the instrument had provided.

''That was real nice.'' Was all he could think to say.

''Really?'' She asked to which he just nodded, meaning it.

Glancing down, Daryl noticed that her feet were bare. ''How's ya ankle doin'? I ain't had a chance ta ask lately.''

''It still swollen, but other than that… it's ok.'' She looked up from flexing the ankle in question, ''How are you feeling?''

''I'll be a'right.'' Realizing that he could easily fall asleep easily where he lay, Daryl shoved himself out of the frame of the coffin and went over to the couch to pick up the crossbow. ''Pretty goddamn hungry though, ain't you? I came across an old hunting cabin while I was out, found some cans 'a soup in it…''

An explosively loud crack of thunder tore through the stillness of the candle laded room, visibly startling both of them. The storm churning forcefully above had picked up traction since the onset of the night and now that they were both suddenly and heart stoppingly aware of it, Daryl and Beth each listened for a moment as the rain it brought with it began pounding incessantly at the shutters that covered the window.

''Anyways, gotta way ta heat it up now,'' Daryl continued, eyeing the lightning that flared in through the slats with no small degree of concern. ''Tell ya what, why don't ya close up shop down here an' then meet me upstairs in tha kitchen when ya done.''

With her hand still at her chest, she just nodded before blowing out the candle closest to her.

Figuring that she'd know to snuff out the rest of them as well, Daryl left her to do so as he grabbed the bag he brought back with him and took it upstairs. After lighting the candles that stayed in the kitchen, he cooked the soup using the propane stove he had scored and was in the process of putting the hot bowls of it on the table when Beth came in, a pad of paper and a couple of pencils in hand.

''Mmmm,'' She hummed, looking over the spread of soup, jam and diet soda he had laid out for her as though she had never seen anything so enticing. Daryl could see why, unable to remember himself the last time they'd had a hot meal that didn't include a dead rodent of some kind. ''Oh my god, this looks so good…''

''Yeah, well… it ain't much but I reckon it'll suffice.'' He muttered, pulling out a chair.

Despite the chaos occurring outside, there was a comfortableness to the meal that Daryl found very cathartic, the ambiance created by the surrounding candlelight enveloping them in their own dimly lit world. They talked about nothing in particular, not feeling the need to rush down their food as was usually the case. With the storm raging full blown overhead, the thunder that boomed across the sky now did so consistently, enough to where it ceased making them jump out of their skins and had instead become almost comical. When Daryl almost choked on a swig of soda because of a particularly loud clap of it, Beth had laughed almost to the point of tears, unable to help herself.

Coming up coughing, Daryl stuck his finger in his ear to ease the ringing the sudden crack had left behind. ''Ya think that's funny, huh? Damn thing near killed me!''

''Oh come on!'' Beth gasped when she was done enjoying herself at his expense, ''I got a feeling it'll take a lot more than that to do you in!''

''Christ, it's a good fuckin' thing that neither one of us has an issue with storms 'cause this ones something else...'' Getting back to finishing his meal, Daryl twisted off the lid to one of the jam jars and stuck his spoon into it. As he did so he looked over to see Beth open the notepad she had brought in with her and start writing in it, the pencil scrawling over the lined paper in a typically girly fashion.

Curious despite himself, Daryl shoved a spoonful of the jam in his mouth and asked, ''What's that for?''

''I'm going to leave a thank you note.'' She said matter of factly, almost like it was a given that didn't need explaining. ''To whoevers house this is for the food we've eaten.''

Daryl's brows drew at her answer. While he knew it was completely in her nature to do such a somewhat nonsensical thing, he didn't see the point in wasting the effort that it would require. ''Why?''

''For when they come back, if… they come back.'' She looked up from what she was doing to see the confusion he knew was plain on his face. After pausing for a moment, she continued, though this time with more conviction, ''Even if they're not coming back, I still want to say thank you. We'd be stranded out in this storm right now if it hadn't been for this house. Because of it we have a roof over our heads, warm beds to sleep in and enough food to last us awhile. I'm really grateful… so I just want to let them know that.''

Scooping out another spoonful of jam, Daryl thought about what she said, the sentiment closely mirroring what he had thought about the place earlier when he had gone out to get the bolts. Since she had brought it up, he felt comfortable enough to say the idea that had been gaining traction in his mind for a while now, just to see what she'd have to say about it. ''Maybe ya don't have'ta leave that…''

Beth looked over at him, the pencil hovering over the sentence she'd been writing.

''Maybe we stick around here for a while.'' Swallowing the jam, he annunciated through the air with the empty spoon in his hand, lost in his own train of thought. ''If they come back? We'll jus' make it work. Fuck it, how bad could it be? I mean, yeah tha whole damn thing may go ta hell in a hand basket but who knows… maybe it'll be a'right.''

Thinking that he had laid out the point he was attempting to make about as well as he could make it, Daryl glanced over to see Beth staring at him in wonder.

''You think they'd be ok with us staying here with them?'' She asked tentatively.

''Don't see why not.'' He shrugged, thinking about it further before adding, ''Ain't like we're useless.''

''So… you _do_ think there are still good people out there?'' She said, a smile slowly growing on her face. Feeling put on the spot, Daryl hesitated under the weight of her regard, shifting in his chair when she went so far as to ask, ''What changed your mind?''

Jesus, that was a loaded question. What changed his mind? It was her and he damn well knew it was. Of course, he'd rather bite off his own tongue than tell her that, even though it was clear that she was expecting an answer of some kind. Knowing how personally exposing that answer would be for him, Daryl found himself muttering uncomfortably, ''You know.''

Beth set the pencil in her hand down, not getting what he meant by the stilted response.

''I know what?'' She asked, her smile remaining despite the innocent confusion that lingered in her eyes.

Daryl could feel an awkward flare of heat sear up the back of his neck. Goddamn, this whole conversation had taken a turn for the unbearable. Did she not remember when he had told her earlier that he was an emotionally stunted asshole? This was a shining example of that. Nothing good could come from saying out loud that it was her that had opened his eyes to believing that good people still existed on this god forsaken planet, and it was because she was one of the best of them. ''I dunno… jus' forget it.''

''C'mon… don't 'I dunno' like that.'' Beth said sincerely, her eyes encouraging. ''Tell me… what changed your mind?''

Despite himself, Daryl could only stare at her... doing so long enough for the remnants of her smile to drift from her face as the air charged unwittingly between them. With the intensity of his gaze not wavering in the slightest, he could see the pulse that lay under the translucent skin right at the base of her throat start to throb as her heart rate quickened.

''Oh…'' She breathed, finally understanding. Her eyes unwittingly dropped to his mouth.

Daryl's skin tightened as his nerve endings jumped on point, the blood flowing faster in his veins as well as he watched her lower lip catch between her teeth. Wanting to do nothing more than to taste her again, Daryl found himself leaning in to her, secure enough to do so now that they had come to a mutual agreement allowing such a thing to happen. Beth followed his lead, swaying towards him as if wondering what had taken him so damn long.

Wondering himself, Daryl's fingers had just grazed the line at her ear when the bait trap he had set outside began to clang insistently over the roar of the overhead storm.

''Goddamn it!'' He griped, having been so close he could practically feel the heat radiating from her skin. Pulling his hand back to run it down his face, Daryl clenched his fist in pent up sexual frustration.

Beth seemed sorry for the interruption herself as she shifted back into her chair. ''We could just ignore it. Whatever's caught up in it would be none the wiser…''

''Nah… it'll just attract any others in tha area. Bastards are already unpredictable enough, this constant rain is only making 'em worse.'' He grabbed the Horton from where it sat perched against the defunct refrigerator. Beth stood up, obviously thinking that she was going to be able to help in some capacity. Pointing back at her chair, Daryl quickly dissuaded her of that. ''Nah. You stay. I'll go check it out.''

Clicking on the flashlight from his pocket, he made his way down stairs. The thunder crackling through the torrential rain made hearing anything else difficult and Daryl couldn't tell if whatever it was that was caught up in the trap was still out there tangled up in it or not. Attempting to peer through the slats on the front door didn't help either, the dim beam of the flashlight doing nothing but reflecting off of the rain that covered the window. Pressing his ear to the wood, Daryl listened closely...

Definitely hearing something but not knowing what, he did the only thing he could do, swinging the door open to immediately and unequivocally regret it.

….

**I usually don't post weekly but I just started Chapter 33 meaning that this weekend was very productive as far as writing is concerned. I love it when I get on a roll and the words just fly from the keyboard - that just means the story is flowing nicely and is heading exactly where I want it to go. I put so much effort into it because I want this romance that Daryl and Beth are exploring to be something that sticks with the reader. To be told that "What Still Lies Ahead" is someones favorite Bethyl story**** is amazing and not something that I take lightly. That's because these characters mean a lot to me as well.**

**Thanks for reading "What Still Lies Ahead" and taking this ****journey with Daryl and Beth, and of course, with me. I look forward to reading your comments as always :)**


	28. Chapter 28

….. Chapter 28 ….

Sitting apprehensively at the kitchen table, it was taking everything Beth had not to venture downstairs and find out for herself what it was that was taking Daryl so long. He had told her to stay put and knowing his proclivity to get irritated when she didn't, she was stuck there straining to hear anything that could be considered out of the norm coming from the lower level. It went without saying that the disconcerting commotion being made by the storm had her mind running away with itself. Finding it suddenly hard to breathe, she stood up and wiped her damp palms down her jeans. Although she knew that she was probably overreacting, she couldn't help but feel as though something was horribly wrong.

Swallowing heavily with the notion, she left the kitchen and tentatively approached the stairs that led down to the lobby. Flashes of lightning sporadically pierced through the darkness, making the fairly normal looking interior of the house seem like something out of a horror film. A cold gust of air swept over her, and she found herself gripping the bannister tighter than was necessary as she hesitated apprehensively at the top of the staircase. From where she stood, she saw that the front door was wide open and caught swaying precariously in the wind. Her heart dropped at the sight and the dread she was laboring under had her looking around nervously to find Daryl nowhere in sight.

Coming to the dire realization that she'd rather face the consequences of his anger than be stuck there not knowing if something had happened to him, Beth flew down the stairs and out the door, pointedly ignoring the torrential rain that immediately soaked through her clothes to plaster them to her skin. With the wind whipping at her forcefully, she ran around the side of the house only to trip over a body of a fallen walker as soon as she rounded the corner. Sprawled in the mud with nothing but the random flares of lightning searing across the sky to illuminate her predicament, Beth gasped in shock to see that she was surrounded by dead bodies, most of which were hemorrhaging a dark oily substance into the puddles accumulating beneath them.

Shoving her hair from her eyes, she struggled to draw back the breath that had been knocked from her lungs. There were bodies scattered everywhere, their grotesque features distorted and ugly from the deluge. Lightning crackled again and Beth squinted against its brightness to see the Horton laying nearby, the weapon looking like it had been practically tossed into the thick mud that it sat in. Suddenly, shots fired from the back of the house and the unexpected sound of them cutting sharply into the storms din instantly spurred her into action.

''Daryl!'' Pushing herself up, she scrambled to her feet. ''_Daryl!_''

Fighting the rain that threatened to sweep her legs out from under her, Beth followed the trail of corpses around to the back of the house. Squinting past the deluge into the distance, she finally saw Daryl in the shadows of the tombstones, taking down what looked like the last of the walkers that had somehow managed to find the place. He was severely fatigued and was struggling to get his knife anywhere near the massive one he was engaging. With it completely preoccupying his efforts, he either didn't see or didn't know that two more were closing in on him from behind.

Beth pulled her knife and ran over as fast the wind would allow, her determination to get to him overriding any terrified thoughts that would have her hesitating. Taking down the first one the way he had shown her to do, she sunk her knife into the base of its skull, yanking it free before its falling body could snatch the blade from her hand. Stumbling over it, Beth met the second head on, the adrenaline firing through her veins making her surge onto it recklessly. Its boney fingers latched onto her neck but she wasn't deterred, feeling almost super human as she tackled it down to the ground. With its dead weight landing on top of her, the only thing keeping its gnashing teeth from her face was the length of her knife as it slowly sank up into its jaw. The heaviness of the walkers own rotting head was what ultimately did it in. With its spindly neck unable to support it, the disgusting thing practically impaled itself.

With the walker dead, its waterlogged body collapsed down on top of her, causing Beth to sink further into the thick mud beneath her. With flashbacks from the store immediately searing back into her mind, she began struggling to get out from under it, true panic descending for the first time since coming outside.

Its weight was suddenly yanked off of her and Beth gasped at the rain for having it so, relieved more than she could say. Daryl's fingers dug into her arms as he pulled her to her feet. He was panting from the effort it had taken to clear the small horde but other than that, didn't seem much the worse for wear. Although his face was obscured by the stormy shadows that surrounded them, a sharp flare of lightning overhead made it clear that he was furious.

Grabbing her hand, he marched them back towards the house, his grip tightening when Beth stumbled in the mud behind him in an effort to not get dragged in his wake. Snatching up the crossbow as he went, Daryl practically shoved her through the door, making sure to lock and deadbolt it securely after them. Beth stood there shivering as he attempted to peer back out through the slats that covered the windows, pointedly checking the area one last time. Picking up the foyer chair, he wedged it tightly under the doorknob, not feeling the need to explain why he thought it necessary to do such a thing. Beth watched him warily, not sure what to make of the anger and consternation that was apparent in his face.

Sweeping past where she stood dripping muddy water onto the floor, Daryl went upstairs, his urgent fury making him stomp up the staircase two steps at a time. Exhausted beyond belief, Beth followed him, trying not to find his seething silence to be completely unnecessary. The way she figured, they wouldn't even be in this predicament if he hadn't decided to take on a horde of walkers single handedly. Who even does something like that? His misguided belief that he could oppose the world just because he was Daryl Dixon was going to undoubtedly get him killed!

Angry now herself and ready to tell him so, Beth reached the top of the stairs and went to follow him into the kitchen. She ground to a halt when the candles they had left burning there from dinner were suddenly extinguished, plunging the entire apartment into darkness. Stuck alone in the black void of the hallway with her heart thumping loudly in her ears, Beth briefly wondered why Daryl would do such a thing. What was he trying to do, punish her?

Seeing a dim light emitting from under the bathroom door, Beth gratefully remembered she had lit a single candle there in order to brush her teeth earlier. The small flame left sitting on the toilet tank now struggled to illuminate the entire floor and she instinctually gravitated towards it, the lone candle now being the only thing effectively keeping the panic at bay. Feeling her way down the wall, she pushed open the door to reach its reassuring glow.

The wet sweater she was wearing was plastered to her skin so she peeled it off and hung it over the bathtub to dry yet again. Left in just a tank top, Beth shivered and rubbed her hands over her bare arms, trying to generate a small degree of warmth. Daryl suddenly appeared from the shadows, coming into the bathroom to shut the door firmly behind him. Suddenly alone with him in the small space and surprised at finding herself so, Beth felt the anger that had fueled her courage falter, the tiled walls seeming to close in tightly around them.

''Why are you locking us in here?'' She asked nervously, unable to help herself.

Ignoring her question, Daryl went over to the bathroom window and immediately covered it with his wet jacket, for some reason finding the slats of wood already nailed there to be insufficient. After pacing around in the confined space much like a trapped animal for a few moments, he ran a frustrated hand down his face. Glancing over at her, he finally got to the reason for his agitation, ''Tell me somethin', what part of stay tha hell where I put ya is confusin' ta you?''

Having expected the full brunt of his fury, Beth was understandably thrown off by the quietly spoken question. What was this… some kind of trick? Realizing that her fingernails were digging painfully into the palms of her hands in anticipation of a full blown argument that didn't seem like it was coming, she unclenched her fists and subconsciously flexed her fingers. The rigid set of her shoulders however, wasn't going anywhere.

With his hair dripping in his face, Daryl seemed hell bent on waiting for an answer, even if it took all damn night. Wrapping her arms around herself to ward off not only the chill of the room but also the intensity of his stare, Beth swallowed heavily. Her chin rose and she said with as much defiant conviction as she could muster, ''No part of it.''

''Then what tha fuck did ya think you were attemptin' ta do out there, huh?'' He bit out, his previous fury seeming to have now simmered down to a more reasonable level of frustrated exasperation. ''As if I didn't have enough on my goddamn plate, you decide that ya wanna come on out an' jump into tha fray as well?''

''What choice did I have?'' Beth asserted, her initial relief at seeing him unhurt flooding back despite the anger she felt at his recklessness and the situation in general. No longer worried that he was a ticking time bomb ready to implode, she was still mad enough to add, ''Who in their right mind takes on a horde like that?!''

''Keep ya voice down!'' He whispered furiously, glancing back over to where his jacket hung. ''An' that weren't no horde! That was jus' the welcoming committee! Hordes still comin', why tha fuck else would I have us hiding out in here? It's tha only room in tha house that don't have a huge goddamn window in it!''

Beth stared at him in shock as she processed what he was saying. With the stark reality of the situation finally known to her, she felt the fire in her anger deflate. The dimmest light or the slightest noise from inside the house would undoubtedly trigger a massive group of walkers wandering nearby into tearing the place out from under them. Daryl choosing to have them hunker down in the bathroom was him just making the best out of a bad situation and needing to do so as quickly as possible. Now with the decision made, all they could do was pray that those outside would pass them by, hopefully none the wiser to their presence.

Reigning herself back accordingly, Beth still felt the need to ask, "Seriously! What were you trying to do? Get yourself_ killed?_''

''I weren't _tryin'_ ta do shit… an' it weren't like I had a choice in tha matter neither. I opened tha door and the fuckers were there. Couldn't jus' let 'em linger outside ringin' tha dinner bell now could I?'

She gaped at him incredulously. ''So what? You decided it best to go out there and tackle them just because you could? Did you think you could fight them all just by yourself? That's insane!''

Stuck in the room with her and having to listen despite seriously not wanting to, Daryl huffed in annoyance and turned to lean heavily on the bathroom counter. ''Call it what ya want, it's a matter of doin' what needs ta be done - no more no less. There was a fuckin' problem an' I handled it! In case ya ain't aware, that's what I do!''

''Daryl, we're in this together!'' Beth whispered insistently, refusing to be deterred. She went over and stood next to him, needing him to hear her. ''You don't have to handle things like that by yourself! In case _you_ weren't aware, you're still injured and you should have called me!''

Pushing himself away from the counter, Daryl glared down at her, his nostrils flaring. Beth stood her ground, wanting desperately to understand what had compelled him to act so heedlessly. ''You… you left me alone in here and you risked your life… and for what? For nothing!''

''Nah, it weren't for nothin'!'' He ground out, getting defensive as was his nature when his motives were questioned. ''Them bastards tried ta push their way in here an' get to you an' there was no way in hell I was gonna let that happen, not without goin' through me first! So you can like it or not, one way or tha other, I don't give a shit!''

''Well, I do!'' Beth cried, the heart stirring sentiment of what he was saying only making her more upset with him than she already was, ''What good is all that to me if you're dead?! It was stupid and it was dangerous and you scared me…''

Having heard enough, Daryl sunk his hands into her wet hair and kissed her… hard… hard enough to effectively shut down any further argument she could've possibly made. Beth could only gasp as he crushed himself against her, the weight of his mouth causing her body to arch helplessly in his arms. With the intensity of their argument and the danger of the moment churning powerfully at her blood, she surged onto her toes to wrap her arms around his neck, the pull of his words surpassing every other emotion that had been previously felt.

Wasting no time, Daryl swept himself inside her open mouth, his tongue demanding as it set fire to her senses. Her fingers threading into his hair, Beth lost herself in the moment, everything that was female in her responding unconditionally to the overwhelming masculine dominance inherent in him.

Daryl ran his hands down the deep curve of her back to clench at her ass tightly, using the leverage the taunt area provided to heft her up and onto him with a grunt. Not needing to be told what to do, Beth wrapped her legs around his waist, using her new vantage point to kiss him back with all the yearning he invoked. Small mewling sounds she wasn't even aware she was making let him know how much she liked what he was doing and she pressed herself against him as he continued his assault.

With her throaty little moans crossing the fieriness of the kiss and the storm outside raging around them, Daryl backed her up against the wall behind them, using the sheer size of his body to pin her there. The cold chill of the tiles collided with the dampness of her tank top, making Beth inhale sharply against him before her mouth searched for his once more. The enclosed space they were in seemed to practically hum from the kinetic energy that flowed between them and she felt as though every sensory point in her body was now ablaze as it coursed through her system.

Panting heavily, Beth's eyes closed as Daryl nuzzled forcibly at her neck, the scruff at his chin scraping against her damp skin as he dragged his tongue roughly up its silky length. Arriving at her earlobe, he took it between his teeth, the unexpected action causing Beth to shudder in his arms. Somehow inherently knowing that the sexy response had nothing to do with the fact that they were both still wet as hell from their time in the rain, Daryl teased her there again, using his lips… his tongue… every weapon he had at his disposal. Beth cried out and dug her nails into his back, the amazing sensation he was inducing at the highly sensitive area almost more than she could bear.

''Ya liking that?'' He drawled at the soft curve of her ear, already knowing the answer. ''Goddamn, you taste good…''

Nudging back at her, the look on his face was one of pure male satisfaction, having found the one of the spots on her body guaranteed to elicit the reaction he was demanding. Storing the information away for future reference, his mouth found hers once more. Clutching him to her, Beth met him with all the fire his teasing of her had elicited, her tongue insistently grazing over his inside the welcoming warmth of her mouth.

With her body completely supported by the wall at her back and the strength of his hips, Beth felt his hand graze over the wet denim of her jeans to trace its way up the thin tank top she was wearing. Breathlessly realizing his intent, she pulled back as far as the tiles behind her would allow, her eyes wide as his fingers determinedly continued their path up her body to touch her where no man had been given her consent to do so before.

Through the damp hair that hung in his face, Daryl's gaze locked with hers unapologetically before it dropped down to follow the heated trail his fingers were making. With her chest heaving nervously on the edge of an aroused induced daze, Beth followed his line of sight to see that her nipples were already straining at the confining material, achingly anticipating his arrival. Without a bra on and with the wet fabric clinging, she had never been more self consciously aware of the fact that she was barely covered until that very moment.

Cupping her, Daryl grazed over her taunt nipple using the calloused edge of his thumb. Beth bit down on her lower lip to suppress a sharp gasp as the sensitive part of her body that now completely held his attention puckered even more under his manipulation. It jutted against his touch as he stroked at her again, and his eyes rose to find that hers were now glazed with arousal. Unable to help herself, Beth panted heavily against him, her legs tightening as the ache between them became damn near unbearable. Daryl came back to kiss her again, effectively silencing the sultry sounds with his mouth as he palmed the full weight of her in his hand.

Clinging to him as he did so, she shifted on his hips so that he could press the rigid length of his erection purposefully against her. With the jeans she was wearing providing minimal protection, the soft folds that protected her most intimate center cradled around him instinctually. As if knowing it, Daryl growled appreciatively across the kiss they were sharing, sending tremors coursing down her skin.

Unlike the last time he had been there, this time was completely different, in more ways then Beth could possibly say. Instead of feeling scared or intimidated by the rigid evidence of his arousal, the surging electrical friction it induced at the most feminine nub on her body made her cry out into his mouth. Throbbing achingly, she found herself undulating her hips against him, the unintentionally erotic motion reminding both of them that the damp denim they wore was the only thing that stood between the unyielding erection he was grinding against her and the warm wet portal it sought…

_''Christ!''_ Daryl gasped, the sensation of her body innocently bucking against him making him pull back to stare at her incredulously. As if coming to his senses, he took his hesitation a step further, taking the hands that had been a hairs breath away from sliding under her shirt and placing them under her arms instead, hefting her from him to deposit her back onto the floor as though she were suddenly infectious.

''Holy shit, this is gettin' outta hand.'' He muttered breathlessly, purposefully stepping away from her to wipe a shaky hand down his face. ''This ain't tha time or tha place… an' I sure as hell ain't gonna have my first time touchin' ya be in no damned cramped bathroom with a fuckin' horde closin' in.''

Her chest rising and falling rapidly in remorse, Beth shuddered back to reality before whispering with regret, ''I think they're already here…''

Sure enough, the tell tale sounds of the dead outside began to infiltrate the hollow spaces of the house now that their heavy breathing no longer dominated the air around them. Still reeling from the intensity of having his hands on her, Beth couldn't tell what was making her heart thud more – the direness of the predicament in which they now found themselves or the residual effects of Daryl's fingers from where they had stroked achingly across her nipple.

Stuck in the bathroom, the two of them were now left quietly waiting out the horde as the walkers meandered aimlessly past, the dark house nearby proving to be of no more interest to them than the dead corpses of their companions that they trampled under foot. They groaned and gnashed their teeth as was their nature, at one point seeming to completely surround the place. Afraid to pull a deep breath for fear of making a sound, Beth looked to Daryl as they did so, choosing to take her cues from him as to just how panicked she should be about the situation. He was sitting silently on the edge of the bathtub nearby cleaning the mud from his crossbow, lost in thought about things he didn't feel the need to share as he had them bide their time.

A few hours later, when the last of the moans had long faded away and only the sound of the storm remained, Daryl finally deemed it safe enough for them to emerge. He insisted on checking things out with the flashlight first though, just in case, and left without feeling the need to reiterate that he expected her to stay where she was.

While he was gone, Beth sat there shivering on the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees in an effort to ward off the chill the prolonged contact of her damp clothes against her skin was producing. She had been watching the lone candle in the room for a while now, having noticed that it was close to dying out. With no other candle in the bathroom to replace it and no lighter to light it even if there were, she tried to remain calm as it gave its final flicker and burned out, plunging the small bathroom where she was into blackness.

Hugging herself closer, Beth willed herself not to succumb to the panic that threatened to overtake her, tired of things like the ongoing phobia consistently trying to prove her to be the weaker link on their team. That was how Daryl found her a while later when he finally returned… sitting on the floor exactly where he left her, shivering alone in the dark, holding it together by a thread now that the highs and lows of the evenings events were finally over.

Setting the flashlight on the counter so that its beam could illuminate into the mirror above the porcelain sink, he held a bloodstained hand down to her, ''C'mon.''

Staring up at the offered hand with tears burning her eyes, Beth slid hers into it so he could heft her to her feet. Instead of just leaving it at that, he surprised her by pulling her to him, his arms solid and comforting as he hugged her. Beth didn't question it, clutching at him to bury her face into the damp flannel at his chest. When the irrational fear gradually receded and she was finally able to pull an even breath, she swallowed heavily and forced herself away from his warmth, figuring it highly unlikely that Daryl was naturally the huggy type.

''Sorry.'' She felt the need to say, though she wasn't sure why.

''Ya ain't gotta reason ta be sorry,'' Daryl muttered quietly, stepping away himself. ''Anyways, hordes gone as far as I can tell. Looks like they wandered off towards tha ravine. With any luck they all fell in like tha dumb bastards they are.''

He picked up the flashlight and headed out into the narrow hallway of the apartment. Beth followed behind him, only stopping when he turned around mid-stride with a somewhat apprehensive look on his face.

''Listen, I figure it's best if we still don't take any chances though," He said almost regretfully, his hand tightening around the strap of the crossbow that was now back over his shoulder, "That means we're gonna have'ta keep things dark, at least for tha rest of the night. Can't have even one of them fuckers seeing tha slightest light from in here. I hate it for ya, I really do… but it would be all it would take for us ta lose this place.''

Beth felt her heart drop into her stomach but did her best to hide it. Not sure what to say and exhausted beyond belief, she just nodded that she understood and headed towards the empty darkness that was her room, wanting to bury herself under her covers while the flashlight was on long enough for her to do so. Daryl's voice reached her from where he stood in the doorway of his own, and with the anxiety already starting to take hold, Beth glanced over when he called out her name.

''Ain't sure how ta go about sayin' this so I'll jus' say it an' be done with it. You ain't gotta sleep there by ya self if you don't want to. I ain't attaching no strings or whatever, but if ya wanna come sleep in here with me… well, I'd be a'right with it.'' He released a deep breath, obviously relieved to have gotten the point out he was trying to make as succinctly as he could possibly make it.

''Really?'' Fear alone made Beth want to jump on the offer but realizing what a big step it was for them and the many connotations that could come from it, she couldn't help but ask hesitantly, ''Are you sure that's a good idea?''

''Who knows… probably not." Daryl shrugged, seeming to contemplate it, "Jus' know I'll sleep a hell of a lot better for havin' ya close jus' in case some random shit goes down during tha night, an' hopefully you will too for… well… for whatever reason that makes ya feel better for sayin' yes I guess.''

Beth crossed the hall to stand in front of him. By the look on his face in the offset light, it was clear that it had taken a lot for him to put the offer out there. She didn't want to make it more uncomfortable for him than it already seemed to be but still wanted him to know how much she appreciated it.

''Then yes." She said quietly, looking up at him, "Yes because you know I don't like the dark... yes because it's not so scary when I'm with you...''

His uncertain gaze met hers as she continued sincerely, ''Yes because I trust you and will sleep a lot better for being close to you too, no matter what happens. Is that enough reasons?''

Daryl gave a single stilted nod, almost as though he hadn't believed that she would actually go for it. Taking pity on him, Beth bit back a smile and whispered incredulously, ''Oh my god Daryl! It's not that big a deal! Technically, we've slept in the same bed together two times before and somehow managed to survive, I'm sure we can do so again!''

The stiff set of his shoulders relaxed as the exaggerated point she was trying to make hit home. In an effort to prevent himself from changing his mind, he smirked and swept past her to prop the Horton next to the side of the bed he was obviously choosing. Glancing through the dim beam of the flashlight to where she was pulling the covers down on the other side, Daryl stood there for a moment, still feeling the need to say out loud, ''It ain't like I don't know that… jus' feels different this time.''

Refusing to sleep in her wet boots, she sat down on the mattress and immediately kicked them off. Her socks quickly followed, dropping to the floor next to them. With her ankle throbbing in relief, Beth was in the process of peeling the wet bandage off that was wrapped around it when she glanced over at him. ''Why?''

Tossing the flashlight onto the bed between them, Daryl followed suit and toed off his boots as well, leaving them on the floor to dry next to hers. Upon hearing her response, he pinned her with a typical Daryl-like glare as he said exasperatedly, ''Christ sakes, ya know why!''

Beth smiled widely, unable to help herself. ''Yeah, I know why…'' She teased on a yawn, climbing in the bed to curl up under his covers, ''but... too late now, you already offered…''

''So what ya sayin' then is that I can't take it back?'' Daryl asked, already knowing the answer as he switched off the flashlight and set it on his side table. He climbed in next to her and Beth had to try her best not to accidentally roll on top of him as his weight sunk into the far side of the mattress.

''Nope.'' She whispered nervously as the room fell into darkness, more relieved than she could say that she was there with him and not cowering alone in her own bed. ''You're stuck with me now.''

They lay there a moment listening as the rain slashed heavily at the windows of the bedroom. Although flares of lightning still managed to bleed in through the boards that covered it now and then, the clamorous thunder had eased up, at least for a little while. It was during one of the random lightning strikes that Daryl caught her staring into the darkness wide eyed, unable to help herself. Although Beth was grateful for not being alone, she still found the blackness that dwelled between the sporadic electrical bursts unforgiving, leaving her physically wanting to do nothing else but sleep but mentally unable to do so as it closed in around her.

Observant to a fault, Daryl was too honest to pretend that he hadn't seen it, and Beth didn't think twice when he opened out his arm to her. Curling up at his side, she breathed a sigh of relief as quietly as she could, trying not to revel too much in the comfort he provided as he pulled her in close. Her fingers tangled in the flannel at his chest as her eyes drifted closed, unable to recall any other time in her life when she'd felt so instantly warm and safe.

Beth fell asleep almost immediately, the welcoming oblivion a blessed reprieve after the last few exhausting hours. If she had stayed awake a little while longer though, she would've felt Daryl press his lips to the top of her head, lingering there to say quietly against her, ''Nah, I'm thinkin' it's you that's stuck with me.''

…...

**A lot of you were wondering where I was going to go after Daryl opened that door, and now you know! This was a fun chapter to write because it had some of everything - dialog, walkers, action, sexual interplay and a little bit of romance! Thanks to all who read, follow and favorite "What Still Lies Ahead" as always. For all of those who have consistently taken the time to drop me a comment (I can't believe I have over 200!), this ones for you!**


	29. Chapter 29

…. Chapter 29 ….

It was sometime mid-morning when the storm finally broke and from where he was in bed, Daryl glanced over to the window, taking a moment to appreciate the complete lack of ambient noise it had been making for days now. The rain had seemed to be never ending, fluctuating from torrential downpours to light drizzles but rarely stopping completely. He for one was sick and goddamn tired of it. Cabin fever had set in as it usually did under such dreary circumstances and it felt as though the four walls of the house were steadily closing in on him. Glancing down to the girl sleeping at his side, he couldn't say if she felt the same way.

Shifting slightly so not to wake her, he propped his head on his arm, wishing more than anything that he had a cigarette. He'd been awake for a while now, lost in thought as he contemplated the events of the last few days or so. It had been about that long since the horde had come trudging through and since then several things had changed as far as his and Beth's relationship was concerned, things that she had adjusted to quite easily as was her nature but were definitely taking some getting used to for him.

The most notable of these changes was the fact that she now shared his bed with him every night.

His initial offer had been intended as one time only, not necessarily wanting the temptation she had become to him within arms reach for longer than that. Daryl had thought he had made that perfectly clear, even going so far as to say that a candle at her bedside the following night would be ok. Those good intentions had gone straight to shit as soon as he had come upstairs from locking up to find her already buried under his covers, having either not realized the arrangement was to be temporary or purposefully ignoring his connotations that it was.

He had hovered out in the hallway upon seeing her there, completely at a loss as was his usual reaction when she didn't do as he expected. She had been dead asleep so it wasn't like he could just tell her to get the hell out. Would he have wanted her to go even if he could?

With the significance of the question proving more than he wanted to dwell on, Daryl had slid into bed next to her, feeling more awkward than he could say. She had curled up at his side almost immediately and not having much choice in the matter, he had let her. Although her clothes were dry and she had more of them on this time, it still hadn't changed the fact that her body seemed to sear itself against him. It had taken every effort that he was too exhausted to give in order to suppress the rousing of his dick in his pants and he distinctly remembered breaking into a cold sweat the moment her fingers had wandered innocently over his chest. During the course of their time together the girl had him wound up so tight that whenever it was decided that she was ready for him, he almost felt sorry for her.

Several other things had happened as well, though none of them quite as personally challenging. The wounds he had accrued from his fall into the ravine had healed to the point where she felt his stitches could be removed and yesterday afternoon had been spent back in the bathroom where she had done so, carefully pulling each one out with her assurance that he'd have minimal scarring. It was then she had mustered the courage to ask about the other ones that ran the length of his back.

At first, the subject hadn't been anything he wanted to talk about. Why the hell would he? To him, the faded strips were nothing but the physical remnants of some other lifetime, a bitter reminder of a scared little kid that had taken the beatings because he thought he had fucking deserved 'em. Beth had been patient with him though... kind even… and for reasons far beyond him, Daryl had found himself spilling his guts about it, barely believing he was doing so as the words had come tumbling out of his mouth.

She had listened without judgment, encouraging him only when he faltered, and when he was done Daryl had looked down to where she was kneeling at his side somewhat apprehensively, expecting to see the pity he didn't need and sure as hell wasn't asking for in the lucid depths of her eyes. Much to his overwhelming relief, it hadn't been there. Instead, she seemed to accept the whole sordid story for what it was intended to be: an unfortunate recollection - no more, no less. That was all the scars were to him, just souvenirs of a shitty childhood that he just so happened to carry around on his back.

''No child should have to go through that.'' Beth had said quietly, clearly swallowing at the lump in her throat as she continued pulling the thread from the wound she was working on, ''I'm really sorry that happened to you.''

Completely lost in thoughts of the past, Daryl stared unseeingly across the other side of the bathroom from where he was sitting on the hamper. With the sound of her voice dragging him back through the murky haze of the memory, he had just muttered, ''Yeah… well, what's done is done. Ain't no point in dwellin' on it.''

She looked up at him, her brows drawing. ''Are… you upset that I asked?''

Daryl thought about it for quite some time before shaking his head. ''Nah. Jus'… ain't never talked about it with anyone before. Truth be told, I'm kinda surprised that ya didn't say somethin' when ya saw 'em tha first time… knowin' how much ya like makin' me uncomfortable with personal questions an' all.''

His thoughts drifted back to how she had touched him after his fall, her fingers skimming lightly over the pale raised skin. That she chose to do so had made him so tense that he had buried his head in the crook of his arm in a lame attempt to avoid the questions she was likely chomping at the bit to ask. To him, the matter was considered to be usually off limits, a part of himself that he preferred to keep hidden like the scars themselves. Even Merle didn't know the shit he had just voluntarily and unintentionally told her and that was blood.

His brother knew the scars existed, but that had only been by accident. The two of them had been in the woods arguing about raiding the campsite just outside Atlanta and, in true Dixon family form, had quickly gotten to brawling about it. He had called his brother the simple minded piece of shit that he was and Merle had reacted accordingly, kicking his ass and tearing the shirt on his back in the process. The bullshit excuses had come almost immediately and it was at that very moment that Daryl had known that there was no future in him trying to survive with his brother. The excessive noise coming from the two of them had been heard by Andrea and Dale, who had then introduced them to Shane, Lori and everyone else. The chance encounter had set Daryl on the path to where he was today so he guessed he couldn't look back on it too regretfully.

His relationship with his brother contentious by nature, the realization he had come to about Merle that day was probably the reason why he had found it so easy to leave for the CDC with everyone else when they had chosen to go. He had talked a lot of shit in hopes that his brother was alive but looking back on it now, he had been mostly just been relieved to be out from under his oppressive influence.

''I wanted too,'' Beth was saying, unknowingly pulling him back to the moment, ''but… I didn't want you to get mad at me like you usually do when I ask you such things.''

''First up, I don't get mad.'' Daryl smirked, almost desperate to lighten the heavy pall that had come over the conversation. Making a point to ignore the exaggerated eye roll the response elicited, he then said, ''Secondly, it's only 'cause I'm always tha one bein' asked all tha questions. Between you an' tha rain, I've been talkin' about my damn self for two days straight now. Don't see me askin' you a bunch of shit you don't feel like answerin' now, do ya?''

''No...'' She said, applying antibiotic to the last wound that needed it before indicating that she was finished. Daryl stood up to check her handiwork in the bathroom mirror and was relieved to find the mottled scar tissue around the suture lines to be as minimal as she said it would be after all.

''…but you could.'' She continued as she began cleaning up the mess they had created. ''You can ask me anything you want. You just choose not to. Unlike you, I actually want to know more about you and at least I'm not afraid to ask _despite_ knowing how much it irritates you.''

From where he was by the sink, Daryl turned around. ''Ain't that I choose not to, jus' don't think you'd like answerin' tha kind'a things that I wanna know, is all.''

At that, Beth paused and looked over at him. ''Try me.''

Daryl regarded her for a long moment, unable to help himself. She looked beautiful from where she was still kneeling on the bathroom floor. With the minimal light that managed to make it through the window playing in her hair, it cast a glow around her, making her pale skin even more luminous if that was at all possible. The tempting curves of her body were accentuated by the tight little t-shirt she wore and silky patches of skin at her knees were bared by the holes in her jeans. The combination had him staring at her until her need for a response broke the unwitting trance he was in.

Realizing the dangerous territory the line of questioning he had in mind could take them into, he shook his head. ''You don't want that, I'm tellin' ya now.'' He muttered, '''Sides, us doin' what ya askin' didn't turn out too well tha last time we tried it, remember? Way I figure, we've talked plenty. Hell, I can't recall another time where I've ever heard tha sound of my own voice as much.''

His referral to the drunken game the two of them had engaged in so long ago caused Beth to pause hesitantly on the edge of what she was requesting. Taking a moment to think about it, she squared her shoulders determinedly and said, ''That other time was different. It was my first time drinking so I can't really be held accountable for what happened and secondly, I promise… unlike some people, I won't get offended by what you ask.''

Daryl felt himself getting caught up in her conviction. The girl was so eager at the prospect of him asking her something more personal about herself that she was settling down more comfortably on her heels in anticipation of it. With the rain outside ensuring that he had nothing much else to do other than preoccupy himself with thoughts of her anyway, he was unraveled enough to oblige her. If the whole thing blew up in her face… well, she only had herself to blame. The way he figured, she almost deserved for it for being a constant reminder of what was fully within his reach yet was still so goddamn unattainable.

''A'right...'' His brows rose skeptically, still somewhat unsure that she could handle what it was he had in mind. With a resigned sigh, he came back over to sit down on the hamper. Beth swiveled around and situatied herself in front of him excitedly.

He pulled at the scruff on his chin. ''Hmm… lemme think about it… guessin' I'll start with somethin' easy…'' Daryl thought about it for a moment longer before asking, ''Why are ya still a virgin for? Were ya waitin' for marriage or somethin'?''

Her eyes understandably widened. ''_That's_ the easy question?!''

''Ya said anything.'' He said unapologetically, leaning back against the wall behind him before throwing his hands up defensively. ''Hey, if ya can't handle it, we can pack up shop right here, right now...''

Blinking in surprise, Beth snapped her jaw shut from where it had fallen open and pulled a deep breath. She pondered the question for a moment before pushing her hair behind her ear and saying, ''No, it's ok… I'll answer it... even though there's not much to say. There's no specific reason really, it just turned out to be that way. I don't know… I guess I just never met anyone I cared enough about to want to take it to that level.''

''Ya had guys try though?'' Jesus, how the fuck had _that_ slipped out?

''Yeah. I mean, they tried…'' She shrugged honestly, ''A couple of dates from high school… Jimmy… Usually just kissing, maybe a back seat attempt to feel me up here and there, but that was about it. Then the turn happened and… well, other things became way more important.''

With her response churning in his head, Daryl regarded her for a moment before leaning forward and placing his forearms on his knees. His new position set the two of them face to face with each other and Beth gasped involuntarily at the sudden close proximity of it. He stared down at her for long while before asking, ''Any of 'em know how sensitive ya are… right here… right behind ya ear?''

His voice was low on the air as he reached out to touch her exactly where he was proving his point. The azure blue of her eyes darkened immediately as the calloused pad of his finger swept over the delicate skin there to trace slowly down the line of her neck. A flush of heat seared across her paleness, staining her skin as it followed the path he was taking. Daryl pointedly watched its progress, surprised as shit to find he was jealous of a bunch of assholes that were probably long dead by now.

Caught in the kinetic moment that neither had anticipated, Beth stared at him as if in a trance before slightly shaking her head no.

Pinning her under the intensity of his gaze, Daryl continued. ''Ya said that ya know what's happening here between us ain't a game, I wanna know if ya meant it.''

Swallowing heavily, she managed to say on a whisper, "I did."

From how close he was to her, he could see that her pulse was racing, the throbbing current highlighted by the fine sheen of moisture that now glistened at the base of her slender throat.

''You sure 'bout that?'' He asked, absolutely meaning it. His gaze rose from where his fingers were lingering. '''Cause this ain't no high school game ta me. It ain't never been a matter of jus' feeling ya up an' leavin' it at that. When I said I wanted more, I meant it. I'm talkin' about me havin' my mouth on you wherever I can get it an' you naked and wantin' me to … ya understand what I'm sayin' to you?''

"Yes." She breathed, her chest heaving as the stirring connotations of his words raked over her.

''I want ya to think long an' hard before ya decide ta take that step with me. Once you do, there ain't no goin' back. I care about ya, enough ta where I'm respecting tha boundaries that ya settin' for us, but if whatever this thing between us actually decides ta happens, then you're in it with me… jus' as much as I am.''

Beth slightly nodded, making it clear that she understood.

Dropping his hand back to the safety of his side, Daryl could tell by the completely aroused look in her eyes that he could easily push what he wanted and overwhelm her into making a decision right there and then, she was that far gone. A few key words spoken at the right frequency at the very spot where he had just touched her and he could do all that he had just said and more. She would let him too, her inexperience in such matters being no match for what he had in mind. Beth may not know it but he had the purely masculine advantage of knowing all of her body's trigger points. If he were a lesser person, he could use them against her... arouse her to the point where she would be breathlessly begging him to do as he promised...

Instead Daryl chose not to, realizing how unfair it would be to both of them. He wanted to give her the time he had just insisted she take in order to think upon his words. He'd be straight lying if he said that he didn't feel better for having said them. His expectations laid out, he had cleared his conscious as much as his limited emotional capacity had allowed and now felt free to let whatever was going to happen between them happen. Any decision made about it from this point would be up to her.

….

Back in the present, Daryl glanced down to where the very person who was dominating his thoughts still lay sleeping on him. Beth hadn't moved the whole time he'd been awake and try as he might, it was hard to ignore just how damn good she felt in his arms. He had thought about the conversation they'd had yesterday in the bathroom several times since it had happened, his feelings about it ranging from determined indifference to apprehensive anticipation. While it went without saying that he was insanely attracted to her, deep down he knew it had become about something more.

He was invested… in ways that he never thought possible. She mattered to him more than he cared to admit, and as someone who wore his antisocial tendencies like an iron clad suit of armor it wasn't something that he had foreseen happening. She had found a way past his reserves with no false pretenses on his end or trying to be something he'd never be... she understood him, better than most… maybe even more so than his own brother.

That he'd been able to open up to her about the worst aspect of his life yesterday had been one thing, but the fact that he'd been able to do so without his normal defense mechanisms kicking into overdrive was something else entirely. In the past, his natural inclination to be an asshole usually reared its ugly head when talking about such things, despite any intentions he might have to keep himself in check. It wasn't something he could help, more just a sullen tendency to believe that he was being judged even when the person supposedly doing so gave no indication of it one way or the other.

His childhood had always been a sore subject for him and the shitty feelings he had about it had only become more pronounced once he had met the likes of Rick, Dale and Hershel. Accomplished men all, they had only made him want to bury the sentiments even deeper as he attained a level of respect from each of them that he never expected. He had decided long ago that his upbringing was his to deal with and his alone. While shameful and violent, he had learned to extract what he needed from it and to leave the rest to rot in the past where it belonged. It made him a survivor and was probably the reason he had adapted to the new world order as well as he had.

With all that in mind, Daryl didn't know what it was about Beth that made her so easy to talk to… her of all people. Maybe it was because she had a tendency to look at him with those luminous blue eyes... maybe it was because he trusted her… hell, he couldn't say. He just knew that he had told her all kinds of fucked up things about himself over the course of the last few days and she hadn't been swayed in the slightest. Their conversations had been personally revealing in more ways than one and looking back in hindsight, he had undoubtedly come to intuitive conclusions about her while being straight up honest about himself.

It was then that he knew that he understood her too. Patient and kind when he deserved neither, Beth saw the best in him and could somehow convince him of it even when he didn't see it himself. Unlike most, she hadn't let the turn change her and still believed in the good of people until unfortunately proven otherwise. She had managed to persuade him of it as well, he who was so jaded that everyone he met had the shittiest of intentions before they even said or did a goddamn thing. Even as he held tight to his adamance she didn't hold it against him, accepting his inherent mentality as she slowly went about debunking it using just her words and actions alone.

The two of them had passed so many turning points now that for him, sex was the only uncharted thing left between them to explore. They were currently circling one another, having provocatively tested the waters. Maybe it was the instincts that came naturally to him as a hunter but he could sense that Beth was close to giving herself over to him. From the sultry look that had been in her eyes yesterday to the way she panted into his mouth when he kissed her… the time was definitely drawing near.

And when it happened, it wouldn't be him just fucking some random girl. She was special and again, he was invested. He shouldn't have allowed himself to get this attached but it was too damn late now. Like he told her, there was no going back and that went for the both of them. Standing on the edge of losing himself in this thing as well, there was no way in hell he was going to do so alone...

Beth yawned from next to him, pulling Daryl from his pensive thoughts. Faint glimmers of sunlight filtered across the bare arm she had at his chest before sifting up and over her shoulder. As it touched upon her face, she rolled away from him with a sigh, repositioning her pillow under her head and falling back asleep like she had never stirred to begin with.

Free now from the tangle of arms and legs that had been thrown over him, Daryl took the opportunity to push himself quietly from the bed. He had a ton of shit that he needed to do and wanted to take advantage of the fact that the rain had stopped in order to do it. He had lain there a lot longer than he preferred, wasting time that could have gone to better use, but he had been too content to care. As he shoved his arms through the sleeves of his jacket, he looked back down to the girl sprawled in his bed.

It was hard not to find the unknown situation the two of them were on the verge of heading into completely daunting. He had never been with a virgin before and wasn't quite sure of what to expect. Complicating the issue further was the fact that he cared for Beth. That alone set her far and apart from the multiple faceless others he had slept with in the past. Feeling all the pressure that came from such realizations, Daryl could only hope that he didn't fuck up as was his usual nature when he personally put it all on the line. Just this once, he'd like for his intentions to not disheartenly blow up in his face so that he could do right by her and make her first time something memorable.

Taking the sunlight straining to infiltrate the room as a sign that he had stewed about the two of them long enough, Daryl slung the Horton over his shoulder and went downstairs. The plethora of things churning in his head were starting to wear on him and the lapse in the storm was exactly what he needed to take a break from them.

…...

**No copyright infringement intended against The Walking Dead or its characters. **

**Thank you for reading, following and/or commenting. **

**"What Still Lies Ahead" is intended for fans of Daryl and Beth ****and those who believe that the two of them could have had so much more than what was shown on the show. **


	30. Chapter 30

… Chapter 30 ….

''What the fuck are you talking about, man?''

Len could barely believe what he was being told and he glanced over to where Dan was standing off to the side of the kitchen to see if he was as personally affronted by it as he was. Unable to sleep because of the thoughts churning darkly in his head, he had come downstairs to find Joe, Tony and Dan talking seriously in the kitchen, the drunken revelry of earlier having tiredly abated as the night had worn on. As soon as he had made his presence known Len could tell the three had been discussing the situation at hand, the almost guilty silence they had all fallen into being a dead giveaway.

For his part, Dan looked agitated but deferring. He shuffled uncomfortably back and forth on his feet as though completely aware that the decision they had arrived at was about to bring holy hell down upon them.

''I'm not saying that the man and the girl aren't important,'' Joe sighed, leaning back against the counter to stare over at Len. Having obviously expected the reaction he was getting, he continued by saying placatingly, ''but we at least know that the fella that did this to Lou is in the immediate area. Now, I'm real sorry to have to tell you this but he takes priority.''

Len swiped his hand down his face, pissed off beyond belief that he had waited all this time only to be told this. A couple of hours left to his own devices and suddenly this fucking asshole decides to renege on his word. Why the hell was he surprised by this?

''That's bullshit an' you know it!'' He bit out, unable to help himself. ''That motherfucker is long gone! What do you think he did? Set up camp on our fucking driveway just to see if we'd go lookin' for him? Man, he bailed a long time ago!''

''You don't know that.'' Tony muttered, feeling the need to throw his two cents in like his opinion was asked for or cared about. ''Besides, I can track him and at least this dudes prints head out from right here unlike the people you're looking for. If anyone's long gone, I'm thinkin' it's them.''

Len shoved a finger into his ear like something unwarranted was annoyingly buzzing in it. He could barely bring himself to glare over and spit out, ''Did I fucking ask you to chime in, asshole? You can't track for shit! Last time you tried, we all ended up back where we started just staring at our asses!''

''That's enough.'' Joe held up his hands as the two men stepped towards each other like they were about to go to blows. His face a blank slate of indifference, he spoke as if secure in the knowledge that his decision wasn't going to be challenged in any way other than verbally. ''Like it or not, I don't give a shit. I've made my decision, Lou comes first.''

Both men stepped back reluctantly as Joe told everyone to go get some sleep before they all headed out at first light. The look on his face made it clear that he would broker no further goddamn argument about it and he glared around the room as though daring any of them to try and test that theory.

With his fury no where near abated, Len eyed the dirty frying pan sitting on the stove next to him, seriously contemplating picking it up and smashing it across their so-called leader's unrelentingly smug looking face. Instead he shoved his way through the kitchen's back door and headed outside, seething silently as he lit what was left of the joint in his pocket in an effort to calm himself down.

It was sometime later when he heard the screen door open and he glanced over to see Dan scanning the darkness of the yard in an effort to find him. Catching sight of the glowing red tip in the distance, he followed the same path Len had taken earlier, keeping the dead grass underfoot until he arrived at the picnic table they all used to smoke at. Still feeling bitter and unsociable, Len just glared at him, silently encouraging that he say what he came out to say so he could hurry up and fuck off back inside the house and leave him the hell alone.

''Lemme get a hit on that.'' Dan said quietly, eyeing what was left of the joint as he ignored the sour look on its owner's face.

Len took a hit and passed it over. ''Shouldn't you be tucked away in bed with the rest of the children?'' He groused out on a cloud of smoke.

Dan glanced back over to the darkened house and took a long toke. Coughing into the cool air around them, he managed to wheeze, ''Why? Ain't like I give two shits about Lou. Only thing his death means to me is that I get first dibs on his bed an' that's it.''

Taking note of the rancor in the mans tone, Len leaned forward to take back what was left of the joint. Now that he thought back on it, he had a vague recollection of Lou and Dan not getting along… most likely something to do yet again with the stupid LTD. Goes to show how much attention he paid to the other men he was forced to live with. With all of the grudgy bickering and personality clashes constantly going on, Len guessed that it was saying something that they all hadn't killed each other. Shit, he knew he had thought about offing some of his cohorts more times than he cared to remember. Guess they were all damn lucky that they had never gotten on his nerves bad enough for him to have to resort to actually doing so.

At least Lou and Harley deaths were going to help thin out the herd somewhat. There were way too many of them all crammed together under one roof as far as Len was concerned. Even with most of the group currently out raiding, the house was still way too crowded. Joe seemed hell bent on recruiting any dirt bag piece of shit they came across, the only prerequisite to join being a general disregard for the well being of others. While the two dead men hadn't necessarily been the worst offenders, they wouldn't exactly be missed either.

Dan's irate words continued to linger in his ear where they planted a seed that slowly began to germinate...

"Yeah… fuck Lou." Len muttered harshly, meaning it.

As the joint swapped hands between them a few more times, both men sharing it came to the conclusion that the only reason they were being told to go after the son of a bitch that had killed Lou was because Joe had lost his favorite yes man in the house. That's all Lou had been... a brown nosing boot licker who had believed himself to have a degree of authority that nobody else had ever once recognized. Much like a mangy dog, he had been all bark and no bite, seeming to go out of his way to be the first to concur with any hair brained idea that Joe could come up with.

While it was clear that Dan's feelings about the dead man ran a lot more personal than that, Len's were much more singular. Right now Lou's fat bloated corpse was the only reason he was stuck sitting there being told what to do like a chump. If Joe had his way, all of them would be up at first light chasing after a man that none of them had ever fucking seen who had killed a man that nobody had remotely even cared about.

With the blonde girl consuming his thoughts, Len looked over at Dan, seeing a potential ally where he had never thought to look before. His mind scheming, he passed the joint back over...

''Man, I wish you could've seen that bitch… '' Len lamented, making it sound as though he was waxing nostalgic more so to himself than to the person listening intently. Trying to infuse as much regret as possible into the simple statement, he gave the illusion that his cohort had missed out on something truly special. Seeing in his peripherals that he had Dan's complete attention, Len continued spinning his web, needed to ensnare the man into doing what needed to be done. ''She was so goddamn beautiful… bright blue eyes in an angels face… and the tightest lil' body you ever done see…''

''Aw man, are you serious?'' Dan's eyes glazed over as his stoned imagination ran wild.

Len's eyes narrowed, ''I tell you what, she ain't nothing like what we've ever seen here before… so sweet. An' what's more is that she wanted it. Man, she wanted it so bad you could practically taste it all over her. Swear I could've closed the deal if that asshole hadn't come along an' ruined it. I mean, shit man… look what that dick did to the car! Now, I don't know 'bout you but I thought that shit was un-fuckin'necessary..."

He could practically see the angry thoughts begin accumulating in Dan's head, proving yet again that some people were easy to manipulate as long as they had a discernable weakness to exploit. Len shrugged resignedly, acting as though the situation was well beyond either one of their control. ''Ain't nothing we can do about I guess. You an' me? We both got screwed… just not in the way we could of if that hot lil' piece of ass were here with us now…''

Needing no further convincing, Dan pulled Harley's gun from where it was tucked in the back of his pants along with the keys for the LTD from his pocket and sat them both on the table between them. ''Like I said, ain't like I give a shit about Lou... or Joe for that matter. What'd you have in mind?''

Unable to help himself, Len smiled slyly into the darkness that surrounded them and presented his game plan like he was formulating it right there and then without having given it any forethought. With Dan and the LTD on board, it saved him from having to pilfer the keys to the truck from Joe. Having the car at his disposal was going to help facilitate things greatly and if its owner became a problem… well, he would just kill him and blame the biters.

When Len was finished laying out his agenda and everything that was necessary in order to get it done, Dan had one question and one question only. ''What makes you so damn sure that we'll even be able to find 'em?''

''Because if things go down the way I suspect they will, we won't have too.'' Len said assuredly, ''One or both of them will come to us.''

Smiling, Dan just nodded, seeming to trust in the conviction of his partners hatred.

''You just make sure and get that gear from storage and have it in the car. We're gonna need it if the rains hits like I think it's going to. Not that I much care mind you, I'm pretty goddamn sick an' tired of being cooped up in this shithole being told what to do.''

''I heard that.'' Dan said, his eyes now gritty and bloodshot. Standing up, he shoved the weapon and keys back in his pockets, now completely on board as long as he got some payback on the bastard who fucked up his car. Getting a piece of the girl along with a free supply of weed... shit, those were just cherries on the cake as far as he was concerned.

The two men separated determinedly, Len going back into the house while Dan made his way to the garage. Each had things to gather before they met up in an hour and both needed to be gone long before the rest of the house woke up. Once Len had everything he needed loaded in his bag, he grabbed his crossbow and his Glock and headed outside. Dan was smoking a cigarette while he waited for him, all the items they had talked about packed and ready in the trunk.

The two men pushed the car well out of earshot of the house, waiting until they were far enough down the street before eventually climbing in and starting it up. With the engine rumbling to life in his ear, Len fired up another joint, finding that he was so goddamn excited for the hunt ahead of him that he could barely sit still in the passenger seat. As Dan purposefully drove them past the random walkers that littered the area, he took a hit and passed it over, hoping that it wasn't too late for what he had planned. With his mind clouding blissfully into a marijuana induced haze, the LTD drove him back… back to where it all began.

…..

Beth woke up to find herself all alone, just like she had every morning since she had started sleeping with Daryl. She lay there for a moment and stared at the indentation left in his pillow, still somewhat surprised how easy it had been to fall into the habit of heading straight for his bedroom at night. Equally surprising was the fact that he continued to let her... not that she had given him much choice on the matter. She could honestly say that she didn't feel too bad about it, figuring that if Daryl had an issue with it, he was more than capable of opening his mouth and saying so.

Somehow the topic had never come up for discussion, despite the many conversations they'd had since the horde had passed through. That had been a few days ago now and with the rain pouring non stop, it wasn't like there was much else for either of them to do. Even Daryl seemed to realize it, confined uncomfortably enough to be initially irritated by her attempts to get him to open up before eventually and begrudgingly doing so. Beth found that once she got him talking though, the interaction between them flowed quite naturally, to the point where she wondered out loud why the two of them had never conversed that way before.

''Who knows,'' He had said with a slight shrug as he finished the jar of peanut butter he was working on. ''Don't think it was somethin' that could've happened at tha prison.''

''Why is that?'' Beth replied, taking a moment to think about it. ''I mean, I'd like to think we were at least friends and friends normally talk to each other, don't they? I'm just wondering why it was that we never actually did.''

Daryl looked up from the empty jar in his hand. ''Because we ain't jus' talkin', that's why.'' He muttered, stating the obvious. '' 'Sides, ya dad would've had my ass on a platter if I ever so much as looked at ya sideways, Maggie right there in line right behind him. Guessin' it was lucky for me that I always had enough on my plate ta make sure that never happened… you did too. It's jus' tha way it was... guessin' there ain't much point in sittin' around long after the fact wonderin' about it."

While all that was true, Beth couldn't help but be a little sad for the wasted opportunity. If there was one thing the turn had shown her, it was that life was too short not to grasp at the smallest things that made the struggle to survive worth the effort. Knowing what she knew about Daryl now only made her wish she had bothered to see past the persona he had worn so well while they had both lived there. It had effectively masked the person she now knew him to be, isolating him from everyone around him except for Rick and occasionally Carol.

Surrounded by the protective nature of her family, it wasn't like she hadn't been stuck in her own bubble as well. Purposefully choosing to pay as much attention to him as he did to her, she had gone on about her business without so much as giving him a second thought. The two of them had lived that way for months, barely acknowledging the other even existed unless it was absolutely necessary. It was only when the rug had been pulled out from under them that their preconceived notions about each other had been set aside, leaving them with no other choice but to try and survive together.

Since Daryl had been in a rare talkative mood, Beth had taken advantage of it, asking him anything she could think of in an effort to know as much about him as she could. Over a sparse dinner of peanut butter and chicken noodle soup, she managed to somehow pry out of him that had he spent some time in a foster home as a child, that he had an older sister that went there with him that he hadn't seen since and that the tattoo on his back was the result of a drunken dare from his brother. She also found out that he actually hadn't spent any time in jail, he just was quick to be offended by the assumption that he had.

Turnabout being fair play, Daryl had also taken the opportunity to ask a few questions of his own, his methods a lot more direct as was his nature. Finding it easy to respond despite the fact, Beth had shared that her dream before the end of the world had struck was to be a veterinarian, that she had been planning to go to college as far away from the farm as she could possibly get and the very personal reason behind the blotched attempt on her own life a few weeks after his arrival. Daryl had been predictably blunt when asking about it and when she was done Beth had held her breath apprehensively, expecting him to be disparaging judgmental or worse, disappointed. Instead, he had just listened intently before chalking the whole situation up to an unfortunate lesson learned.

As the ongoing storm turned the cemetery outside into a muddy bog, the two of them did whatever they could to kill time as they waited it out. Stuck in the large house together with no end in sight, Daryl seemed to go purposefully out of his way to avoid the sexual tension that now churned unwaveringly between them, going so far as to stay in the opposite end of the house in an effort to avoid it. For some reason, it didn't stop him from still coming to bed with her though and Beth couldn't help but wonder yet again why he refused to say anything if the thought of being so close to her seemed to throw him off balance so much.

Despite all of these connotations to the contrary, she would sometimes catch him staring at her, his gaze hot and steady as it caused all of the nervous yearnings inside of her to throb heavily to life along with her pulse. Often caught in a moment that she hadn't necessarily anticipated, Beth could only drop her eyes shyly, stuck lingering on the brink of her trepidation as he waited for her to give him the word.

Much like the skilled hunter she knew him to be, Daryl was just patiently biding his time… lying in silent wait as he slowly drew her in. Unsure of herself, Beth felt like the fawn in the scenario, skittish about taking that final step as her body and mind warred with each other. Making matters even more complicated was that her heart had now joined the fray, the budding feelings she was having for him fighting to be heard over the other more prevalent emotions that were attempting to consume her.

It wasn't until yesterday that Daryl had kissed her again, the last time being the breathtaking interaction they'd had in the bathroom the night the horde had trudged through. She had taken out his stitches earlier in the afternoon and somehow the conversation between them had inexplicably veered towards the topic of her virginity. Beth had been honest with him, answering anything that he wanted to know. In return, Daryl had been arousingly straight forward with her, setting his expectations for them on the line so that she could think carefully about her own.

Last night Beth had been in the process of doing just that, completely lost in thought about it as she had been for most of the evening. She was sitting on the bed attempting to read one of the books he had given her when she heard the front door open and Daryl come striding up the stairs. While she had known it was him due to the telltale sound the crossbow made at his back, what was not so easy to decipher was the reason for his determined haste. He had been outside removing the dead bodies that had been trampled into the mud while there had been a lull in the storm for him to do so. Had he seen something else while he'd been out there? Another horde coming their way? Maybe it was people, the men from the store...

Beth had felt her heart begin to accelerate at the thought and she stood up, her fingers clutching the book in her hand if only to prepare herself for whatever bad news he sounded hell bent upon delivering.

''What's the matter?'' She rushed to ask the moment he came into the room.

The question had barely crossed the small space between them before his mouth came down hard upon hers. Taking an involuntary step back under the weight of it, Beth could only gasp in surprise, the blood in her veins now racing for a completely different reason. The book in her hand dropped unheeded to the floor and she clung to his jacket as her lips instinctually parted, allowing his tongue to penetrate inside as it insistently grazed around her own. Daryl held her in place for his intentions, both of his hands at the delicate slope of her neck. The scruff at his chin dragged across her softness before he pulled away to leave her panting helplessly where his lips had been.

Her eyes now heavy and glazed, Beth managed to breathe out, ''What… was that… for?''

Seemingly satisfied that he had gotten the reaction he had wanted, Daryl slowly released her and stepped back from the further temptation she provided. ''Ain't gotta be a reason. Been thinkin' 'bout kissin' tha shit outta you for that last four hours, reckoned I done waited long enough.''

''Why didn't you just do it four hours ago?'' She asked sincerely, really wanting to know.

It had been about that long since their conversation in the bathroom, the one where he had made it breathtakingly clear that his intentions were to kiss her all over. The stirring promise and the low voice it had been spoken in had stroked over her like a kinetically physical caress, completely turning her on to the point where she had wanted to surge onto him and insist that he stop talking and just do so immediately. As observant as Daryl was, he must have known the effect it had on her and she was now left wondering why he hadn't taken advantage of it.

''Probably could've… maybe even more.'' He said as he gave her a knowing look through the hair that hung limply in his face. ''But it wouldn't have been fair ta ask ya to think long an' hard 'bout the step we're on the verge of making an' then force ya ta make it right then an' there now would it?''

Although she hadn't thought of that, Beth felt her heart swell affectionately at the fact that he had. Pausing for a moment, Daryl adjusted the strap of the crossbow at his chest before saying with a regretful smirk. '' 'Sides, you might 'a been a'right with it but… well, it weren't necessarily tha best time for me. Turns out I ain't one that much appreciates hearin' how other guys had gotten ta kiss ya.''

''But you're the one that asked!'' She gasped out, for some reason the simply spoken sentiment making her ridiculously happy.

''Yeah… sat there a while kickin' myself afterwards for doin' so too.'' Daryl muttered, his gaze dropping to the floor between them. ''Never figured myself ta be tha jealous type… but then again, ain't like I've ever had too damn much ta be jealous of neither.''

With the warmth of her smile still lingering, Beth surged onto her bare toes to hug him, her eyes closing as his arms wrapped around her to crush her tightly to him. When had this man gone from meaning nothing to her to meaning everything? To make sure he knew it, she kissed him by his ear before whispering there, ''The others had only been what it had taken to get me here… right here where I am with you. You're all that matters to me. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else with anyone else… there's only you.''

….

**Reviews and comments are appreciated as always! I'd just like to thank janetsnakeholemacklin for all the encouragement, I was able to finish up this chapter and post it today because of it. Thank you! **


	31. Chapter 31

….. Chapter 31 …..

Beth smiled on a yawn from where she still lay in bed, unable to help herself. Never one to shy away from putting herself out there emotionally, she didn't regret what she had said to Daryl yesterday in the slightest. The words had been sincerely spoken and were something that she felt he needed to hear. In response for being told it Daryl had kissed her again rousingly, his mouth lingering longer than was necessary to achieve whatever his reasons for doing so may have been. The surge of affection she'd felt because of it had left her aching, and with the memory of it still stirring strongly at her heart Beth kicked off the covers and pushed herself from the warmth of the bed.

She shoved her feet into her boots, happier than she should be to see the faint glimmers of sunlight struggling to light the dim interior of the room. Its reassuring presence matched the lightheartedness of her mood and she briefly allowed herself to hope that it could mean an end to the storm system that had raged over the area for days now. With winter just beginning it was highly unlikely, but Beth just couldn't bring herself to marr the brightness of the day with thoughts of another torrentially depressing downpour.

Heading downstairs, she caught a peek of herself in the main lobby mirror and ground to a halt, unable to help herself. Yesterdays encounter with Daryl had left faint scuff marks on her skin, trace evidence of the stubble that lined his jaw. Knowing that he had been jealous was partially the reason why she had woken up this morning feeling like she was on top of the world, having never guessed such a thing was even possible. The fact that he had gone so far as to actually tell her only added fuel to the inclinations she was having about him. She could be wrong but she took it to potentially mean that she might not be the only one putting herself out there emotionally after all.

Taking a moment to sweep the loose hair from her face, Beth stepped out onto the front porch to find Daryl nowhere in sight. Squinting in the late morning daylight she pulled a deep breath, feeling completely renewed and invigorated for reasons she preferred to keep to herself. The sun burning away at the scattered clouds lingering overhead cast long shadows on the driveway leading up to the house. Already done with the books Daryl had scavenged for her, she was glad to see it. She had been starting to get a little stir crazy being cooped up inside for so long.

Beth climbed over the makeshift detection system that still hung between the porch posts and followed the mud trails left behind by the dead walker bodies Daryl had dragged to the back yard. Sure enough, he was back there as well, lining the trampled bodies up in a seemingly more organized manner. The effort the endeavor was requiring had the back of his shirt soaked in sweat and the bare sinew of his arms glistening. Completely preoccupied with the task at hand, he pulled another body from the haphazard pile he had been forced to toss the walkers into previously and dragged it over to lay it next to the one before. As she approached, he glanced over at her through the damp hair that hung in his eyes.

Caught firmly in his gaze Beth abruptly froze, all rational processes she relied upon to act normally falling to the wayside.

She was in love with him.

The revelation hitching painfully in her throat, it suddenly became incredibly difficult to breathe. She put a hand to her chest as if doing so could suppress the admission that had her reeling in its wake. Oh God! What happened to the desperate assurances she had made to herself that she wouldn't let that happen?! Somehow… despite all of her defenses and the obstacles that had been thrown in his path… he had managed to find his way to her heart when she had least expected it. Now, with the vulnerable organ in question beating a mile per minute, Beth could only stand there gasping, barely aware that Daryl was now staring at her with a look of concern on his face.

''Hey, what's all this about?'' He asked as he stalked over. He put a hand on her arm. ''What tha hell? Ya a'right?''

''I'm fine.'' She rushed to say, groaning internally as the high pitched tone in which she said it completely belied the intended casualness of the words themselves. Now in a state of being acutely cognizant of him, the hand he had at her elbow seemed to sear through the top layers of her skin.

She forced herself to draw a calming breath, doing so as quietly as she could possibly manage. The look on Daryl's face made it clear that he didn't quite believe her. As much as she would prefer to not have to converse with him over the tidal wave of emotions that currently held her in their grip, she pulled herself together enough to say, ''I… I guess I just got lightheaded there for a moment. Um, probably from… seeing the sun for the first time in forever…''

''Ya sure?'' He stepped back to give her some room. ''Ya look paler than these dead bastards here an' that's sayin' somethin'.''

''Really, I'm fine.'' Beth assured as her heart calmed itself enough to stop trying to beat its way out of her chest. ''So, anyway… what are you doing?''

Although Daryl probably thought it was completely obvious, he indulged her by saying, ''Jus' gettin' these bodies ready for burning. Seeing that tha weathers cooperating, figured I'd take advantage of it. Damn things are soggy as shit though, they're gonna have'ta dry out somewhat before I can take a torch to 'em.'' He pulled his bandana from his pocket and wiped away the sheen of sweat that the hard work had caused on his face. ''Either way, weren't gonna leave 'em lying all over tha place attracting all kinds of attention that we ain't necessarily needin' right now.''

Beth glanced over to the line of dead walkers he had lain out side by side, for some reason inexplicably realizing that normal circumstances would have them be buried in the very cemetery they were standing in while surrounded by friends and loved ones. ''Do you think it'll stay dry long enough for them to do so?''

Daryl dropped to his haunches next to the dead body of an emaciated male and begun digging through its jacket pockets. ''Hope so, at least for the next couple 'a days anyways.''

He pulled out a saturated pack of cigarettes like he had just struck gold. Checking to see just how wet the smokes were, he carefully pulled them all out and laid them on the flat granite of the closest tomb, letting them dry in the sun along with the others he had found.

''Why just for the next couple of day?'' Beth asked, momentarily confused.

He paused for a moment before turning to regard her seriously. ''It's gonna take me 'bout that long ta go get tha bike.'' He said, leaving it at that.

Beth felt her chest constrict. ''You mean 'us', right?… it's going to take 'us' that long to go get the bike.''

Daryl sighed, seemingly having expected her to say such a thing. ''Nah, ya heard what I said an' it ain't somethin' that's up for discussion. You're stayin' here.''

''What! Why?'' She couldn't help but gasp out indignantly, ''You don't get to tell me what I can or cannot do! Maybe I don't want to stay here, maybe I…''

''Maybe I don't give a shit what it is ya think ya want,'' Daryl interrupted, his jaw clenching with the effort necessary to keep himself in check. ''Maybe I ain't taking a chance on havin' ya traipsing 'round out there when I can get it done quicker on my own. Bikes been sitting out there long enough, maybe you bein' here jus' means I can go get it without havin' ta fuckin' worry about somethin' happening to ya.''

Having said his piece and feeling completely justified for doing so, he went on about his business, dragging the body whose clothes he had just rummaged through over to where the others lay neatly in a row.

Huffing in exasperation, Beth snapped her mouth shut and spun on her heel to march back to the house. She was so upset she could barely see straight. The gamete of emotions she'd been wrung through since setting foot outside the door made arguing with him practically impossible! Her normal state of mind was completely compromised and she didn't trust herself to not say something she couldn't take back in the heat of the moment. Figuring it best to not even try, she stomped up the porch stairs and yanked the door open, not feeling the slightest bit better when it slammed shut behind her.

She didn't look back to see Daryl watching her as she went. If she had, she would've seen the torn expression that lingered on his face... probably for a lot longer than he personally preferred. The determined set of his shoulders however, wasn't budging in the slightest. With any reservations he had about his decision getting dissuaded in her absence, he turned around and got back to work.

...

Daryl ran a dirty hand down his face as Beth stalked angrily away, having already known that there was going to be hell to pay as soon as he told her of his intentions. While it was completely understandable that she would want to come with him to go get the bike, there was just no way in hell that was going to happen, not when the danger posed to her was still out there lurking around somewhere. While it wasn't her fault that the angelically pale characteristics that made her who she was stood out against the dreariness they all lived in like a sore fucking thumb, Daryl was figuring it best to not take any chances.

Still trying his damndest to convince himself that the decision he'd made was the right one, Daryl steadily worked his way through the stack of walker bodies, dragging them one by one further away from the house. Their saturated dead weight and the thick mud beneath them made the endeavor more physically taxing than it needed to be, depleting him of what was left of his energy. The sun blasting overhead wasn't helping, the heat it emitted gaining traction as the last of the cloud covering it had hidden behind dissipated away. Lining the last of the corpses in a neat single row, Daryl covered them the best he could with a couple of old tarps he found, not wanting the smell that emanated from them to get any worse than it already was. If the storm was truly over and the weather remained favorably dry, he would burn them as soon as he got back with the bike.

A few hours later, he decided that he had dawdled around outside long enough. Wanting to clear the air with the girl while he had what was left of his fortitude to do so, he collected all the cigarettes he had found from on top of the tombstone, taking a moment while doing so to light up the driest one of the lot. Daryl closed his eyes for a moment and appreciated the reassuring sensation of the nicotine as it flooded his lungs. If Beth was still as mad as she had been when she had walked away earlier, he had a feeling he was going to need it.

Christ, what the hell was he going to do about her?

It wasn't like he wanted to leave her behind. She had been at his side for so long now, the thought of doing so seem strange and almost uncomfortable. He was in one hell of a bind, knowing that it was in her own best interest to have her stay where she was but not looking forward to actually making the trek without her.

But then again...

Now that he was really thinking about it…

Maybe some time apart wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Just a little space to put things in perspective. While Beth wasn't likely to see it that way, for him it could be exactly what was needed. He could remove himself from the distraction she created for a while… try and get a better handle on it. It would let him clear his head from the convoluted haze that being around her on a constant basis had gradually induced.

A temptation… that's what she was… and with the girl damn near consuming his every thought, sleeping with her at night had started to become torturous. Daryl knew that she wanted him to kiss her, god knows he wanted to as well… but even that had become too much. He couldn't trust himself to not sink her into the mattress they now shared in an effort to overwhelm her... to bend her to his will. That wasn't what he wanted... not with her. For their first time together, he needed Beth to want everything he had to give as much as he wanted to give it to her.

He had vowed to respect the boundaries she had set for them, but that didn't mean he had to fucking like it. His body ached with a need that was only getting more pronounced as time went on. Remembering her ardent response in the bathroom the night the horde had come through was only making matters worse. Memories of her softness yielding around him as he had wedged his dick against her kept him awake at night… the feel of her nipples straining at his palms…

Yeah... the more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea of getting away for a couple of day was starting to sound.

Caught in his conviction, Daryl flicked the cashed cigarette into the mud at his boots where he let it smoke unheeded. Noticing how filthy his hands were, he wiped them down his pants before wrapping up the rest of the smokes he had found in his bandana, shoving them into his pocket until he could get them into the house. As he made his way back, his gaze darted habitually into the trees that surrounded the place, looking for any movement that could be considered unnatural. Any walkers in the vicinity would likely find the rain ending as disconcerting as when it started, making them equally unpredictable. He needed to make sure Beth knew to keep her guard up while he was gone.

Daryl went into the house, feeling much like he was heading into battle already on the losing side. Glancing quickly through the lobby's adjacent viewing rooms, he went upstairs to find Beth sitting at the kitchen table, quietly playing cards. The pack being one of the few things he had scored from the country club that had been worth a damn, he had found them in his jacket pocket just before he had fallen into the ravine. Having completely forgotten that he had grabbed them, he had tossed them onto his bedside table where they had lain ever since. With the girl probably finished with the books he had gotten her, the card game was likely a last resort in an effort to keep herself occupied.

Beth didn't look up when he came in, not surprising him in the slightest. Leaning heavily against the door jam Daryl sighed again under his breath, wanting to make peace with her but not wanting to go so far as to give her what she wanted.

He cleared his throat, feeling the need to make his presence known. When the purposeful noise still didn't illicit a reaction, his fingers tightened around the strap of the Horton at his back, the guilt he felt compelling him to say gruffly, ''Listen, I know ya ain't happy 'bout what I said outside but I thought I made it clear, when tha time came ta go get tha bike it would be me gettin' it an' me gettin' it alone while you stayed holed up.''

Beth just stared down at the card in her hand as it hovered midair. Daryl continued, feeling uncomfortable as all hell about doing so but not being able to do much about it. ''… an' it ain't that I don't want ya to come… I just ain't willin' ta take a chance on your safety when I can jus' knock it out easily by myself.''

Placing the card on the table, she just looked down at her hands and said quietly, ''I know that, I… I just don't think it's fair that you just get to tell me what to do and I'm supposed to just do it like we aren't in this together.''

Daryl came into the kitchen and swung the chair across from her around so he could straddle it purposefully. Setting his arms on its backrest, he regarded her until she had no choice but to look at him rather than her nails.

''I ain't tryin' ta tell ya what to do.'' He said sincerely, ''I'm jus' lookin' out for ya tha best way I know how. I ain't expecting ya to understand that but I'm hoping that ya at least see that I ain't tryin' ta be a dick about it either. It is what it is… an' we can either sit here goin' back an' forth about it or… I don't know… come ta some sort of an accord...''

''An accord?'' Her eyes widened disbelievingly, ''What's there to come to an accord about? You've decided that I'm staying and it doesn't sound like anything I might have to say on the matter is going to change your mind about it!''

Knowing that he didn't want to spend the rest of the evening arguing with her, Daryl pulled a calming breath before muttering, ''Ya right, it ain't… but what I'm tellin' ya is that I can understand why you'd be pissed about it. I'm saying I get it… jus' askin' ya ta hear me out is all…''

Her jaw locked in place, Beth slumped back in her chair and crossed her arms. ''Fine.'' She huffed.

''Fine? It's gonna be like that, huh?'' Daryl couldn't help but smirk, finding her pouty disposition to be equal parts appealing, exasperating and expected. Trying his damndest not to roll his eyes at it either way, he couldn't help himself when he added for good measure, ''Swear ta god, ya gotta make things so damn difficult sometimes, ya know that?''

She glared at him. ''If you have something to say, then say it!''

Not put off in the slightest, Daryl indicated down to the floor with a tilt of his head. ''First up, ya ankle ain't gonna let ya keep up with tha pace I'm gonna be setting. That ain't ya fault, it's just a fact. I can't have it givin' out on us if we're stuck out there.''

With the legitimate point hitting closer to home than she probably preferred, he could see the stubborn set of her shoulders drop disappointedly in acknowledgement of it. Leaning forward on the chair, Daryl continued, needing his motives to be understood so the topic wouldn't be broached again, ''Secondly, I wouldn't just leave ya here if I didn't think for one second that ya couldn't handle it. I know that ya can. You're strong and ya know what needs ta be done. What I'm sayin' is that I trust ya… an' I don't know 'bout you, but I don't wanna lose this place… do you?''

She stared down at the cards spread all over the table, resigned enough to say, ''Well, no...''

Daryl dropped his head down to recapture her reluctant gaze.

''Winters jus' gettin' started an' I'm thinkin' this is where we need ta be. Someone's gotta stay an' hold down tha fort. Now, if you can remember where tha bike is an' can ride tha damn thing once ya find it, then I don't mind being tha one that does so… if not, then you gotta stay an' I have ta go. Ya understand what I'm saying ta you? I mean... fuck sakes Beth, what d'ya want me ta do here?''

Caught in the intensity of the question, she took the time that she didn't really need to think about it for a moment before grudgingly sighing out, ''I want you to go get the bike.''

Daryl paused, his eyes narrowing in on her face in an effort to see just how sincere she actually was. ''Wait… do ya mean that?… or are ya jus' tryin' ta get me ta shut tha hell up about it?''

Beth pursed her lips, obviously not wanting to make it that easy to get back on her good side. ''No... I mean it. What choice do I have? I don't think I've ever heard you voluntarily talk so much before in my life!''

Daryl felt the tension drain from the sinew of his muscles, relieved more than he could possibly say to have the lighthearted tone he was used to hearing from her back in her voice. Having readied himself to go to full blown war, he now felt free to grouse, ''Jesus, tell me about it! Didn't know it was gonna be so hard ta convince ya of what I reckoned was a given!''

It was Beth's turn to narrow her eyes, her tone exasperated as she said, ''Really Daryl? You're already getting your way, you don't need to rub it in further.''

Daryl pushed himself out of his chair, clenching his jaw in an effort to suppress the groan induced by the slight movement. With every joint aching, his body seemed hell bent and determined upon reminding him of just how shitty the thirty mile trek he was about to embark on was going to be. ''It ain't a matter of gettin' my way. Trust me, it ain't like I'm lookin' forward to it.''

He was almost at the doorway to the kitchen when he heard Beth say quietly from behind him, ''Don't lie… you're going to be glad to get away from me. Just think, no one asking you a bunch of questions you don't want to answer... you won't have to talk if you don't want to or explain yourself…''

Although she was trying to hide it the best that she could, there was a slightest undertone of uncertainty in her voice, a note of muted longing. Upon hearing it, Daryl turned around to find her staring after him, her heart in her eyes.

Coming back over to where she sat, he put a hand on the back of her chair and leaned in over her. He didn't break eye contact as she looked up at him, searching his face for some kind of reassurance that only he could provide. The corner of his mouth notched up in recognition of it and he moved in even closer to say quietly, ''It ain't like that an' ya know it ain't. Like I told ya before, I'm used ta havin' ya around, questions an' all. It's gonna be fuckin' weird… bein' away from ya.''

''Are… you saying that you'll miss me?'' She whispered up to him.

Daryl just nodded and left it at that, not trusting the sound of his own voice to fill the air between them.

Beth surged up out of the chair and pressed her lips to his, lingering there warm and sweet for a moment before pulling back enough to say, ''Promise you won't be gone long then?''

''I'll be back before ya know it.'' He said, meaning it. A glint sparked in the depth of his eyes before he felt the need to teasingly add, ''Stubborn girl.''

Doing so just because he could.

…..

**Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated, as always. Thank you so much for reading, following and/or favoriting this little story of mine that has blossomed into more than I could have ever imagined since I posted my first chapter so long ago.**


	32. Chapter 32

…... Chapter 32 …..

Beth smiled shyly at the familiar nickname, a flush of color instantly staining the pale curves of her cheeks. Finding the reaction as appealing as he always did, Daryl couldn't help but smile as well for seeing it, relieved more than he cared to say that the two of them had finally found the accord he had wanted in the first place.

Considering the conversation over, he left the girl to her own devices while he took a moment to wash up before dinner. Despite being covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime, the fact that they had both gotten past the disagreement relatively unscathed had left him feeling better than he had all day. It went without saying that the kiss she'd given him had decidedly helped as well. Both were going to make the arduous endeavor ahead of him a hell of a lot easier as far as his general frame of mind about it was concerned.

After lighting some candles in the bedroom, Daryl carefully carried one into the bathroom so he could see what he was doing while he was in there. Setting it on the edge of the sink, he used the bucket of water that Beth kept full by the bathtub to clean himself up as much as possible, inadvertently making a mess of the small room in the process. The floor was covered in mud by the time he was done but with the water being cold as shit and a real shower nothing but a wishful pipe dream, he reckoned that he had done the best he could with what was available to him. He checked the last of his wounds while standing in front of the mirror, glad to see that the afternoons exertion hadn't aggravated them too badly. They were still a little red but overall, had healed better than expected. By the time he got back with the bike, he would go so far as to consider himself to be fully recovered from the fall that had caused them.

With the physical and emotional gamete he had been wrung through over the course of the day depleting him of most of his energy, the bath was surprisingly all that it took to restore it. Dressed in clean clothes and feeling decidedly more on point for being so, he headed back to the kitchen to find that Beth had set out a dinner of soup, peanut butter and marmalade. In the process of placing the hot bowls down amongst the candles that littered the tables surface, she glanced up as soon as he came in.

With his churning stomach quick to remind him of just how ravenous he was, Daryl pulled out a chair, situated himself down in it and immediately began eating without saying a word. Sparing her the slightest of glances while doing so, he saw that she was staring at him in shock. With his spoon wedged firmly in his mouth, he waited for her to explain herself.

''I don't think I've ever known you to wash your hair before,'' She said incredulously, sitting down herself as though the revelation required it. ''I was starting to wonder if you even knew what shampoo was.''

With a grunt, Daryl shrugged and resumed eating, having never given it much thought. ''Can't be fuckin' bothered with it, truth be told. I only notice it's gettin' outta hand when I get a chance ta wash it which, as ya just said, ain't too damn often.''

''I like it that way.'' She smiled, digging her spoon into the orange marmalade.

''What ways that?'' His brow rose sardonically, ''Clean?''

When she nodded, Daryl scraped his spoon around his empty bowl and added, ''Yeah, well… don't get used to it. I got an aversion ta soap an' water that I don't see changin' anytime soon.''

The soft expression on her face didn't falter as she rolled her eyes at the sarcastic response as though she'd been expecting it. Daryl sniffed back a chuckle of his own and from there they fell into a mutually comfortable silence as they both finished their meals. The quiet ambiance between them extended well into the effort to clean up after dinner and wasn't affected at all when Beth eventually got around to asking him when he planned on leaving.

''First light I reckon,'' Daryl shrugged, picking up the deck of cards she had left sitting on the table and shuffling them habitually for lack of anything else better to do with his hands. ''That's what I was thinkin' anyways. I don't know… still got a lot 'a shit ta do before I go…''

Beth sat back down from clearing the dishes to find him lost in thought about it. He still needed to prep the Horton, gather some necessities to put in the back pack he was taking with him and clean and reload the gun he had scored from the cabin so he could leave it with her. With his to-do list getting substantially longer, Daryl sighed resignedly to himself, remembering all over again why it was he wasn't particularly looking forward to going to begin with.

''Do you know how to play?'' Beth asked, drawing his attention back to the present and to her.

Momentarily confused, Daryl paused before looking down at the cards in his hand as if seeing them for the first time. ''Are ya kiddin' me? How else do ya think me an' my brother could afford all them bike parts we always needed.''

''Oh, I don't know,'' She said with a smile, ''Knowing you two, you could've stolen them.''

''Pfft. It wouldn't have been hard but nah.'' He looked over to where she sat across from him, her hand propped under her chin. ''Tha two of us would go 'round town hittin' up all the podunk back alley bars we could get into, jus' so we could play all our loser friends for cash."

He sniffed with the recollection, realizing now just how reckless some of the situations him and Merle had gotten themselves into had been.

"I remember this one time, we were playin' poker at this one biker bar an' Merle decides that he wants ta flip tha table on these dudes. I don't know... guessin' he didn't like tha hands he was being dealt or somethin'. Anyways, cards an' cash go flyin' all over tha place... like, in slow motion almost. Only reason we didn't get our dicks kicked in tha dirt was because anyone who might'a had tha inclination to do so all went diving for that shit like he'd jus' thrown a bone to a pack 'a hungry dogs."

Beth smiled, her eyes warm as she waited to hear what else he'd have to say about the memory.

"Anyway, ain't like it mattered in tha end… we jus' ended up brawling ourselves. He thought tha shit was fuckin' hilarious an' I was pissed 'cause I had been just about ta wipe up with a winning hand. Damn night finished with me in the E.R an' him in jail for evading arrest an' supplying alcohol to a minor. Shit was crazy but whatever... it's was jus' how we were."

"I couldn't even begin to imagine," Beth said, looking at him in wonder. "Your stories are beyond anything I've ever known before. I mean, I think the craziest thing that ever happened to me and Maggie was that we once got busted for trying to sneak into the local pool. Nothing like what you're talking about!"

Daryl just shrugged, chalking the glaring dissimilarities up to how the two of them were obviously raised. Despite that fact, somehow they had both ended up here... at the exact same time, in the exact same place. Maybe the circumstances that had been so encompassing in the past really didn't matter in the long run scheme of things.

"What did you guys plan on doing with the money?" She asked, "if... you had made it out of there with it?"

He tsked out loud. "Well, Merle bein' Merle… he would'a ended up blowin' it on some two bit stripper an' a line of coke somewhere…''

Her brows rose. ''And you?''

''Me?'' Daryl shuffled the deck in his hand for the umpteenth time in a row, ''I would'a kept it, used it ta buy bike parts from the salvage yard across tha other side 'a town. Like I said, it was all I could do ta keep tha janky pieces of shit we already had up an' runnin' while also tryin' ta build one of my own from scratch. That was tha bike I had at tha prison. Tell ya what... I fuckin' miss that bike.''

Beth sat up, her eyes widening in disbelief, ''You built that bike yourself?!''

''Yeah.'' Daryl nodded, remembering all the late nights he had put into the endeavor. The bike had been a labor of love that had been his and his alone. It had kept him out of trouble while allowing him to focus on something other than his shit poor sorry relationship with his dad, his seething anger towards his mother and the general misgivings he had about his brother. ''Took me damn near two years ta finish it.''

Settling her hand back under her chin, Beth pensively ran the fingertips of the other through the heat trails emitting from the candle closest to her. Lost in far away thoughts of her own, she held him in her gaze as she said quietly, ''Y'know, I always wanted to ask you for a ride on that thing... back when we lived at the prison.''

''That so.'' He took a moment to think about it. ''Why didn't ya then?''

She shrugged and looked back down to where her fingers were ghosting over the open flame. ''I don't know... I guess I was too scared to ask.''

The ambiance created by the flickering candles cast a glow around the girl that was getting harder and harder for Daryl to ignore. With her hair falling loosely about her shoulders, the muted light played down its pale length deepening the darker tones to a burnished gold. It skimmed over the curves of her breasts, leaving him repeatedly and unintentionally staring at her despite every effort he was taking to try and not make it so fucking obvious. Forcing his gaze to drop to what her fingers were doing as well, he expelled a quiet breath before saying, ''Yeah, well… it's probably a good thing.''

Beth looked up, her expression questioning. ''Why?''

Pinning her under the weight of his regard, Daryl could only impart decisively, '''Cause I like tha feel of havin' ya legs wrapped 'round me too damn much, that's why. Last thing I needed back then was ya dad an' tha rest of tha prison comin' after me, pitchforks in hand, tryin' ta beat my ass.''

Beth felt her pulse surge as his lowly spoken response raked over her like a physically tangible caress. With the charged air around them practically humming already, Daryl's gaze didn't waiver when her eyes dropped rousingly back down to the deck of cards still in his hand.

''So… are we playing or not?'' She breathed.

Daryl shook his head. ''Didn't I jus' finish sayin' that I have shit ta do?''

''Yeah... but I'm asking you to play just one game with me." Beth coaxed.

''I don't know 'bout that…'' He muttered skeptically, placing the stack back on the table where he obviously intended it to stay. ''Tha last time we tried playin' somethin' you initiated, it didn't end too damn well for either one of us. 'Sides, we ain't got nothin' ta play with, no chips… hell, we don't even have two fuckin' dimes ta rub together..."

Seeming to contemplate the dilemma for a moment, her lower lip caught softly between her teeth. ''Strip poker doesn't need chips. We both have plenty of clothes.''

Daryl slumped back in his chair, the suggestion the very last thing he expected to hear from her. Not trusting himself to take even a moment to consider it, he unwittingly growled out, ''Nah, that's tha last damn thing we're playin'.''

Undeterred by his expected refusal, Beth scraped together what was left of the courage that had compelled her to make the suggestion in the first place, drawing upon it as much as she could to say to him, ''But that's what I want to play.''

''Well, tough shit. Just 'cause it's what ya want don't mean ya gonna get it. Besides, I don't know if ya wanna play that game with me.'' He purposely leaned over, setting the two of them face to face with each other as if doing so was demonstrative proof of just how damn serious he was. ''I mean it. Because when I play, I play ta win. There ain't no holdin' back… I go all in. I don't know if you got it in ya ta handle that.''

The arousingly suggestive undertones of what he was saying stroked across every feminine sensory point Beth had, causing the surface of her skin to tighten. It set a torch to the innocent yearnings she had been laboring under since the very moment she'd become breathtakingly cognizant of him. With the highly addictive surge flaring appealingly through her, it made her sound far more confident than she felt when she managed to say, ''That's fair… but I'm telling you that's what I want. I know what I'm doing… just deal the cards.''

Daryl released a conflicted breath, now enticed by the prospect enough to linger on the cusp of giving in. He stared her intently, ''Remember what I said. This ain't a game.''

''I know.''

''Ya sure?'' _This is your last out_ he was saying, without actually saying so.

Beth pursed her lips on a smile before nodding in response, indicating that she was standing fully behind her decision. Taking a deep breath for doing so, she assured daringly. ''Don't you worry about me, I got this.''

''A'right…'' Daryl couldn't help but look and sound somewhat dubious as he picked up the cards again. He began dealing them into two hands on the table. ''Guessin' we'll find out now, won't we...''

''Oh, bring it.'' She said, settling herself in her chair more comfortably, "I mean… if you can."

She let the provocation linger on the air between them, injecting it with a flirty double meaning as she took a moment to arrange her cards.

With a resigned sigh, Daryl set down what was left of the deck and picked up his cards as well. Trying like hell to focus his stunned attention on them, he shuffled their order in his hand. His concession to play had obviously put her in a good mood and he'd be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy her company when she was like this - playful and sarcastic and sassy. He could feel the electrical pulses inundating the room around them resonate over his skin and it was clear that she was feeling them too. Getting on board with the mutual decision to let the cards fall where they may in more ways than one, Daryl looked over the ones in his hand to find her staring back at him, her eyes bright in baited anticipation.

Barely believing that they were about to do what it was they were on the verge of actually doing, he smirked in acknowledgement of it. Keeping it light, he muttered, ''Y'know, ya talk a big game. Let's see ya back it up. I mean, _if you can._''

Beth's eyes narrowed as her competitive nature kicked in, just as he knew it would. At this point, he had almost expected her to back down, to realize just how close to the fire she was actually getting. There was no way in hell that he was going to let that happen now. What they were doing just may not be a game, but that didn't mean it wasn't worth playing... by either one of them. The way he figured, she had asked for this... and she was old enough and sure as hell smart enough to know exactly what that was. God knows it was what he wanted as well and had been for as long as he could fucking remember. She had yielded, and as such he wanted her to play as though the stakes were as high as he was personally hoping they were...

Glancing over to where she sat across from him, Daryl could sense the seriousness of the endeavor gradually taking over. In response to it doing so, all of the trigger points akin to his senses seemed to jump on point, narrowing his focus upon winning. After taking what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, Beth finally laid the first of her discards down on the table between them, doing so decisively and with conviction.

''Well... shit." He couldn't help but say as he stared down at them, the five cards laying there practically ensuring that the night was about to get a hell of a lot more interesting. Picking through his own to get rid of the ones he didn't want as well, he pulled a deep breath.

''A'right then… here we go.''

…...

**Hmmm… here we go indeed… :)**

**I have been receiving so many wonderful reviews, not only from those that have followed this story since the beginning but also a lot of new readers as well which is awesome to see. I like to IM those who take the time to drop me a line or ask me a question so please check your inbox for a response.**


	33. Chapter 33

…. Chapter 33 …...

An hour later, the two of them had reached an impasse.

Much to his surprise, Beth was better than she had led him to believe and Daryl could barely wrap his head around the fact that he was sitting there with just his pants left on. How the fuck had that happened? Reaching over, he pulled another card from the deck, groaning internally at its uselessness before grudgingly adding it to the ones in his hand. Tossing the others he didn't need down on the table, he dared to look over to where the girl was situated across from him, her brows drawn in subtle concentration as she carefully studied her cards.

Because he was no novice to the game himself and had always tended to play better when the stakes were high, Daryl now had her sitting there in just her bra and pink underwear. Unfortunately, his own concentration wasn't helped for shit by knowing it.

With her clothes steadily accumulating on the floor next to his own, it was becoming more and more difficult for him to keep his eyes on his cards. The candlelight between them was doing nothing but highlighting the creamy expanses of her skin, making it borderline painful to just sit there and watch as she slowly slid her jeans down her legs. At this point, the best he could hope for was to get two more winning hands before she got one because his pants were the only thing keeping his raging erection in check.

From where she sat, Beth glanced over at Daryl and picked up her next card, her fingers unwittingly shaking as she added it to her hand. As nervous as she was, she only had herself to blame. She was the one that had wanted to play and now it was time to put up or shut up. The air in the room was heavy with the pent up sexual tension that simmered between them and she had to keep reminding herself to pull a stilted breath from under the weight of it. Trying desperately to hold on to what little courage she had left, she rearranged the cards in her hand, already knowing the outcome but shyly stalling for time.

From across the table, Daryl's eyes burned into hers as he waited for her to make her move. With the sound of her heart throbbing noisily in her ears, Beth laid her cards down and fanned them out. Shifting forward in his chair, he leaned over to read them, taking longer than was necessary to do so before putting down his own and waiting without a word.

With her lower lip wedged firmly between her teeth, Beth stood up and slowly reached behind her back, feeling more nervous than she could possibly begin to say. The trepidation she was laboring under made the hooks of her bra difficult to manage and her fingers fumbled awkwardly with the clasp until it gave. She was about to slide the loose straps from the curve of her shoulders when Daryl suddenly held up his hands, his face a mixture of aroused resignation.

''Beth, wait…'' He swallowed, making her pause and hug herself to cover her nakedness. ''Jesus, ya don't have ta do this… Believe me I want ya to, I'd be jus' straight lyin' if I said I didn't, but… ya don't have to if you're havin' second thoughts.''

Completely disheartened for having gotten his point out, Daryl dropped his face into his hands, accepting the fact that she'd probably take him up on his offer gratefully. Why the hell had he even said anything? Without his knowledge or consent the words had just spilled out, filling the charged air between them before he'd even realized they were doing so. The girl had just looked so vulnerable standing there in the candlelight in those pink underwear, trying like hell to work that bra off. He pulled in a deep breath and released it. Oh well, fuck it… it had been fun while it lasted.

Looking down to where he was hunched over in front of her, Beth was moved more than she could say that he would still allow her to withdraw, despite the fact that it was obviously not what he wanted. It spoke to the kind of person he was and showed, despite all the reticence that he put out there to the contrary, that he truly cared about her. Under the slender arms she had tightly wrapped around herself, she felt her heart swell affectionately, the palpable constriction of which reminding her yet again why she loved him so much.

Coming over to stand in front of him, Beth moved his hands away from his face with one of her own.

''Don't you want to look at me?'' She asked tentatively to the top of his head.

''Christ, yes…'' Daryl breathed, not even daring to actually do so. Hesitantly, he reached out to softly trace the back of his fingers down the front of her naked thigh, causing her breath to catch, ''but… I wanna do so much more than that...''

Stepping in closer, she could only whisper, ''What's stopping you?''

His heated gaze instantly flew up to meet hers. Uttering a curse under his breath, he reached for her... completely past the point of giving a shit about any misgivings he might have had or any of the reasons he might have had them. Wrapping his arms around her, Daryl hugged her tight, burying his face into the taunt plain of her stomach. Inhaling deeply at the faint scent of wildflowers that was hers and hers alone, it inundated his senses and he closed his eyes for a moment... barely finding it in himself to believe that this could possibly be on the verge of happening.

Standing between his legs, Beth closed her eyes as well as the strength of his arms encircled around her. Every nerve ending she had… every sensory point under her skin felt like they was on fire. Knowing he watched as she took off her clothes had turned her on, his gaze seeming to devour every inch of flesh she revealed to him. Weeks of his kisses and the excitement of playing had primed her for this and she felt sexy and ready. Slipping out of the loose bra, she let it drop to the floor before returning back to him to sink her fingers into the length of his hair.

Not wanting to scare her, Daryl kept it purposefully slow as he nudged at her gently, raking the course scruff at his jaw across her bare skin as he kissed lightly at her belly. Leaning into him as he did so, Beth clutched at his back, her body humming stirringly in response. He flicked his tongue around her belly button, making her gasp, and then repeated the action just so he could feel her nails dig into his back once more.

Sliding his hands languidly up the length of her bare legs, he grasped her hips and pulled her down onto his lap, straddling her purposely on the sizable width of his thighs. Finding herself suddenly and very unexpectedly face to face with him, Beth felt an instant flush of heat sear across her skin. Her eyes widening in apprehension for it, she instinctually attempted to cover herself again, feeling exposed and laid bare for reasons that hadn't been there just a moment ago.

''Shhh… you ain't gotta do that,'' Daryl reassured, his voice steady and low. He swept an errant lock of pale hair gently over her shoulder, his fingers following its length down the curve of her back. ''I ain't gonna hurt ya. I done waited for ya all this time an' I jus' wanna look at you. Ain't that what ya wanted?''

Panting on the edge of the intense moment, Beth could only give the slightest of nods, giving him what he obviously took as permission to do as he pleased. Taking his time, Daryl continued with the path his fingers had been taking, trailing them across her skin to gently unwrap the determined lock of her arms. Beth braced her hands on his knees behind her, allowing him to look his fill. She swallowed hard as he did so, her heart feeling like it was trying to slam its way right out of the very area he had just revealed to himself. The intensity of his gaze took in every aspect of her bare breasts, doing so long enough for her breath to catch in anticipation of him touching her where it lingered.

''Goddamn, you're beautiful.'' He said huskily, dragging his eyes up to find her staring at him, her own now heavy with nervous arousal.

Setting out to stoke the fire he saw there, Daryl pulled her to him, his fist burying into her hair as he kissed her with everything that he had. As he relayed to her without words the purely masculine need the sight of her nakedness had induced, Beth pressed herself to him in response for knowing it, her lips parting with a moan under the demanding pressure of his own. Sweeping inside the warmth of her mouth, his tongue engaged with hers, penetrative and insistent as it delved in deep. Focused on his intent, his hands were undeterred as they traced their way up her ribs to cup the weight of her breasts in his palms.

Beth unwittingly surged away from him, her lips tearing from his with a surprised gasp as the cool bareness of her skin was suddenly enveloped by the searing heat of his hands. Daryl's gaze locked with hers through the hair that hung in his face as he purposefully raked his thumbs over both of her nipples, stroking at them until they jutted against his manipulations achingly of their own accord.

She moaned against him, unable to help herself as the electrifying sensation of what he was doing set the blood in her veins to racing. Daryl was quick to take advantage of it, pulling her up to him to nuzzle forcefully at her softness. The efforts of his fingers had her ready for his mouth and he found her easily, sucking her small nipple arousingly between his teeth to stroke his tongue around its puckered surface.

Threading her fingers into his hair, soft mewling sounds Beth wasn't even aware she was making filled the air around her as her body strained against him in response. If she hadn't been holding onto him she would have undoubtedly fallen off the face of the earth. The fiery demands of his tongue set her hips bucking against him and Daryl wound his arms tightly around her ass, the unintentional action causing him to groan at her skin.

Beth slid herself down his chest so she could kiss him with all the fire he was eliciting and Daryl let her, his hands unrelenting as they found her breasts once more. The calloused skin at the pads of his fingers scraped purposefully over the highly sensitive tips and she gasped into his mouth, her body now teeming with a need that refused to be ignored. ''Daryl… please…''

''What baby… tell me… tell me what ya want.'' He whispered gruffly, tugging at her gently as if to remind her that _this_ is what she wanted.

Beyond ready to know what else he had in store for her, Beth bit at her lower lip. ''I want you…'' she pressed herself more fully against him, ''… in me.''

Needing no further incentive, Daryl stood up with her still in his arms and in response, she wrapped every naked limb she had tightly around him. From her new vantage point, she could see the unfiltered look of male satisfaction that her confession had elicited and it stroked across all that was female in her to know that he wanted her so much. She rained small kisses over his face as he walked them both into the bedroom they shared and Daryl reveled in her attentions before recapturing her lips to sweep his tongue into her mouth once more.

Stepping to the bed, he gently laid her down on top of the blankets and braced himself over her on one arm and one knee as his gaze swept down the length of her body. Her skin glowed in the light of the candles he had left burning there, practically begging to be touched. He had waited so long for this moment to happen that it seemed almost surreal that it finally was. As his fingers softly traced the deep indentation at her hip, Daryl knew that there was going to be no stopping him this time, he was going to overwhelm her with her own sexual need until he was able to satiate his own.

Beth lay on the bed and writhed self consciously under his inspection, his eyes leaving a hot trail down her skin that her body instinctively reacted to. By the time his free hand trailed over her belly to graze the taunt undersides of her breasts she was in near tears with anticipation. She held out her arms to him, clutching him to her as he joined her on the bed, his mouth finding hers once more.

His heart hammering in his chest, Daryl kissed her until she was panting and breathless, taking his sweet time as he indulged himself in everything about her that had been so goddamn unattainable to him for way too fucking long. Tracing his lips across her jawline, he applied his teeth to the incredibly sensitive area behind her ear only to soothe across the area with his tongue as soon as she shivered uncontrollably against him, just as he knew she would.

With the girls body surging alluringly beneath his own, he drew himself slowly between her legs, watching the trepidation flare into her eyes as soon as he settled the rigid length of himself intimately against the fragile pink fabric that covered the heated core of her.

''Ya doin' a'right? '' He asked on the hushed remnants of a whisper. As difficult as it was to focus on anything but the allure of her nakedness, he also wanted to be sure that no unwitting flashbacks from the store incident marred the moment… for either one of them.

Beth could only nod in reply, her eyes glazed with nervous wanting. Lowering his head, he snagged her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it gently, making her moan. The sexy sound vibrated throughout his body and Daryl kissed her again for hearing it, doing so until she was gasping for air. He could feel her shaking in his arms and he knew that she was so far gone that she wasn't coming back. The damp heat of her body was searing through her panties, penetrating the front of his jeans as he continued his assault.

Struggling to pull an even breath, Beth tried desperately to regain control of her senses as Daryl did everything in his power to overwhelm them. She had kissed him before but never like that. He was moving so arousingly slow that she was lost… lost in a swirling sea of sensations completely induced by what he was doing to her. Trusting in him fully to show her the way, she relaxed the determined set of her knees, her thigh muscles starting to ache as they had strained to close against his hips.

Looking up at Daryl from where she lay, she saw that he was staring down at the junction where their bodies were now fully pressed together. That he would do so caused a slow flush of heat to burn her from her head down to her toes. As if they had a mind of their own, her hips lifted up against him, inherently knowing what to do even if she didn't know the reason for it. The action stroked the swollen folds of herself against him and Daryl groaned in response, completely entranced. His forehead dropped down to hers and Beth closed her eyes as a shockwave of electricity went pulsing through her.

With the innocent movements of her body doing its damndest to entice him to get ahead of himself, Daryl drew himself off of her. Remaining on his knees between her legs, he used his thighs to spread hers wider. Beth hovered on the edge of what he was doing with baited breath as he slowly trailed his fingers down between her breasts... past her belly button. His eyes flickering up, he watched for her reaction as he reached down to stroke against her intimately, his fingers grazing her through the silky fabric that shielded her from him. Unable to help herself, Beth wrenched against him as he repeated the action, her small hands fisting into the blankets…

"Daryl…" She gasped.

"Shhhh.. jus' relax," He hushed, purposefully brushing against her once more. ''That's it... I'm jus' gonna touch ya… right here… jus' like this. You feel so fuckin' good…''

Finding the sensations he was inducing overwhelming, Beth writhed on him as he traced over her yet again. Locked on the brace of his thighs, she had nowhere to go... leaving her no choice but to lay there and arousingly endure it. His steady motions had the area he was touching pulsing heavily in response and she moaned as he found the perfect rhythm that would elicit the result he was demanding. Panting on the cusp of it, Beth couldn't help feeling as though she was on the verge of something… something that she had heard about but had never yet experienced...

Positioning himself over her, Daryl bent down and took her nipple into his mouth once more, rolling his tongue around it before grazing it gently with his teeth. As she arched against him, Beth felt his fingers drift under the last defense of her panties. Her breath hitched sharply in her throat as he stroked purposely over the damp curls under the fabric, touching her where no one had ever done so before. He determinedly found what he was searching for, sliding easily through her wetness and into the very heat of her.

She surged hard against him, unable to help herself as the heightened sensitivity she was laboring under immediately skyrocketed into the stratosphere. Her body instinctively began mimicking the movement of his hand, following his lead as he purposefully slid his middle finger in and out of her. He repeatedly tested her depths, all while using his thumb to stroke steadily at the button of nerves that made her gasp. With the sensory points between her legs exposed and throbbing, she could feel herself trembling as the area started to crest...

Daryl pulled back so he could watch her let go, knowing that she was riding the edge of the abyss. Closing her eyes from the intensity of his gaze, Beth buried her face into the crook of her arm as she clenched at the pillow above her. He circled his thumb slowly around her clit once more, then flicked at her softly, causing her to come undone beneath him. She cried out as wave after wave of intense pleasure rocked through her, her body milking tightly at his finger as she pulsated heavily around him. Daryl continued to manipulate her, making her shudder on him helplessly as she rode out her orgasm, her small frame heaving against him until she finally lay still and panting with the exertion.

Keeping his intentions focused only on her, Daryl slipped his finger from her seeping wet heat. As much as he wanted to put his mouth where his hand had just been, he had more pressing matters to take care of and he wanted to take care of them before she came down from her sexual high. Knowing that he had just done to her what no man had ever done before had him throbbing that much more painfully, but it was how damn tight she was gonna be around him, how strongly she was gonna grip him that had him dripping in his pants.

Reaching down, he pulled her wet panties down her legs, following them with a trail of kisses before tossing them onto the floor. Beth was completely naked now and Daryl stopped for a moment to appreciate the sight before him, having dreamt of it so many times. He bent over her to kiss her and she languidly stirred beneath him, completely satiated. Pushing himself from the bed, he unbuckled his belt, pulling it through the loops to drop it to the floor with a thump. Beth watched him while he did so completely transfixed. Her skin was dewy and flushed from her orgasm, her eyes hooded and dark.

Daryl worked the button on his pants and then the zipper but he didn't push them down. Instead he turned to open the drawer of his side table. Beth heard him digging around and when he turned back he had a strip of condoms in his hand and was tearing one off. Beth didn't question where they had come from, finding the making of a coherent sentence too difficult to muster. He tossed the rest of the strip onto the nightstand as he ripped the blue and gold packet open with his teeth and placed it ready on the bed. Pushing his pants down, he kicked them off to leave them with the pile accumulating on the floor. Naked, he joined her back on the bed, stopping only long enough to press his mouth to the inside of both of her bent knees before positioning himself in between them.

Feeling as though her cheeks were on fire, Beth found herself staring down at the erection that now pulsated erratically between her legs. She bit her lip as she studied it, watching in fascination as a drop of a milky looking substance spilled from the tip. Tentatively, her eyes rose to meet the stormy grey ones that hovered above her. Not wanting fear and nervousness to derail the huge step she was about to make, Beth pulled him down to her so he could kiss her again, wanting desperately to lose herself fully back in the moment.

As she knew he would, Daryl complied to her immediately, his hand tangling into her hair to deepen the kiss. Feeling far braver for him doing so, Beth slid her hand down his body, drifting down his chest to travel further still until she was at the sizable root of him. Pulling himself back to allow her access, Daryl's dark eyes followed the path she was taking, watching with baited breath as her fingertips grazed over the head of his dick.

Initially, Beth was hesitant to touch him, but grew emboldened when she saw he was damn near gritting his teeth with anticipation. With his hips subconsciously making him search for her, Beth slid her hand around him, stroking at him softly as her curiosity took over. Daryl's forehead dropped to hers as he let out a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a groan. Her brows drew in consternation. He was bigger than she had expected, but she didn't know if that was normal considering his was the first she had ever seen. She felt him throb in her hand and despite how turned on she was, she began to get nervous. All that inside of her? It didn't seem possible...

Daryl's natural intuition as a hunter kicked in through the haze that having her hand wrapped around him had created. Like a fawn, her eyes were wide as she looked down at him, full of trepidation and doubt as she pondered the logistics of what he had verses where it was he was hell bent and determined to put it. Fisting her hair away from her shoulder, he pressed his lips to her neck… dragging his tongue up to the very sensitive area under her ear. Using the tactic against her, he knew exactly what it would do and wasn't disappointed as he felt her shudder against him. Despite getting the reaction he wanted, her hands still pushed lightly at his chest as he lowered himself over her...

"Easy now…" He coaxed to her softly, the scruff at his chin grazing over her earlobe where his tongue had just been. "Swear ta god, I'm gonna take it nice an' slow. It ain't supposed to hurt but a moment an' then it's done...''

Panting softly, she nodded against him as he pressed her down into the mattress, using his mouth against her neck to pin her there. Daryl shifted on top of her, his lips tracing a heated path across her skin to find hers again. He purposely stroked her tongue with his own and Beth could feel the blood begin to quicken through her veins anew. Moving in closer still, he adjusted the set of his lower body until he had the full length of himself nestling right against her slit. The damp fold cradled welcomingly around him and he groaned for it doing so, the guttural reaction crossing over into her mouth.

Beth twined her arms tighter around his neck and felt his muscles of his back bunch and shift beneath her nails. The subtle movement of his hips had the ache between hers back to pulsing and she undulated softly beneath him, marking him with a wet trail of her readiness. Daryl immediately pulled back and rolled on the condom, knowing he was heading into dangerous territory and not fucking trusting himself if he didn't do it now. She was panting beneath him as he returned to her and they both knew the time had come.

Braced on his arm, Daryl reached down his body to guide himself to the sill of her opening. Sweat began accumulating at his hairline and his brows drew with the effort needed to resist every base line urge he had to force himself in and just bury himself inside of her.

Feeling him probe the warmth of her entrance, Beth dug her fingers into his chest in an effort to ready herself. She bit at her lower lip as he pushed himself in deeper before pausing for a moment, letting her adjust to him. Unable to help herself, she writhed from beneath him, her legs pressing unwittingly at his hips. Daryl gritted his teeth as the involuntary action did the opposite of what she intended and allowed even more of him inside. The thick muscles of his thighs pushed her slim ones further apart as he prepared himself to lock snuggly against her, feeling almost guilty as he reveled in the tight sensation of her body yielding to his own.

''I promise, I ain't got much further ta go…'' He managed to breathe out, knowing that they weren't even close to being done yet.

Seeing the tears accumulating in her eyes, he bent down and kissed her again, only this time a lot more bluntly. Surging off of the bed, Beth met his mouth desperately, welcoming any distraction he could provide that could possibly ease the discomfort she was in. He kissed her until she was breathless and didn't know to brace herself as he forced himself the rest of the way inside her, tearing past her virginity.

There was a sharp sting of pain and Beth released a gasp as it rendered through her. Clutching at him, she buried her face into his shoulder, not daring to even pull a breath until it went away. Gradually the hurt diminished and with it went the ache that had precursored it, both fading into her subconsciousness much to her relief. Daryl held himself still while it did so, allowing the tightness to ease as he nuzzled his face into the dampness at her neck, the muscles in his broad back straining...

''Still hurt?'' He whispered gruffly, his lips at her ear.

Swallowing, Beth released a shallow breath against him before saying, ''A little…''

Daryl drew himself back to look down at her. ''Want me ta pull out?''

The girl was staring up at him, obviously relieved that the hardest part was done. With the pain that accompanied it now receding as well, she relaxed the determined set of her thighs, her body having inevitably tensed against his invasion. With his own fully imbedded past her defenses, the question still needed an answer, and he would wait his ass still to hear it before even daring to move another goddamn inch.

"No..." She said softly, her eyes gradually warming again, "But... if I did... would you've listened?"

A knowing spark flared from the depths of his own. With the corner of his mouth notching up in recognition of it, Daryl teasingly responded with the only thing he could under such a personally challenging circumstance.

"Maybe..."

She smiled at the expected response, reassuring him more than any words ever could that she was still with him in the special moment they were sharing. Daryl couldn't help but kiss her rousingly for seeing it, the groan of relief it prompted bridging the small space between them.

With her mouth parting willingly under the weight of his own again, he slowly withdrew from her heat only to sink back in more deeply than before. Gasping against his lips, Beth dug her nails into his back, urging him to do that once more. Now that the pain was gone, her pleasure became all that was important and he obliged the unspoken command, bearing down to thrust heavily into her over and over again.

For her part, Beth could only pant alluringly from beneath him, bringing up her legs to wrap them around his waist. With their bodies unyieldingly meshing together, the kinetic fervency dampened by the pain of his initial entry began consuming her again, the tightness between her hips beginning to contract and release as the influx of blood needed to push her over the edge rushed back to the area.

Daryl rode her hard for knowing it, his skin damp as his hips synchronized forcefully with hers. The velvety vice of her body made every stroke fucking amazing, and he could feel himself getting close... too damn close...

In an effort to forestall the inevitable for as long as he could, he purposely slowed himself down, sliding his hand between them so that he could drag his thumb over her clit once more. With the highly sensitive nub unveiled and exposed, a few deliberate strokes was all it took for Beth to tighten beneath him, her breath baiting shallowly. Daryl stayed himself inside her as she went, panting heavily into the pillow by her head as she clenched at his full length tightly. She was crying out at his ear as the waves of her orgasm washed over her, shuddering under its more muted intensity as her legs pressed against his sides.

Rearing back to his knees, he gripped her hips and pulled her up to meet his final thrusts. She was throbbing and it didn't take him long. Grunting with the unbridled effort, he came forcefully, her pulsating inner walls sucking him dry as he strained between her thighs. When he was done, Daryl collapsed heavily to her side, completely drained but not wanting to crush her under his physically depleted weight.

The two of them lay there in the aftermath... gasping for air as they stared unseeingly at the ceiling. After a long while, the condom became uncomfortable so Daryl peeled it off and let it drop unheeded to the floor. Eyeing his discarded bandana on the night table while he did so, he reached over and dug into it, pulling out one of the cigarettes he had scavenged from the dead walkers outside. Leaning over to the candle that sat nearby, he lit it and slumped back down on the pillow, pulling a deep drag as though it was necessary to calm the furious beating of his heart.

Beth's head lilted over and he could feel her hesitant gaze skim across his profile. Without a word he held out his arm to her and she didn't hesitate, settling herself against him to fan her fingers across the dampness that lingered at his chest.

Daryl didn't know what to say. She had given of herself more fully than he could've ever imagined and now that it was done he was stuck in a strange quandary of how best to proceed. Were they supposed to talk about it? If that was the case, he was fucked. Being inside her had been everything he had hoped it would be and more and if given a choice, he preferred to not say a damn thing about it, knowing his natural inclination was to always unintentionally ruin the moment.

''Was… that ok?'' She whispered after a while, unknowingly taking the pressure off. The awkwardness of the question ghosted over his skin as she looked for his reassurance, making Daryl realize how incredibly unfair he was being.

He hugged her close and sighed into her hair, ''It was better than ok. It was so damn good that I ain't been able ta form a rational thought since so don't mind me.''

Daryl could feel her smile against him and he kissed the top of her head before asking, ''How 'bout you, it didn't hurt too bad did it?''

Christ sakes, really? He should've stuck to his original idea of keeping his mouth shut.

''It hurt for a moment… but I'm ok.'' She said shyly, seemingly as uncomfortable as he was having to discuss it out loud. ''It was worth it… at least for me anyway.''

Peering down to where she lay on him the best that he could, Daryl asked, ''What's that supposed ta mean?''

''Nothing…'' She hesitated, pushing herself up on his chest to let her chin sit on top of her hands. Looking at him, she worried at her lower lip, ''I… just know that you had some reservations about doing that with me. You're not regretting it, are you?''

Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Daryl reached down to sweep his finger into her hair, gently tucking it behind her ear. When it lingered longer than was necessary to get the job done, Beth hummed and leaned into his hand.

''Ain't in my nature ta regret what can't be changed… an' even if it was, don't think I could. It's like I done told ya a while ago, there ain't a single thing about ya that doesn't make me want you." Daryl shoved an arm behind his head so he could see her better, ''Ya wanna know what's changed between then an' now?''

Curious, her brows rose. ''What?''

"Not a goddamn thing."

With the response resonating low on the air, Beth bit back a smile for hearing it, unable to help herself as she settled back down against him. Daryl took a drag from the cigarette that glowed between his fingers, huffing a thick cloud of smoke out over their heads. Wanting to say something more but also remembering what a personally risky notion that was for the very reasons he hadn't done it sooner, he pulled a deep breath...

''I ain't much good at… ya know… puttin' tha shit that's in my head out there in a way that don't make it sound redneck as hell, but I want ya ta know that being with ya like that… well, it meant somethin' ta me.''

Realizing that the meaningful sentiment he was trying to say had only come out the very way he had just said he hadn't wanted to say it, Daryl sighed internally. Luckily for him, Beth took from it only what he had intended, her eyes soft as she regarded him somewhat incredulously. Daryl reckoned he had probably just shocked the hell out of her.

''For me too.'' She whispered sincerely, ''I… ''

Breathlessly, she paused… long enough for Daryl's brows to draw in confusion. ''… what? You… what?''

''I… nothing…'' She swallowed quickly before putting a hand to her mouth and yawning, ''I'm so tired I don't even know what I'm saying anymore…''

''Yeah,'' Daryl muttered, pulling a last drag before pressing out the smoke between his thumb and forefinger. At some point, he really needed to get a fucking ashtray in here. ''Get some sleep. It's late…''

Dropping the cashed butt onto his side table, he left the candle that sat there also to burn out by itself before pulling the covers over the both of them. Throwing one of the extra pillows behind his head onto the floor, Daryl settled himself down and glanced over to see that Beth had already taken him up on it. Her eyes closed, she didn't roll over to drape herself back over him as she usually liked to do and Daryl chalked it up to the fact that she had to be exhausted. He had ridden her hard because he knew she could take it and with her body new to the experience, it was likely attempting to recuperate.

With the events of the night inundating his mind and his mind nowhere near as tired as his body, Daryl attempted to go through his checklist again of the shit he needed to do before taking off in the morning. The endeavor quickly proved itself futile, his thoughts repeatedly interrupted by the very reason why he hadn't gotten to the list in the first place.

Long after the candle had died out, visions of the girl and his time spent inside of her still coursed rousingly through his head, making him restless enough to where Beth rolled further away from him. Hugging her pillow to her chest, she curled up on her side of the bed none the wiser to the aching predicament in which he found himself.

With his body on fire, Daryl followed, the lure she presented overriding all other thoughts. Coming up behind her, he pressed his mouth heatedly to the curve of her neck before dragging it across the bare expanse of her shoulder, doing whatever he wanted now that the seal between them had been broken. She was still naked and he couldn't help himself, letting his hands drift over the silkiness of her skin until she had no choice but to moan sleepily in response.

That was all the incentive he needed, urging her onto her back to lose himself in her body once more, making love to her until the sun began to rise in the far distance to filter into the quiet room.

...

**Comments and reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	34. Chapter 34

…... Chapter 34 ….

Feeling the sunlight play across her face, Beth yawned tiredly and forced herself to open her eyes.

The brightness that managed to stream in through the boarded windows radiated across the blankets, making them a lot warmer than they needed to be. Not that she was complaining by any means. After days of depressingly cold and dreary weather, the sun was beyond welcome. It indicated that the heavy storms that had covered the area had dissipated, allowing a reprieve of their oppressiveness at least for the time being.

With the weather outside reflecting her waking disposition, she smiled to herself and stretched languidly, only to gasp in shock when the invigorating motion was quick to inform her of just how very sore she was. Curling up on her side with a groan, she lay there for a moment and took a mental inventory of just how bad off she was. Everything below her waist felt tender and achy… her thighs... her back... even areas of her body that had no cause to be affected hurt! Not sure how that was even possible, she pulled down her pillow and hugged it against herself, finding a small degree of comfort in its warm softness.

Despite now being suddenly and painfully aware of her condition, deep down Beth knew that she wouldn't change a thing about it for the world. Being with Daryl had been everything she had hoped it would be… not just for her first time but for their first time together. All of her worrying about what to expect and her fears of the act itself had proven themselves to be unfounded, causing her a lot of anxiety for having fretted about them in the first place. By following his lead, she had been able to lose herself in the moment and instinctually trust that her body would know what to do. The deeply feminine notion hadn't steered her wrong and as a result, had allowed her to arousingly open herself up to him and all of the breathtaking things he had done to her over the course of the night.

Looking back on it now, she couldn't help but think that the pain was but a small price to pay. Even if it lingered, she knew her memory of it wouldn't... not when every other aspect of it had been so amazing.

With Daryl on her mind, Beth glanced over her shoulder, not really surprised to see that he wasn't there in the bed with her. Just because the two of them had finally consummated the sexual stirrings between them, it didn't change the fact that he was who he was. Having already decided that he was going to go get the bike this morning, he had done so, and if she knew anything about him it was once he set his mind to something there wasn't much that could be said or done to sway it. She wasn't upset to find that he had left without saying goodbye, realizing that it probably wasn't in his nature to do such a thing anyway. The last thing she would ever want is for him to feel like he needed to change who he was just because the parameters of their relationship had shifted. He had assured her that he didn't regret what had transpired between them and for her that was enough.

He had made love to her again at some point before he left though and rolling over, Beth could still feel the chaffed reminder of it on her back courtesy of the stubble that lined his jaw. He had touched her everywhere… everywhere that the fervency of their initial encounter had denied him. With his hands steadily stroking at the embers left smoldering within her, he had whispered things into her ear that had set them back aflame, resulting in her practically begging the man to give her what she needed. He didn't deny her, pressing her down into the mattress until he was able to ride the waves of her orgasm to the shore of his own. With his arms around her, she had fallen back asleep soon afterwards, only to wake up this morning alone.

Moving the pillow aside, Beth pushed herself gingerly from the bed and got up to go to the bathroom. Once there, she took two aspirins for the pain before sparingly using the bucket of water she kept by the tub to clean herself up. She examined herself in the mirror as she pressed the cold towel to her face to see if she looked any different. Other than the faded scuff marks that marred her pale skin and her lips being pouty and full, nothing much had really changed. She felt different though, in a way she couldn't really describe… more like the woman she knew she was inside and less like a girl Daryl had first met. Despite her current condition, her body was still purring from the full effects of his lovemaking and she could honestly say that she had never felt so comfortable in her own skin.

Feeling better for being clean, Beth went back into the bedroom they shared to get dressed. She grabbed a t-shirt to wear from the small pile of clothes she had to choose from when a note fell out from underneath it. Picking it up, she knew that it was from Daryl, despite there being nothing on the outside of it to indicate that it was.

The paper itself was torn from her notebook and in pencil, scrawled across the middle, was written:

Beth -

Didn't want to wake you so I'm leaving you

this. You have the gun in your side table.

It's loaded so all you have to do is aim and

pull the trigger. Don't hesitate if it comes to

that for any reason. There's cabin about

half a mile from the ravine. Follow it to where

we talked, turn left. If anything happens

and I mean anything, leave and I'll find you there.

Remember what I told you about that spanking?

I'll still do it despite how nice your ass is.

I won't be long.

D.

Beth sat on the edge of the bed and smiled, unable to help herself. Everything about the note was very Daryl, from the blunt lopsided handwriting to the very personal admonition at its end. It said something that he had taken the time to write it before heading out and she briefly wondered if he would've done so if they hadn't slept together the night before.

With no way to really tell, she folded the note back up and glanced around the room. Knowing it best to not leave it laying around but also not wanting to destroy it either, Beth hid it in her pillowcase. That way she could take it out and read it again if she found herself missing him too much while he was gone.

She had lingered breathlessly on the cusp of telling him that she loved him last night and was now left wondering what had compelled her not to. Was it because she had been worried that he'd feel obligated to say it back even though he didn't mean it? Maybe it was because she didn't want to put such a notion out there for fear of being bluntly told that his feelings would never run that way. Beth felt as though she knew him fairly well but when it came to revealing a deeper emotional level, Daryl was a blank slate. Although he had surprised her by saying that being with her had meant something to him, she resigned herself to the fact that she may never know how else he truly felt unless he decided for some reason to volunteer the information of his own free will.

Beth spent the rest of the day doing things around the house and recuperating, biding her time as the hours passed by. Daryl had said that he wouldn't be gone long but she knew that the trek was going to arduous to say the least. Days of rainy weather had left walking conditions less than favorable and he'd be trudging though mud and god knows what else as he made his way to where the bike was hidden. If the walkers inbetween were as agitated as he said changes in the season tended to make them, it could take even longer.

Trying not to think on it too hard, Beth got around to doing something that she had wanted to do for a long while now but hadn't wanted to go so far as to have to explain to Daryl why it was important to her. Taking one of the beautiful artificial flower arrangements from the viewing rooms downstairs, she cleaned the dust from it and took it to the grave the two of them had stopped at the day they had found the place. Kneeling down in front of the headstone, she cleared away the wet leaves that had accumulated at its base and placed the flowers in its empty vase.

With the sun shining down upon the words etched into the stone, Beth let it warm her as she took the moment to mourn her father privately. She missed him... and her sister... more than she could say and felt the tears well achingly behind her eyes as she dwelled upon it for longer than she probably should.

As glad as she was to have found a deeper connection with Daryl, Beth couldn't help but feel as though it had come at a huge personal cost. Her father was dead and her sister was missing, along with everyone else at the prison that the two of them cared about. Much like the leaves that now lay scattered after the storm, they were all lost to the wind. Whether they would all find each other again, who could say. She just knew that she hoped so, and as long as she wasn't the only one, there was a chance… the smallest of chances but a chance none the less.

Beth pushed herself to her feet and glanced back down at the headstone, somehow inherently knowing that she would never visit it again…

While her daddy would have plenty to say about her and Daryl's relationship having now become physical, Beth knew deep down that he would have no objections to Daryl himself. Her father had seen past the rough exterior and loner mentality to the good person that lay beneath long before she even had. He had respected Daryl as one of the leaders of their group and lord knows, the prisons resident tracker had proven himself more times than he would ever care to admit. Much like Glenn was to Maggie, he would be all her father would ever want for her and as she walked away from the tombstone, Beth went thinking her daddy could rest easy for knowing that both of his daughters were now in capable hands.

Making her way carefully past the other markers, she looked up from her musings to see a walker in the distance slowly heading her way. Her shoulders dropped despondently as she stared at it, wishing more than anything that she could have just one day that wasn't marred by these wretched things. They were dead… at some point weren't they supposed to keel over from starvation? Seriously, how was it possible that the older ones hadn't yet decayed away already from under the weight of their own rotting flesh?

Figuring it best to not stand there and ponder it, Beth ducked down behind the closest headstone, huffing in frustration before peering around the weathered cement to see the damn thing still lumbering towards her. While it was making good time as it steadily closed the distance between them, she still had a few moments to decide how she was best going to handle it. She could always go out and meet it, take it down with her knife and be done with it... or she could lose it in the maze of tombstones that surrounded them both, hide in their midst to leave it lost amongst them none the wiser.

Looking over again to check its progress, her brows drew in consternation to now see two walkers meandering over. Where the hell had that other one come from? Already on her hands and knees, Beth scurried to the next grave marker over, looking for something larger that would give her a degree of better coverage. Pressing her back against the large stone pedestal, she pulled a now nervous breath. This was so just her luck... left to her own devices for the first time ever and yet somehow still managing to find herself in trouble! Why did this always seem to happen to her? It wasn't like she asked for it to!

Dreading the tongue lashing that would undoubtedly come her way if Daryl found out about her current predicament, Beth forced herself up to take another look, her fingers digging into the cold marble as she glanced back over. Her eyes widened instantly to see that there were now _five_ walkers in the cemetery with her!

Oh god! Now what?

As was their tendency, the promise of a potential meal had given them all an uncanny burst of speed and Beth stumbled back in shock to see that they were all closing in on her a lot faster than she expected! She caught herself just in time but not before the closest one honed in on her position with the mystifying accuracy walkers were known for. The others were quick to follow suit, their dead eyes snapping over as what they were looking for suddenly pinpointed its exact location.

Swallowing at the panic now lodged painfully in her throat, Beth scrambled her way in between the markers and headstones, trying to stay as low to the ground as she could as she attempted to work her way around the five large males. Having to trade silence for speed, the gravel under her boots was unforgiving as it crunched noisily into the air with each step she took. She gave a harried glance over her shoulder to see that the walkers had now all split up, each one of them now choosing a different route in their determined effort to find her.

Taking a nerve racking moment that she didn't have to spare, Beth looked around to track each one down, not wanting to lose sight of any of them but also not wanting to be seen. Much like proverbial house cats searching for the mouse, all five were weaving through the cemetery, stumbling around the gravestones and monuments like they had an inherent map of their locations. Despite every effort she had taken to prevent them from doing so, they somehow managed to encircle her, each of them closing in from different directions as she hid the best she could behind a crypt in their midst.

Beth yanked her knife from its holster, desperately trying to pull an even breath so she could formulate some kind of coherent game plan. Her chest constricting tightly as she came up frighteningly short on both accounts, it was then that she saw a decrepit mausoleum sitting nearby. The small stone structure was overgrown by the foliage that was slowly overtaking the cemetery, its faded bricks weathered and worn. The gated entrance was open for visitors it hadn't seen in decades and it looked like something out of a nightmare, making it fit right in within the dire scenario in which she found herself.

Staring at it, Beth couldn't help but hesitate nervously on the edge of actually forcing herself to go there… despite the heart stopping movement she was seeing in her peripherals. The chamber inside was pitch black for one, and there was no guarantee whatsoever that the rusty gate that hung on its corroded frame would even close behind her, let alone keep out the walkers that were hell bent upon following. The entire thing was dilapidated and neglected to the point that it was saying something that it was even still standing at all. Weighing the option like the last resort that it was, Beth quickly concluded that it was the worst possible idea out of the few she had available to her.

Upon realizing it, she decided to make a run for the woods instead. All she had to do was reach them and then let the tangled roots that lined its floor do the rest, tripping the walkers up long enough for her to make a clean getaway.

Out of time to think about it, she went to push herself to her feet only to have her closest pursuer fall on top of the casket she was hiding behind and grab painfully at her shoulder. Beth dove out from under it, crawling away to see the thing swiping at the air where she had just been in confusion. It growled noisily as it attempted to find her again, gnashing its teeth and dragging its entrails as it tried to climb its way over the crypt.

The other four walkers all converged on the sound as was their nature, honing in on it like it was the call to dinner that they took it for. Beth scrambled in the loose rocks at her feet, taking off full speed for the mausoleum as soon as she found her footing. Instinctively synchronized, the walkers all changed direction as they watched her go, not losing a step in their unified effort to not let the first meal they'd had in days escape that easily.

Beth flew up the mausoleum steps and snatched at the gate to close it behind her, only to have her panicked momentum grind to a halt when she found that it was locked to the vestibule wall. Yanking on it with all her might, she looked over to see the walkers were now right at the base of the stairs as well, their sunken eyes fixated upon her. Momentarily confused by the obstacle the steps presented, they tripped on them clumsily, losing a degree of momentum themselves. Bracing a foot on the wall, Beth strained against the corroded lock with a cry until the weathered brick behind it gave, allowing the gate to slam shut right as the walkers reached it.

Latching it as fast as her shaking fingers could manage, she fell back against the large stone crypt that it housed, sprawling in the dirt as the walkers all slammed against the bars. Their atophied arms reached through to swipe at her ferociously. The fall knocked the breath from her lungs and she gasped at the air as one of them managed to grab ahold of her ankle, making her struggle against it as it tried to drag her resistant body towards the others that were waiting in the wings. Try as she might, Beth couldn't kick herself free as it's tenacious grip bit painfully into her skin and she clawed at the stone floor beneath her in an effort to prevent herself from being pulled in more than she already was.

Remembering what Daryl had said about such a situation, she grabbed her knife from where it had dropped on the floor and used it to cut the walkers hand off at the joint. Gritting her teeth with the effort required, the appendage gave easier than she expected, the rain of the last few weeks making the dead tissue it consisted of soft and malleable. A dark oily substance that was now the creatures blood flowed out from the stump left behind, leaving a nasty trail on the floor as she unhooked the dead fingers from her ankle. Tossing the hand away with a groan of disgust, she scrambled to her feet.

The walkers ravenous appetites had them growling and snapping noisily as they pressed themselves to the gate. In a futile effort to block them out, she pressed her hands to her ears, the entire situation feeling like it was free falling into the surreal. Trying her best to force herself to think clearly she squeezed her eyes shut...

_Come on! What would Daryl or Rick do?! Figure this out!_

Assessing the situation as quickly as she could, Beth glanced around to see that the chamber itself was a lot smaller than it looked from the outside. There were no windows, the walls themselves bare of anything that would make them commemorative or even remotely comforting. It housed a single sarcophagus that had an equally decrepit statue of Jesus standing on top of it. The ornate figure had its hands held up to the sky and the cement folds of its robes were aged and fragile. There was a muted light coming from somewhere and Beth leaned over the back of the crypt to find sporadic glimmers of sunlight managing to bleed through the cracks and crevasses at the base of the walls. It was all that was needed to see that the gated entrance was the only way in or out...

She was trapped.

There was a sudden loud metallic snapping from behind her and Beth spun around to see that the old gate was starting to give under the pressure being forced against it. The hinges strained as the rusty latch tried diligently to hold the walkers at bay. As if sensing its potential failings, the five on the other side became almost frantic in their efforts to get in, their arms flailing about wildly as their decomposed faces pushed against the bars.

Out of options and now out of time, she desperately thought about trying to stab them but was quickly dissuaded when she realized that they had a much longer reach than she did. There was no way she could get close enough. They were too big and there were too many of them. With their growing frenzy fueling their instincts, she would just be dragged in if even one was able to get a decent hold on her.

With the direness of her predicament grinding everything into slow motion, Beth felt herself start to drift into a despondent haze of defeat. Tears unwittingly burned her eyes. This wasn't how she thought things would end for her... stuck in a dank hole alone with no escape and no help coming. Sliding to the floor, she slumped back against the stone casket, pulling her knees up to bury her face into her arms.

She didn't bother looking up when the hinge finally gave, its rusted components dropping noisily to the floor with a clatter. Instead, thoughts of her father inexplicably drifted back, warm memories she had of him inundating her mind until she found a degree of comfort in knowing that she would see him again soon.

The gate buckled, a second hinge fractured as the bolt attaching it to the wall cracked under the stress…

With it came thoughts of Daryl... the love she now had for him causing her heart to constrict tightly.

Beth wished in hindsight that she had told him of her feelings when she had the chance… but… then again, maybe it was better this way. He was going to feel responsible enough as it was, despite absolutely none of it being his fault. He would blame himself for being gone, beat himself up about it… potentially lose himself like he did when the prison fell.

If she had told him she loved him, it would just be a hundred times worse. The added guilt that came with such a thing would be too much, even for someone as strong as him. It would haunt him… spiral him into despondent rage that would make him reckless in a way that would likely get him killed.

She didn't want that… not for him. The last man standing, that's who he was destined to be… and as long as he was, that's all she really cared about.

Maybe it was better this way.

….

**Sorry it took a while to post this, I blame the midseason finale, the holidays and that last chapter! With no new episodes until February, I expect I'll be back to writing more consistently again!**

**Thanks for reading "What Still Lies Ahead" **

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**Reviews and comments are appreciated as always :)**


	35. Chapter 35

…. Chapter 35 …..

Pushing aside a low hanging branch in his way, Daryl stepped onto the road where the motorcycle was hidden, relieved more than he could say to have finally reached the damn thing. His gaze swept down its darkened length, straining to detect anything that seemed remotely out of the ordinary. With the overcast moon overhead not doing much to help with the endeavor, he found himself having to listen instead, the traits that made him an effective hunter causing his breathing to slow significantly as he focused the inherent sense into the far distance. Hearing nothing amiss, he cautiously made his way down the black stretch of asphalt, now beyond ready to be done with the exhausting task at hand.

He had been walking for hours now, trudging through all manner of strewn storm debris as he did his best to keep the exhaustion at bay. While he was grateful to have a solid idea of just where it was he was going, the backwoods route it intuitively took him had been hell to get through. The thick mud and soggy terrain gripped heavily at his boots, making each step two times more arduous than it needed to be. With his leg muscles making him painfully aware of it, Daryl wondered if his cautious attempt to avoid the road itself had been worth it in the long run.

Of course, he only had himself to blame. He hadn't done himself any favors by exerting himself so strenuously the night before with Beth. Unable to remember the last time he got laid, he reckoned it must have been a hell of a lot longer than he thought if the simple act of keeping himself buried in her heat had the sinew that ran the length of his thighs aching so much. Visions of the girl seared back to the forefront of his mind as they had so many times now, causing his thoughts to wander. Upon recalling the sensation of her body clasping at him tightly as he had emptied himself inside her, Daryl could honestly say that he wouldn't have changed a single goddamn thing about it.

Beth had been dead asleep when he had gotten up this morning which hadn't been surprising after the long night he had put her though. He had made love to her a second time, his body selfishly overruling his brain and all previous concerns he might've had of how sore she'd be after the fact. As his hands stroked over her, he had whispered things against her skin that had her biting her lip alluringly, everything about her responding just as he knew she would. Having found another sensory trigger point that would guarantee the reaction he was looking for, he had taken advantage of it, losing himself within her until they had both been sweating and breathless.

When they were done, he had decided it best to just get up and start prepping for the trek he was facing rather than risk falling back asleep himself. Despite being physically tired as shit, mentally he had been firing on all cylinders so he figured it best to take advantage of it while he could and try to get an early start. Being surprisingly on point, he had been able to get everything that he needed ready in no time at all, his methodical actions as focused as his objective. He wanted to get this done as quickly as possible and be back by morning at the latest.

He had been in the process of cleaning the gun barrel when he noticed Beth's notepad sitting on the kitchen table right next to the abandoned stack of playing cards. His gaze unwittingly drawn to it, Daryl couldn't say what had ultimately compelled him to pick it up and write her that note. Finding the spoken word difficult enough, it went without saying that the written one was even more out of the spectrum of what he considered comfortable. Unable to remember the last time he had the need to put pencil to paper, it had taken him almost ten damn minutes to write five measly lines.

Figuring it best to just stick to the facts, he had told her where he was leaving the gun and where to go in case something happened while he was away. That would have been the extent of it until the notes stark contents practically insisted that he add something a little more personal. The joking admonition at the end had been the best he could do… after all, it wasn't like he was trying to write a fucking Hallmark card or anything. Not much one for goodbyes, he reckoned that even the shit poor sorriest of notes was better than the nothing he had originally planned.

Of course, he had briefly thought of waking her to tell her he was leaving but had left after deciding against it. For one, he didn't trust himself to not just crawl back into bed with her and leave the bike to rot for another day and secondly… well, what would he have said anyway, _Hey, I'm outta here but I had a great time last night. We should do it again when I get back, what d'ya say?_

Yeah, fuck that.

Sparing himself the quandary, Daryl had shoved the note where she'd find it easily enough, kind of wishing that he had the emotional fortitude to express himself more succinctly. Locking the door behind him with a key he had found, he had gone back through the cemetery the way they had came in, heading out the far side of it to disappear into the surrounding woods.

Seeing the edge of town just past the ravine, he had briefly considered going through it... maybe take a quick detour into the place just to scout it out and see what was there. Not knowing what kind of state it was in for shit though, he reckoned it was probably best not to find out on his own. He'd wait until Beth was with him, not only because he trusted her to watch his back but also because she'd be pissed as hell if he left her behind again. For now, getting the bike remained his sole priority.

For the most part, the trek had been surprisingly unproblematic. He had come across multiple small groups of walkers but nothing that he couldn't handle or better yet, avoid altogether. There had been five big ones right outside the cemetery that he had just given an extremely wide berth. With a full day of walking ahead of him, they hadn't been worth the effort he'd need to exert in order to take them all down and they sure as hell weren't worth the bolts. With Beth locked up safe, he hadn't found the need to worry about them. The way he figured, they'd probably just wander on through the headstones none the wiser, the way he preferred if given a choice.

From there the hours had passed by fairly quickly. Daryl made his way back to the main road that led into Barnesville and with no other choice, had walked the long strip of asphalt back through the sprawling farmlands, past the dead crops that still sat wilting in waterlogged soil. As the miles trudged by steadily under his boots, he passed the barn where Beth and him had fallen asleep together that first night after she had been attacked at the store. Unaffected by the recent storms, it stood alone and decrepit in the distance, surrounded by nothing but the dead trees and gutted animal carcasses that had been there before.

Staring at it, Daryl remembered that it had been there where she had first kissed him. The memory of it seemed so long ago now that he had to think harder than he should've in order to recall it at all. He remembered wondering what would've happened if she had pressed herself against him for longer. Of course, none of that mattered now. The two of them had long surpassed that point, along with any of the thoughts or feelings he might have had about them doing so at the time. If he could've remotely guessed what was to transpire between them a month or so later, he would've been the first to have called himself out for being a bullshit liar.

As he walked through the barren wastelands, Daryl smoked through his cigarettes and thought about the course of events that had led him and Beth to where they were now for lack of anything else better to do. In the calm after their initial encounter, she had asked him if he regretted what they had done. Now that he had all the time in the world to think about it, Daryl could still honestly say that he didn't. All of his reservations had faded as fast as his insane attraction to her had grown. If the two of them ever caught up to Maggie and the rest of the group, well… he'd just pay the fucking piper then. Beth had given of herself too sincerely to undermine the intent of it all by speculating about the rights and wrongs of it now... besides, what he had told her beforehand applied to himself as well – there was no going back.

During that same conversation in the bathroom, she had told him that she had remained a virgin because she had never met anyone she cared enough about to give herself to in that way. As Daryl walked the road to Barnesville, he couldn't help but wonder to what exact capacity she might possibly care about him. The girl didn't strike him as the type that would just sleep with somebody for shits n' grins so there had to be a degree of emotional investment for her. While he would never try to delude himself into thinking she could possibly love someone like him, Daryl knew he'd be straight lying to himself if he tried to pretend that he didn't find that particular unknown aspect of the situation daunting. Not having the necessary experience or emotional aptitude to deal with such things, he had no idea what she could possibly be expecting from him past what they had now started physically.

Keeping to the shoulder of the road as he thought about it, Daryl reckoned that it would all just pan out in the end. They were in it together... and although he may not know how deep Beth's feelings might run, he knew without a doubt that his for her were strong, almost uncomfortably so… especially to someone like him. While even acknowledging such a thing was scary as hell, even fucking scarier was the notion that he could be out on that tenuous limb all by himself. Completely unequipped to handle it either way, the whole situation had the potential to blow up in his face like a shit storm of epic proportions.

The notion churning worriedly in his head, he looked up to see that he had finally reached the outskirts of Barnesville. Finding a suitable spot, Daryl veered off of the road he'd been taking for miles now and headed back into the thick of the woods, doing what he needed to do in order to avoid the the megastore that started him on this path to begin with. Not wanting to chance even the area where it was located, he intended to bypass it completely and cut directly across to where the bike was hidden. It was a risky move, especially considering that he had never scouted the area in between before, but it would hopefully save him a shit ton of time and help keep him out of sight for the most part.

With his instincts guiding him, they led him pretty much to where he'd hoped they would, despite the fact that his leg muscles now felt like they were on fire. Now having finally reached the road where the Triumph was located, Daryl reckoned that the extra effort he had taken had been worth it in the long run. Almost done, he made his way down the darkened asphalt, trudging past all the small landmarks he had noted from his first time seeing them… the tree they had hidden behind during their first encounter with the black car… the broken down minivan with the bloody car seat...

He finally arrived at the place where he had pulled the bike off of the road, relieved more than he could say to still find it exactly where he'd left it. Sitting alone amongst the trees, the camouflage of foliage he had used to cover it was long gone but that wasn't necessarily surprising, especially considering the strength of the winds that had blown through the area. Daryl didn't much give a shit as long as the damn thing still ran and he could get it out of here like he fully intended.

Digging the key out of his pocket, he shoved it into its ignition and turned it over somewhat nervously. The engine immediately roared to life, doing so like it had been wondering what the hell had taken him so long. Upon hearing it do so, Daryl expelled the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding and revved the throttle a few times, lubricating all the moving parts the bike needed to complete the journey back. He quickly checked the machine over for anything that could've been affected for having sat exposed to the elements for so long. Finding the bike in better condition than he expected, he was now excited to get it back on the road so he could go home.

Swinging himself over the seat, Daryl settled the motorcycle firmly between his legs before flicking on the headlight and gunning it up the slight embankment to the road. Taking one last glance around, he sped off in a spray of gravel, leaving the area and the road itself behind him to be nothing more than a distant memory. Now that the task was done, he didn't need to reflect back upon it as the miles that had taken him hours to traverse by foot now flew by in minutes.

Home.

Is that what he thought he had now? Because if so, it would be the first time that he could recall ever having such a thing. With the mortuary being so far off the beaten path and the girl providing a safe haven within it, there was a level of contentment to be had there that was very risky for someone like him. Instinctively a loner by nature, he relied heavily upon the emotional detachment that came with it. The guarded mentality helped him to stay alive while others succumbed to the heavy burden that came with reminiscing about such places long gone. While it made him an insensitive asshole in their eyes, it personally served him well and wasn't something he could afford to lose... for either himself or for Beth.

Stewing on the notion, Daryl opened up the bike to let it roar out from under him, past the point of worrying if the noise being made was going to draw unwanted attention. Pushing the RPM's into the red, the wheels chewed up the miles a lot faster than necessary to get where he needed to go...

Home.

That was where she was… alone in their bed waiting for him…

Christ, he really needed to get his shit together. It was hard enough to convince himself that the edge he needed to maintain was absolutely necessary without thoughts of the girl undermining it alluringly. How could it be that she was still such a huge distraction to him when he had finally been able to release the sexual tension that had held him so firmly in its grips? He couldn't let the fact that they had slept together change anything outside of the bedroom. It was just how it needed to be. While he might not regret what they had done, he sure as hell could try to control what it meant to him from this point going forward.

Leaning into the wind, Daryl felt better for having the semblance of a game plan he could get behind. It also went without saying that by doing so, he'd be able to effectively shut down any risk he might have of becoming more emotionally attached to Beth than he already was. He cared for her… a lot... but still couldn't help but cling to his stubborn belief that this thing churning between them was likely to end badly for one or both of them. With his growing feelings starting to chaff at him uncomfortably, it went without saying that he fully expected to be the one left reeling in the dirt.

Without even being consciously aware he was doing so, Daryl closed off his heart to any potential glimmer of hope that Beth could possibly represent to him, effectively locking it away from her burgeoning reach. With his shoulders locking in grim determination, he powered through the fatigue and rode the rest of the distance back to the mortuary, not bothering to look behind him to see the darkened car that followed in his wake, the bikes single headlight ahead of it brightly illuminating the way.

….

_''What tha hell d'ya think you're doin'?''_

Daryl's angry voice seemed to pierce through the numbness, somehow echoing in Beth's ears even louder that the noises being made by the frenzied walkers nearby. Sniffling back the tears, she looked up from where she was slumped against the stone casket to see the mausoleum gates still hanging on by the merest of threads. The weight of the walkers pressing against them now had each bowing precariously on the two hinges that remained, enough to where they could actually crawl under at least one of them unimpeded if they knew to do such a thing. For now though, the barricade they provided was holding on... at least for the moment.

This was such a bad idea.

She should've made a run for it... headed into the wood to lose the walkers in the trees. Instead she had chosen to play cat and mouse with them through the headstones and now she was stuck here in this death trap with no way out. No wonder Daryl was mad at her. It was a stupid decision, one he would've never made, and now that it had backfired spectacularly she had no one to blame but herself...

_''Are ya seriously still jus' sittin' there? Goddamn it, move ya ass an' do somethin'!''_

Do something? Like what? It wasn't like the walkers were going to magically step aside and let her mosey on out of the crypts only exit!

Beth shakily shoved herself to her feet anyway, decidedly not needing him to berate her in her mind more so than he already had. She stared the walkers at the gate, their features even more bloody and rancid than usual for situation in which they all found themselves.

This was wrong… everything about this was wrong. This was not how things were supposed to end for her. She was young and still had so much to live for. She had Daryl… and she still needed to find her sister and the rest of their prison family! Her mother had succumbed to the turn after getting bitten and her father had been killed by a madman… both had gone out fighting for their lives… had she really planned upon just sitting there and not doing the same?

Sweeping the tears from her face, Beth pulled a deep breath and discovered that the defeatist mentality that she might have accepted a few months ago suddenly didn't sit so well with her now. She felt a wave of guilt flow over her for having entertained it for as long as she had. Squaring her shoulders, she looked around once more and determinedly tried to view the dire situation with the eyes of someone who had survived a lot worse. As if sensing that the potential meal inside had suddenly decided to not give up so easily, the walkers clamoring at the gate seemed to renew their efforts to get in.

Forcing herself to ignore them, she happened to look down to see the glimmers of sunlight that bled across the floor. Her brows drawing, Beth shimmied behind the casket in order to investigate them further. The large bricks that comprised the base of the mausoleum walls were badly deteriorated, leaving them porous and weak. They were in such bad shape in fact that it was a miracle that the structure was even standing at all.

She dug her blade into one of the cracks just to prove it to herself, only to have it come out clean on the other side. As if telling her to hurry, the gate behind her gave a deafening clang and she knew without looking that the rusted latch was close to its breaking point. Glancing up the statue of Jesus in a silent bid for help, Beth suddenly got a crazy idea.

Thinking quickly, she climbed on top of the crypt, trying not to panic as she heard the latch finally give. The five walkers outside immediately spewed onto the mausoleum floor to land in a big pile, obviously not having the mental capacity to have accounted for such a thing as gravity. Beth barely spared them a glance as she shoved at the statue with all of her might, gritting her teeth with the effort needed to do so. The cement figure was large, but not so much so to where it didn't begin to shift gradually from the force she was applying to it.

Feeling it move, she kept at it until she had it at the edge of the slab. Beth gave a harried look over her shoulder, her eyes widening in dismay to see that the walkers were in the process of untangling themselves. While their movements were predictably disjointed and slow, they were close to freeing themselves from their fallen counterparts so they could stand back up again. She was running out of time.

With her arms shaking, she gave the statue a final shove, sending it careening over off of the casket to plow noisily through the wall behind it. As she had dared to hope, it created a large hole in the bricks as they disintegrated under its heavy weight. Without a moment to spare Beth scrambled through after it, not caring in the slightest as the jagged rocks left behind by both the statue and the wall cut painfully into her skin.

Crawling free of the rubble on her hands and knees, she fell back onto the pathway to see the walkers inside attempting to follow her out. Their bodies quickly proved to be too large and cumbersome for the tight opening. With the structural integrity of the wall compromised, the pressure they applied was all it took for the whole mausoleum to come crashing down upon them, the entire thing collapsing in noisily on itself to bring the heavy roof toppling down upon their heads.

Beth reeled away as a huge cloud of dust and debris instantly inundated the air. Panting heavily, she slumped down against a nearby headstone and stared over at the mess that had been created, barely believing that she had somehow managed to escape what for a moment seemed all but damn near inescapable. She didn't need to investigate the ruins to know that the walkers were dead, the eerie silence all around her was all the proof that she needed.

It was starting to get dark so Beth slowly pushed herself to her feet and made her way back to the house, feeling a lot more exhausted and alone than she had when she'd first come outside. Hoping that the thunderous noise just made didn't unwittingly draw more walkers to the area, she locked the place up tight before dragging herself upstairs to the bathroom to clean herself up for the second time that day. Sitting tiredly on the hamper, she tended to all of her cuts by candlelight, taking the extra care to bandage the ones that needed it before sheer fatigue forced her to stop.

Carrying the candle into the bedroom, she crawled into bed and pulled Daryl's pillow over to herself to hug it tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to overflow. His scent still lingered on it, making her bury her face in its softness and inhale deeply.

She knew she was being ridiculously emotional but she missed him... even more than she thought she would.

He wasn't going to be happy when he found out what had happened, that much she knew for certain. With all of her limbs covered in multiple cuts and abrasions, it wasn't like she could easily hide it. Every bandage seemed to only testify that she had yet again found the trouble he seemed to believe she was always looking for and Beth sighed resignedly into his pillow for knowing it.

That she had managed to do the very thing he had hadn't wanted while he was gone was undoubtedly going to earn her an earful. Right now though she was honestly too exhausted to care. Besides, he'd probably be gone for at least another day. The way she figured, that gave her plenty of time to come up with what she could only hope was a believable excuse.

…...

**Hope everyone had a happy holiday! Here is a new chapter to hopefully brighten your Monday. Thank you so much for reading and reviews, comments or musings in general are always appreciated!**


	36. Chapter 36

... Chapter 36 ...

Figuring it best to not draw any more attention to himself than was absolutely necessary, Daryl walked the bike through the woods for the last two miles, covering the rest of the distance to arrive back at the house around dawn. It wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter. The main road leading to the mortuary ran straight through the center of town and there was no way in hell he was going to risk taking it without knowing exactly what it was he was riding through.

Wasn't like he hadn't thought about it though... he had... the daunting thought of pushing the bike that far practically insisting on it. An unexpected run-in with a group of walkers just outside of town had been quick to dissuade him of the notion. Scattered all over the asphalt, the few by themselves would've been easy to avoid, especially for a experienced rider like himself. It was the unknown amount that awaited him after the fact that had him ultimately deciding that he wasn't suicidal.

Reckoning it better to be safe than sorry, Daryl had veered the bike off of the road, cutting off both the headlight and the engine to push the Triumph silently back the way that he knew best. Arduous to say the least, the endeavor drained him of what was left of his stamina, the energy required to balance the bike's weight stretching it to the limit.

Although the terrain was flat for the most part, the trees that populated it were dense, making the darkness all around him seem that much more murky. Choosing to focus on the task at hand rather than the ambient noises that were trying their damndest to fuck with his head, Daryl pushed the bike until his muscles throbbed, his vision straining to decipher his way through the blackness. Although the detour had taken a lot longer than he preferred, he figured it was worth it to get both the bike and himself back to the house in one piece.

Clearing the woods, Daryl finally came out at the far side of the cemetery and huffed a sigh of relief with the knowledge that he was almost done. Over the ridge in the distance, the early morning sun was struggling to break through the clouds starting to creep back over the area. The mortuary sat alone amongst the tombstone and he made his way to the path that led directly to its front door, the gravel crunching under the bikes wheels and his labored breathing the only sounds to be heard.

Looking around for anything amiss, he noticed that the wind was starting to pick up again. As it churned insistently at the bare tree limbs overhead, it was nothing but an unfortunate reminder that the next round of storms were heading their way. Now that he was aware of it, he was glad that he'd chosen to go get the motorcycle when he did.

Pulling around to the back of the house, he set the bikes kick stand down with the heel of his boot and let the Triumph tilt on its own weight. Daryl didn't trust leaving it sitting out in the open so he went to go find something to cover it with. Eventually settling on an old paint tarp, he camouflaged it the best he could and left it there to suffice. With every part of his body aching, he was fucking dead on his feet. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed and lose himself in the welcoming abyss of sleep.

Taking the extra time necessary to check the exterior of the house, Daryl silently unlocked the front door and went upstairs. The house was eerily quiet and for a moment he was worried that he wouldn't find Beth in their room where she should be. Pushing open the bedroom door, he was relieved more than he could say to find that his fears had been unfounded. There in the minimal light he could see the girl sprawled out in the bed in just a t-shirt and her underwear, dead asleep and blissfully unaware of his return.

Propping the Horton against his side table, he shrugged off his jacket and vest before toeing off his muddy boots. Tugging the shirt he was wearing off over his head, he carefully crawled into bed next to her, unable to help himself as he slid an arm around her waist to pull her to him. He sighed in unexpected contentment as the warmth of her skin met the cool expanses of his own. Humming in return, Beth settled herself more snuggly into his lap only to fall asleep once more.

Daryl buried his face into her hair, surprised to find how much he missed her. Hell… it wasn't even like he'd been gone that long. With a lack of any real impediments trying to make his life miserable, the journey to get the bike had been a lot less problematic than he'd expected. Not that it was a bad thing.

Of course, knowing that he missed her wasn't doing much for implementing his game plan of emotionally detaching himself and he sighed resignedly for knowing it. Closing his eyes, he was too goddamn exhausted to dwell on it. The way he reckoned, there was plenty of time to figure out the ground rules for the two of them later.

….

_He was dreaming, he fuckin' had to be._

_Holy shit… if he was, he didn't ever want to wake up…_

On her knees in front of him, Beth was staring up at him shyly as she held the rigid length of his dick steady for her mouth. Completely lost in the hazy moment, Daryl gritted his teeth in anticipation, barely daring to believe that she was willing to attempt such a thing. She had him throbbing painfully in her hand and he closed his eyes in bliss as she tentatively ran the tip of her tongue from his root to his tip.

_Christ, do it… that's it... jus' like that…_

He fisted his fingers into her hair, willfully holding her in place as the pouty fullness of her lips open again in slow motion. Her little pink tongue came out to flick at him once more and he slid himself purposefully over its welcoming surface, pushing himself in deep as her eyes fluttered closed as well.

_Fuck yeah…_

Daryl moaned in his sleep, the sensation of what he was doing as amazing as he had always imagined it would be. He could practically feel her fingers tighten at his base as he worked himself steadily into the back of her throat, his load gaining the traction it needed to coat her insides in a torrent of thick hot spurts…

From next to him, Beth rolled away from the intense heat his body was generating, unintentionally dragging Daryl out of the best goddamn dream he'd ever had. His eyes sleepily flickered open as he lay there burning up from it, images of what had just transpired still coursing provocatively through his brain. Unable to move for fear of discharging messily in his pants, he saw in his peripherals that she was in the process of waking up herself. Yawning, she stretched languidly as she rolled onto her back, none the wiser to the excruciatingly awkward predicament in which he found himself.

What the fuck... now what the hell was he gonna do?

With him having only just taken her virginity, it wasn't like she was at a level of comfort with the act yet to where he could just roll her onto her stomach and purposefully finish from behind her what she had so dreamily started. Squeezing his eyes shut for knowing it, Daryl willed the aching erection away, forcing himself to think of anything but the hot little mouth that had caused it in order to do so. When he finally felt secure that he had succeeded enough to risk moving, he glanced over to see Beth staring at him.

''You're back.'' She said, stating the obvious.

Decidedly needing a cigarette after the erotically charged gamete he'd just been run through, Daryl reached into his side drawer where he kept a few for emergencies purposes and dug one out. Figuring the awkward predicament in which he found himself fit that bill to a fucking tee, he shoved it in his mouth and lit it, using the disposable lighter he kept there with them just in case his own wasn't handy. Slumping back down onto the pillow, he pulled a drag while fighting off the wave of disappointment that came from waking up from such a thing.

''What can I say,'' He muttered around where it hung now between his lips, ''Shit didn't take as long as I thought.''

"That's a good thing, right?'' If the girl was aware of any lingering tension strangely radiating from him, she sure as hell didn't show it. ''How was it out there?''

Daryl thought about it before replying on an exhaled cloud of smoke, '' 'Bout tha same as it is everywhere else. Few more walkers… nothin' I couldn't handle.'' He flicked the ash into the nearby ashtray and looked over at her through the hair that hung limply in his eyes, ''How 'bout here with you? Any issues?''

In the process of pushing herself from the bed, Beth paused for a moment before assuring him quickly that everything had been fine. Feeling better for hearing it, Daryl gratefully lost himself in the quietness that came with her leaving the room for whatever reason that might've been. Settling into the ambiance, he tiredly finish up his smoke as his mind wandered aimlessly and without purpose.

With a bare arm set under his pillow, his head lilted over when she came back in. The muted light that managed to filter in through the boarded windows was quick to show him that her arms were covered in a multitude of abrasions, ranging in size and redness. Upon seeing them Daryl shoved himself into a sitting position, doing it so quickly that the sudden movement of it made him inavertedly lightheaded.

''What tha hell...''

He could practically see her hold her breath in anticipation of the questions he was about to barrage her with, a look of dismay unwittingly crossing her face. Not caring in the slightest, he bit out, ''What's all that about? Why ya covered in cuts for?''

Sliding back into the bed, Beth quickly pulled the covers back over herself, arranging them carefully as if doing so could magically make him forget he ever saw them. Keeping her tone even and calm, she said placatingly, ''They're nothing… just scratches really.''

''Yeah?'' He growled, ''From?''

She shrugged, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

Daryl swept a hand down his face, his jaw clenching with the effort it was taking to not reach across the bed and shake the answers out of her. Knowing that she wasn't one to respond well when he got to yelling, he checked his frustration at the door and tried a different tactic. ''Didn't think I needed ta say this but I jus' finished walkin' damn near thirty miles. I'm tired as shit. Don't make me ask ya again.''

''I'm not making you do anything!'' She said more earnestly. ''Seriously, it's no big deal!''

''It is ta me.'' He pushed the covers back from her hip to find even more. ''Jesus! What tha fuck happened? Did ya or did you not jus' finish tellin' me that everythin' here went fine!''

''It did! I… I just ran into some trouble in the cemetery, that's all. Much like you, it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle!'' She rushed to add when her assurances did nothing other than make his eyes darken skeptically.

With her obviously feeling that he was overreacting and him fully believing that she wasn't reacting enough, Daryl pressed his fingers to his brow, taking a moment to calm himself down considerably. Drawing a deep breath, he regarded her before finally asking, ''You a'right though?''

Upon hearing his more composed tone of voice, her brow rose. ''Oh… so you _do_ care. I was starting to think that you just wanted to yell at me...''

Daryl sniffed, the smartass commentary not completely unexpected. Now all he had left to do was slow the steady pounding of his heart. After all, he would've had a hard time living with himself if something bad had happened to her and he hadn't been there to stop it. ''Yeah, well… that could still be a possibility. Jus' give me tha nutshell version an' we'll see.''

Realizing that he wasn't going to just let the subject drop, Beth sighed and told him about the five walkers that had trapped her in one of the old mausoleums. Without spinning the account too dramatically, she went through how she had locked herself in, leaving herself no other escape route other than the entrance. For lack of another viable option, she had resorted to having to create one for herself, the cuts that now marred her skin coming from her crawling out over the jagged rubble as quickly as possible. When she was done, Daryl couldn't help but feel as though he seriously needed another cigarette.

Slumping back against the headboard, he glanced over to where she was sitting there staring at him apprehensively, waiting for his reaction.

''I think I saw tha walkers you're talkin' about. Five big bastards, right?''

She nodded, seemingly relieved that he wasn't going to fly off the handle unnecessarily. ''Their arms were too long for me. I couldn't get a clean kill through the bars of the gates... at least not without getting dragged in. It was real scary for a moment. I…''

She paused, the silence extending long enough for Daryl to look over at her questioningly.

Lost in thought about it, Beth's gaze rose to meet his and she swallowed before saying quietly, ''I almost gave up… almost. My mind blanked and I couldn't see past the better choices I could've… or should've made. I kept hearing your voice in my head telling me to move and as much as I didn't appreciate it at the time, I think … I think its what ultimately gave me the push I needed to get myself out of there.''

Daryl regarded her for a moment. ''Nah, ya did that all on ya own. It's like I done told ya before, you're strong an' ya knew what needed ta be done. Everyone's allowed ta get scared… hell, we all do now an' then. It's all about how ya handle it after tha fact that counts. What ya did was fuckin' smart. I wouldn't have thought ta do it, that's for damn sure.''

Beth's eyes widened at the unexpected compliment, making Daryl realize that he had unintentionally given it. "Everyone gets scared?" She smiled before saying somewhat skeptically, ''Even you?''

''It happens…'' He shrugged with a smirk, shoving his pillow more comfortably under his back, ''Not always, but sometimes. Usually when I'm bein' told by a certain girl… I ain't sayin' no names mind you, that she got into tha very trouble I already warned her would earn her a spankin' if she found herself in again.''

''Oh, is that right?'' Beth said, still smiling as her eyes narrowed disbelievingly, ''Y'know, I might be scared of a lot of things but that's not one of them. And besides, I wouldn't have gotten into trouble if you had just killed those five walkers when you first saw them. I mean... technically, you ran into them first so I don't think I can really be blamed when it was you that chose to not do your job of saving the day an' all.''

The excuse was said with such sassy conviction that Daryl could feel the corner of his mouth notch up for hearing it, finding it more damn cute than he should of considering the circumstances. Like there was even a snowballs chance in hell that he was going to buy into any of that. Shaking his head disbelievingly at the notion, he made a point of saying, ''First up, you're always ta blame. Even if shits going exactly as expected, I'm still fuckin' blaming you. Secondly, I probably could've killed them walkers but… I don't know, guessin' I must'a been scared or somethin'…''

When his poor attempt at humor made her roll her eyes, Daryl reached across the bed and snagged her by the wrist, making her yelp in surprise as he hauled her determinedly on top of him. He sat her so she was straddling him, her bare thighs at his hips. Situating the girl more comfortably on his lap, he let his fingers lightly graze her from her waist down to her knees.

''Either way, I promised ya a spankin'… an' if I'm anythin', it's a man of my word." He drawled, trying his damndest to look like he meant it.

Beth's eyes widened as she stared down at him from her unexpected new vantage point. She obviously didn't know what to make of such a statement, especially considering that it had often been alluded to but never implemented. Seeing the humorous glint in his eyes, she gasped out, ''Oh my god Daryl! Don't you dare!''

Daryl let his palm hover threateningly over the area he had in mind, chuckling when she made a grab for it wildly. Sitting up, he playfully wrestled with her in his determination to see his intentions through, the supple curve of her ass protected by nothing but a thin layer of yellow fabric. Now laughing as well, Beth bucked against him, unable to help herself as she did everything in her power to deter his efforts to make contact.

That was all it took to change the dynamics of the lighthearted interaction and Daryl's gaze turned serious for knowing it. Getting his way like he always preferred, his hands still sought his initial objective but now did so for an entirely different reason.

He pulled her purposefully against him, causing the remnants of her laughter to fade in her throat as she became fully cognizant of it as well. He was so close he could see the pulse under her delicate skin skyrocket to life as the blood in her veins instantly began to race. Their bodies pressing together had the air charging around them as it always did and now that the girl was breathtakingly aware of it, her gaze dropped hesitantly from under its very palpable weight. Daryl paused, suddenly realizing that for some reason she was nervous.

''Ya a'right?" He asked quietly, tilting his head to catch the eyes that seemed determined to look everywhere but at him directly, "What's tha matter?''

Her hands were pushing lightly at his chest, making the question warranted. Beth met his gaze shyly before whispering, ''I don't know… I guess I'm not quite used to us being… this way… with each other yet.''

Daryl leaned back against the headboard, relieved as shit to know that he hadn't stepped over some invisible boundary.

''What ways that?'' He asked, keeping his voice low and unassuming. Tightening the hands he had at her hips, he manipulated the warm spread of her thighs against him, purposely stroking the heated core at their center against the rigid erection now back to straining between his own. ''… this way?''

Her lips parted as she nodded slightly.

''Don't ya like bein'… this way… with me?'' Daryl continued, repeating the enticing action just because he could.

Again, she could only nod. This time though it was accompanied by a slow aroused gasp.

Turned on himself, Daryl let his gaze drop down to where she had unknowingly but instinctively melded herself around him, the soft folds nestled under her panties already damp with a need that she obviously hadn't gotten a handle on yet. Encouraged for seeing it, Daryl pressed himself against her once more, her body seeming to welcome the erotic interaction despite the trepidation that lingered in her eyes.

Beth elicited a breathy moan, the sexy sound of which compelling him to say to her, '''Cause I sure as hell like bein' this way with you. Probably more so than I should. What can I say… everythin' about ya is so damn soft…''

Using the hands she had at his chest, Daryl pulled her down to him, doing so just enough to leave her mouth hovering mere inches away from his own. For reasons he couldn't explain, he wanted her to close the distance between them herself... and he would damn well lay there and wait for her to do so. He needed her to show him that she wanted him too… that she wanted everything that he had to give as much as he fucking wanted to give it to her. With his resolution of controlling just how invested he planned on becoming riding him hard, there was no way in hell that he was going to put himself out there more so than he already had, his own stubborn pride demanding it.

Beth regarded him for a moment but didn't disappoint, lowering herself the rest of the way to kiss him with all the fieriness his body raking against hers had induced. She surrendered herself to him fully, the inexplicable nervousness that had initially come over her erased by the allure of his words. Feeling more confident for it being gone, her fingers threading eagerly into his hair, pinning his mouth under the weight of her own. Raking his lower lip between her teeth, she smiled when he grunted against her, the guttural noise letting her know how much he liked what she was doing.

With the premise of the test he was subjecting her to falling to the wayside, Daryl rolled her onto her back, yanking her t-shirt up and over her head as she went. The ardency of the moment had him back against her immediately, taking over as his mouth found hers to kiss her with all the hot blooded need she brought out in him. Sprawled beneath him, Beth met him fervidly for knowing it, mewling when he broke from her to drag his tongue to the sensitive area behind her ear.

Licking at her until she was shuddering helplessly, Daryl smiled himself for having gotten the exact response he had come to expect. Using his lips, he trailed a path down her body from there, finding her nipple to draw it between his teeth. Beth surged against him as the heated pull of what he was doing set every sensory point she had to blazing. Her nails dug into his back as he coaxed at her, his tongue teasing at the hardened peak until she cried out against him. He lavished the same attention on the other before moving on, his fingers stroking over the silkiness of her stomach before his mouth followed the path they were taking.

With the ache at her core becoming almost unbearable, Beth pressed herself to him, her body throbbing for a degree of relief that only he could provide. Daryl flicked his tongue at her belly button and much like it had their first time together, the deliberate action instantly causing her breath to hitch. She bucked beneath him awkwardly, her hands now fisting into the tangle of blankets beneath her as though doing so could prevent her from falling off of the edge of what he obviously intended to do...

''Daryl…'' She panted, her lower lip snagging between her teeth apprehensively as he shifted himself down on her further still, ''Oh my god… I don't…''

''Shhh…'' He hushed, his breath ghosting over the skin at her hip as he hooked his thumb into her panties. Lifting himself from her just enough to pull them impatiently down her legs, he tossed them to the floor to be forgotten. ''Remember what I told ya 'bout me puttin' my mouth on you wherever I could get it? Well, this is me doin' it… an' I've been wantin' ta do it to ya for tha longest damn time…"

Easily resisting the small hands that were trying their best to dissuade him from his objective, Daryl settled himself right against her to nudge softly at the curls that protected her most intimate center with his chin. Taking his time, he teased at her with the course scuff that grew along his jaw line, brushing it over the apex of her slit until her hips began to undulate from beneath him of their own accord.

"That's it… jus' relax… I promise you're gonna like it…''

From where she lay, Beth watched what he was doing breathlessly as a flush of heat seared vividly across her skin. Everything feminine in her was responding against her will and despite her trepidation. That Daryl would even think to do such a thing had her pulse jumping wildly, making her lightheaded. Unable to tell if it was from nervousness or excitement, she swallowed and pulled a deep breath, allowing herself to tentatively experience what he had in mind. Trusting in him completely, she relaxed the determined set of her knees, giving him what she knew he'd take as permission to do as he wanted.

As if sensing her acquiescence, Daryl used the calloused pad of his thumb to spread her slightly before lowering his mouth slowly between her thighs. Beth gasped sharply, her body arching from the bed as his tongue found her easily. He stroked it against her highly sensitive clit before sliding it into her depths, stabbing at her sensuously until she was writhing on him. Her face buried in the crook of her arm, Beth cried out against her skin, the sensations he was inducing almost more than she could possibly bear.

Having gotten the reaction he was hoping for, Daryl nudged himself even deeper into her heat, the sinewy lock of his arms keeping her hips tightly to him. All the aspects that made him an effective hunter seemed to come into play, the natural tendencies that came inherent slowing the furious pounding of his heart to allow him to focus all of his intent on her. She was responding even better than he hoped she would and was without a doubt just as sweet. Keeping his pace slow and steady for knowing it, he garnered her taste to memory before dragging his tongue up to flick the tip of it where it counted the most.

With the recollection of how hard she had come on his fingers urging him on, he began working her in earnest, adjusting his technique until it was as unique as she was. Beth pressed herself against him, her body tensing in spasms until he found the steady rhythm that had her moaning. Bringing the girl to the brink of the abyss, Daryl slid a finger deep inside of her, stroking it purposely over her hidden trigger. It was then that he drew her clit between his teeth to suckle at it strongly…

Crying out, Beth heaved from the mattress as she soared over the edge, orgasmic waves of pleasure surging powerfully through her as she reeled forcibly in their wake. Daryl stayed with her the whole time as he adjusted the pressure of both his tongue and his finger accordingly. Long after she could've possibly imagined the swells finally receded and she came back down to earth, her heart pounding in the aftermath as her body throbbed against his mouth. Daryl lapped at her softly while it did so, his efforts having ensured that her release was as intense as possible. Only when he was fully satisfied that she was completely spent did he stop, her labored breathing the only sound filling the air around them.

He pushed himself up from between her legs and purposely wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. There was a purely male arrogance burning in his eyes that caused Beth to blush furiously at her completely unadulterated response to what he had just done to her. Embarrassed by it, she wanted nothing more than to hide her face in her pillow but found that she was still too euphorically depleted from her orgasm to drag it down from above her head.

''It's a little late ta be gettin' all shy on me now.'' He smirked knowingly, seeming to find her quandary humorous.

''I mean… what… how…'' Finding the making of a coherent sentence impossible, she gave up, hiding behind her hands instead as he just grinned wider for knowing it.

''Hell yeah. See... what'd I tell ya? I knew you'd like it.'' He crawled over the sprawl of her legs to dig in his side drawer for a condom.

Dazed but deliriously happy, Beth thought about it as he slumped down next to where she lay still trying to catch her breath. The unopened condom was wedged between his teeth as he unbuttoned his pants to kick them off. Tearing the wrapper open, Daryl rolled the rubber onto himself, the aching erection that had plagued him from the moment he'd woken up now throbbing that much more painfully for having reveled her unguarded response.

The simple act of looking down at what he was doing had the sinew that ran the length of his abs pulsing and Daryl looked over to see her staring at him. Worried that he had jumped the gun in thinking what was happening between them was going any further, his brows drew, ''What?''

Her lower lip wedged firmly between her teeth, she regarded him with no small degree of curiosity. "How did you know?''

The morning sunlight was skimming across the bare expanses of her skin, making it glow as she basked in the after effects of her orgasm. It made it a hell of a lot harder than it should've been for him to pay attention to what she was asking. ''Know what?''

A flush of color pinkened her cheeks again. ''That I'd like it...''

With the condom on, Daryl came back to her, nudging her knees apart with his own so he could guide himself tantalizingly to her entrance. Braced on his elbow, he took a moment to peel away an errant lock of pale hair that clung to the dampness lingering at the base of her throat.

''I know 'cause I know you.'' He drawled, easing himself slowly into her tight sheath. Her darkened eyes remained locked on his, her gaze unwaveringly despite the fact that she was now back to quietly panting for air.

''Don't have'ta be doin'… this…'' He locked himself against her, burying himself in deep, ''…ta know what ya like. Everythin' about ya tells me in ways that don't need words… I'm jus' good at readin' it, is all…''

The bluntness of his full penetration had the girl tensing unwittingly as she unfurled to accommodate him. With the full length of himself now imbedded, Daryl leaned in to kiss her, somehow proving his own point by knowing without having to be told that she still found the act initially painful. He trailed a hot path to her ear, letting the stubble at his jaw rake alluringly across her skin.

When she shivered against him, he finished what he was saying, his voice steady and low at the curve of her neck as he said, ''... an' I sure as hell ain't averse ta using it against ya… 'specially when it lets me do this…''

He withdrew from her heat only to sink back in even deeper, the snug vice of her body seeming to welcome his invasion. Beth arched up against him in response, the discomfort of his initial entry having faded much like it had before. His voice at her ear had her completely immersed back in the moment and she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him with all that she had, wanting him to know it. With her legs around his waist, she accepted his every stroke and Daryl surged into her repeatedly, the residual wetness from her orgasm ensuring him an easy passage.

Melding his body to hers until they were completely in sync, he found himself having to slow down again, realizing quickly just how close he was to blowing his load. Goddamn… seriously? What was it about her that had him losing the control that had come so easily in the past? Bracing himself on one arm, he went to reach between them when Beth stopped him, knowing fully what he planned.

''No…'' She breathed, making him pause, "...this one's for you."

Any thoughts he had to the contrary were completely shot to hell when she tightened her legs around him, their surprising strength pinning him in her to the hilt. Taking the bold gesture to mean that she wanted him to fuck her in the no holds barred way he'd never allowed himself to dream about, Daryl settled his weight on her and did exactly that, thrusting into her hard like a piston stuck in overdrive. Beth could only pant from beneath him, pulling up her knees to give him full unlimited access to her depths. It was all it took for him to come harder than he ever had before, his body shuddering from the force of it as he emptied himself into her tight grip.

_''Christ...''_ He hissed out from between his gritted teeth, unable to help himself as he strained against her.

Utterly drained, he collapsed on top of her despite every intention he had of not doing so. Burying his face into the dampness at her throat, he was left gasping for air, vaguely aware of her fingertips as they softly traced the scar lines that ran the length of his back.

Not wanting to crush her like his body was threatening to do, Daryl eventually detached himself from her hold and slumped down at her side with a long drawn out groan. The oxygen deprived haze he was in was making him feel like he was drunk, the dizzying sensation not helped by the racing of his heart. When both issues finally resolved themselves, he let his head lilt over only to see her looking at him expectantly...

''What tha hell?" He finally managed to say, coming off of his pillow to see her better, "That weren't even close ta bein' fair, ya know that?''

''What?'' Beth said innocently, smiling with an ingrained sense of feminine satisfaction that he never would've expected someone so young to possess. ''I have no idea what you're talking about.''

Daryl tsked in disbelief, struggling to remove the condom as he said with a smirk, ''Yeah, right… sure ya don't.''

Righting the blankets, they both settled back down in the bed, Beth tiredly draping herself across the dampness lingering at his chest. The mutual energy expelled only added to the previous days exertions, making both of them too exhausted to do anything other than fall back asleep. Beth did so immediately, leaving Daryl alone with his thoughts he lay there in the aftermath. The warmth of her naked body was pressed right against him and he suppressed a yawn, knowing full well that they should at least try and get up to put some clothes on.

Too damn tired to care, he pulled her in closer instead, the faint scent of wildflowers clinging to her skin quick to remind him of the resolution he had all but forgotten in the heat of the moment.

What had been so clear on the ride home had now become discouragingly convoluted. The efforts he was taking to protect his heart had him stuck in one hell of a quandary, one he was having a hard time coming to terms with as the opposing sides of it warred in his head. On the one hand, he could stick to what he knew, keep himself emotionally detached from the girl and not risk the debilitating fear that came with giving a shit. On the other was everything she had come to mean to him, a slim chance in a fucked up world to find a degree of happiness that he never deemed himself worthy of.

A self proclaimed emotionally stunted asshole with no personal experience to pull from, Daryl knew he didn't have the fortitude he needed to figure it out. He had never been in the semblance of a relationship before, at least not one that he could say he actually cared about. The girls in the past had come and gone, without names and completely faceless. They had served their purpose before disappearing from his mind without a trace. Much like his brother, he had used them all without qualms and had never felt the slightest degree of regret about it until now.

He closed his eyes, tired of dwelling on it. Drifting off to sleep, his mind gradually cleared as the slow, even cadence of his breathing fell into line with that of the girl in his arms.

He had wondered earlier what it was about this one in particular that had him losing every facet of the control that had come so easily… and now he knew...

It was her… Elisabeth Analeigh Greene specifically.

For him, it had always been about her.

…...

**Another long chapter done and I would love to hear your feedback! **

**I am halfway through writing Chapter 40 as I post this and was wondering how you were liking the pace of the story? Is it moving too slow? Are the intimate scenes too much? I have to say, I really like writing them but know that they are a bit more than the average fanfic would usually entail. Am I staying true to both Daryl and Beth? Any input is always welcome! Thanks for reading and as always, look for new updates on random monday mornings.**


	37. Chapter 37

... Chapter 37 ...

''C'mon sleepyhead, get ya ass up.''

Beth's eyes flew open when the roughly spoken command was accompanied with a resounding slap to her exposed behind.

''Ow…'' She grumbled, sleepily rubbing the area in question when the faint sting it left behind lingered, ''Oh my god Daryl! Was that necessary? You could have just woken me the normal way...''

Daryl smirked, obviously finding her testy mood amusing. ''Yeah I could've, but what kinda fun would that have been. 'Sides, never got 'round ta giving ya that spankin'. If anythin', you should be thankin' me that I'm considering it done.''

Beth groaned, finding his asinine logic too much to take upon first waking up. Glancing over, she saw that he was fully dressed and in the process of slinging the Horton over his shoulder. Suddenly very aware of her own nakedness, she clutched the blanket to her chest and sat up quickly, her brows drawing as she shoved her hair from her eyes. ''Are you going somewhere?''

''_We're_ goin' somewhere… so best get moving 'cause I'm leavin' in five.''

His point made, Daryl left the room to go downstairs, leaving Beth blinking after him in shock. He wanted her to come do… whatever it was he was doing… with him? That was a first.

She pushed herself from the bed, pausing only when her aching thigh muscles were quick to remind her why the sudden movement of it wasn't such a good idea. Having no doubt that Daryl would leave with or without her, she got dressed as fast as she could, taking a moment to brush her teeth and sweep her hair up into a messy ponytail. Having done as much as she was able in the limited time frame she'd been given, she slid her knife into its holster and flew downstairs to find him standing in the driveway holding one of their backpacks.

''Where are we going?''

The question came out in an excited rush, despite every vow she had made to herself in the last five minutes to not have it do so. The last thing she wanted was for Daryl to know just how happy she was to be finally included in his plans. Knowing him, he would change his mind, doing so just because he could for whatever reason best suited his argument.

''Next storm's headin' in any day now,'' He said, letting her take the backpack from him as they began walking down the driveway, ''Reckoned it's as good a time as any ta go check out town, take a look around before it does.''

As they passed the front gates to the cemetery, he spared her a glance, the look on his face dubious to say the least. ''What… ya ain't got nothin' ta say about it? Figured I'd be inundated with a million fuckin' questions by now…''

Trying her best to keep up with his steady gait, Beth just shrugged, ''Of course I have questions. I'm just waiting until we're far enough away from the house to ask them. That way, you won't be able to send me back if they annoy you… which, knowing you… will be right away.''

Daryl sniffed, not feeling the need to deny the assumption. When she heard him do so, Beth felt comfortable enough to add, ''Besides, you wouldn't have us going to town if you didn't have a good reason… I was just hoping you'd get around to telling me what it was so I wouldn't have risk it by asking.''

''Guessin' that's fair.'' He conceded, heading them off of the main road and into the surrounding woods. ''Need ta get some parts for tha bike, that's tha main reason right there. Noticed when I was comin' back that tha damn thing's runnin' a hell of a lot warmer than it needs to. Phone book says there's a parts store in town… figured we'd jus' kill two birds with one stone an' sweep tha place while we're at it... see what's there.''

Beth stepped over a fallen log in her way before coming back to his side. ''So that's why we left the bike behind again..."

''Yeah, that and tha same reason we left it behind before. Ain't no need ta go roaring in when we got no idea what's there waitin' for us. Game plan was always ta check tha place out on foot. Bikes hidden in the brush behind the house an' that's where it'll stay until we get back.''

''Hidden?'' Beth asked, confused. ''Why?''

Daryl just shrugged like the answer was inconsequential. ''Can't really say… I get weird feelings about shit that I've learnt over tha years it best not ta argue with. It was telling me ta hide tha bike so that's what I did. Way I figure, fuck it… better ta be safe than sorry.''

''Well, it just means that we get to keep it, right?'' She said, recalling the lesson learned the last time they had done such a thing. That had been the day she'd been attacked at the store, the events of which seemed like a lifetime ago now.

Daryl looked over at her as though surprised she had remembered and Beth huffed indignantly, ''What?! I listen!''

''Pfft! Yeah, right…'' He snorted disbelievingly, ''Ya listen ta everythin' 'cept for when I tell ya ta stay put… or when I tell ya ta not get into tha trouble that for some reason ya seem hell bent upon findin'… or if I ask ya ta…''

''_Anyways…_'' She interrupted quickly, not much appreciating his unnecessary commentary, ''What else are we going into town for?"

Daryl bit back a smirk, having obviously enjoyed giving her the rash of shit he must have thought she deserved. ''Food an' more water. We're outta soup an' down to tha last jar of peanut butter. What we have left ain't gonna last us too long. We'll look for weapons as well, maybe some more propane… all that an' hopefully be back before nightfall.''

Noticing that they were heading further into the woods, Beth paused in confusion. ''I may not have your freaky sense of direction but… isn't town that way? Why do you have us going further into the woods when we could just take the main road in?''

Re-adjusting the Horton over his shoulder, Daryl ducked under a low hanging branch. ''It's covered in walkers, that's why. Enough to where I had ta ditch it on tha far side 'a town an' push tha bike through the woods for tha last two miles home. Walkers being everywhere is jus' another reason why we're doing this on foot. Going in quiet is tha only way we're goin' in.''

''Oh…'' Beth sighed, not nearly as excited as she had been at the prospect of exploring the town anymore. Avoiding large groups of walkers was almost as nerve racking as being caught completely unawares by them. It was like the cat and mouse game of the five in the cemetery only with a hell of a lot more cats and infinitely more harrowing. ''I guess that makes sense.''

Daryl stopped and turn around, his face serious as his boots sunk into the sodden leaves at his feet. ''There's another reason why I detoured us out here. I wanna show ya where that cabin is, jus' in case shit goes down unexpected like. That way you'll know exactly where ta go so I can find ya.''

Beth regarded him just as seriously. ''Wait… is there something you're not telling me? Because I'm starting to feel like you're prepping me for something bad to happen.''

He gave a single shake of his head. ''Nah, jus' being cautious is all. Ain't nothin' wrong with having our shit together. That means contingency plans too. Fallen off with tha training I promised ya a while back 'cause of tha rain an'… well… other things… so there's no time like tha present ta get back on with tha program.''

Her brows drew, somewhat surprised to hear him refer to the new aspect of their relationship in such an emotionally detached kind of way. '' 'Other things'?''

''Ya know what I mean.'' He pulled a deep breath, pausing for a moment to chew on the edge of his thumb nail, ''Look… since it's been brought up… I know things have changed for us on that front an' as I said to ya before, I ain't regretting that… but I can't have it changing what needs ta happen out here. Outside of that bedroom, I need you ta have ya head in tha game… no fuckin' around, ya hear?''

Pinned under the intensity of the singular demand, Beth could only nod woodenly, not trusting the sound of her own voice. Just what exactly did he think she was going to do? Moon over him ridiculously at the most inopportune moment and put both of their lives at risk?

The fact that he even felt the need to say such a thing was jolting, especially considering that she had somehow managed to survive for as long as he had and had done so without his weapon or his training. Having finished saying it, Daryl walked away, his face a blank slate as he disappeared into the brush to drop out of view. Feeling like her stomach was full of lead, Beth followed behind him, the harshness of his point lingering in her ears for far longer than she would've liked.

Remembering just how different he had been that morning, she came to the realization that she was going to have to work harder to separate the confusing dynamics of their relationship, if only to prevent herself from getting hurt feelings over the inherent personality traits that he either didn't know or didn't care to change. With the brief interaction chafing at her, she was relieved beyond words that she hadn't told him she loved him. By keeping that particular card close to her heart, she could keep all of her feelings for him there as well… and continue to try and prove to him that she wasn't as inept as he obviously thought her to be.

Doing her best to keep her footing in the muddy terrain, Beth looked up and saw the cabin Daryl spoke of over in the distance. It was a small structure, nothing more than a seasonal hunting lodge really. Sitting alone amongst the surrounding foliage, it had a single bare boned window and a dilapidated wooden porch and was perhaps the saddest little thing that she had ever seen.

As if reading her mind Daryl glanced over at it. ''Ain't much ta look at but it'll do for tha reason we'll be using it for. Think you can remember how we got here?''

Beth gave a stilted nod. ''Are you sure there's not a reason why I'd need to remember?''

''As I said, better ta be safe than sorry. There's a lock on tha inside an' a small stove that serves as a fireplace. If for any reason shit goes down an' we get separated, I want ya ta come here and wait for me… no tryin' ta be a hero, no thinkin' you can help... _for any reason, _ya understand?''

''I got it.'' Beth ground out, trying her damndest to not to let his tone of voice make her feel like he was talking to a child that didn't understand the rules.

If Daryl sensed her indignation, he didn't show it. Instead he swept past her to get back to the objective at hand. Beth figured it was much more likely that he didn't care, just as long as she complied to what he wanted with no argument on her part. As they walked, she couldn't help but wonder if he would've been so adamant with Michonne. What was it about her specifically that made him feel like he had to drill every precautionary aspect of what he wanted into her so oppressively?

The closer they got to town the more solemn Daryl became, a single minded determinedness coming over him that was worrying to say the least. If he was like this now, she almost dreaded how he was going to be once they finally got there. The survival instincts that made him who he was seemed to kick into overdrive as soon as they stepped foot into the woods, making him seem almost like a stranger after the last few days they had spent together.

Swallowing her trepidation, she resigned herself to just doing the best that she could. He asked her to come with him for a reason, maybe he had forgotten what that was as the seriousness of the endeavor became apparent.

A few miles later, Daryl finally found an abandoned bridge that would lead them to where they needed to go. As they crossed it in silence, Beth peered over its side to see the river that ran underneath it was swollen beyond capacity. The constant deluge that had been dumped by the recent storms had the water crashing noisily at its banks, filling the air with a clamorous roar as it rushed past them. The deafening sound made it difficult to hear her own thoughts, which was probably a good thing with the grudgy way she was feeling.

As she walked, Beth could see that Piedmont was laid out like most other small Southern towns she had seen growing up. The farm houses that lined its perimeter were quickly followed by the smaller commercial establishments that had been the lifeblood of the place - family diners, feed stores, gas stations and such. In their better days, they would have been thriving. Now they all sat on the side of the road in a sorry state of disrepair, completely abandoned and littered with dead corpses.

She knew without asking that Daryl was leading them to the congested center that would have been the heart of the town. That's where the retail stores would be, along with the restaurants, bars, office buildings and hopefully one semi-stocked auto parts place.

Upon seeing some walkers ahead, Daryl stopped suddenly and turned around. Completely lost in the monotony that trudging along behind had induced, Beth almost ran into him, catching herself at the last moment. Ignoring the look of censure the near collision quickly earned her, she took a step back and waited to hear whatever he felt the need to have to say.

He swung the Horton from his back and settled it against his chest. ''Store we're lookin' for is right off a' Main street which shouldn't be too hard ta find. Want ya ta stay close an' watch our backs, stick to tha walls best ya can… an' if I say run, ya run an' don't look back...'' He pointed to a nearby apartment complex. On its second floor was a balcony that had a trellis at its side, making it fairly accessible. ''If anythin' happens, go there an' wait for me. If it's not safe an' ya can't make it, get outta town an' go straight to tha cabin… ya know where it is now. Got it?''

Seeing the walkers now herself, Beth just nodded that she understood, unable to pry her eyes away. There were a lot more than she expected, especially this long after the turn. The river that ran the edge of town had likely kept them all confined within its borders like caged animals. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. Unable to disperse as was their nature, the ones ahead looked ravenous with hunger... the fresh meat entering their midst all that was needed to start a frenzy that the two of them were completely unprepared to deal with.

Seemingly unphased, Daryl headed them in anyway so Beth decided to trust in his judgment. Following quietly behind him, she swallowed any residual feelings she had about his own in her, choosing instead to focus only on the task at hand. Pulling her knife from its holster, she gripped the leather of its handle tightly in her hand. As he said, it was better to be safe than sorry.

They silently made their way into the center of town, ducking into alleys and crouching behind abandoned cars to stay as hidden as they could. Finding the street they were looking for quickly became so nerve racking that Beth started to doubt that it even existed. When they finally came across it, Daryl grabbed her arm and pulled her into a storefront alcove. There, tucked away in relative safety, they both took a moment to catch their breath, each of them somewhat amazed to have made it as far as they had undetected.

With his back pressed to the boarded window, Daryl dared to look over his shoulder to the road in question, prompting Beth to do the same. From where she was next to him, she peered past his arm, unable to help herself as she stared wide eyed at the sight that greeted them.

The entire street was flooded with walkers, all of them wandering by aimlessly as the jostled and growled at each other. Slamming back against the plywood, Daryl ran a frustrated hand down his face, the wheels in his mind spinning out of control as he attempted to assess the direness of the situation... one that he obviously hadn't expected to have to deal with.

''Christ, that's a shit ton 'a walkers…'' He groused out loud, staring unseeingly over her head to the broken boards on the other side of the threshold.

Unable to look away from the horde meandering along unawares, Beth swallowed heavily in agreement before falling back and whispering up to him, ''Oh my god, it… it's like the whole town is there… all on that one road!''

Daryl began circling in the small space allotted to them like a caged animal chomping at the bit. His jaw clenched in anger as the muscles under his skin began to tic. '''Course, it's gotta be the one we're tryin' ta get to! I mean, why tha fuck wouldn't it be?! Once... jus' once... all I want is for shit ta be easy but nah, guessin' that's jus' too damn much ta ask! So what do I get instead? This! A walker parade of fuckin' _bullshit!_''

''_Will you calm down_!'' Beth whispered furiously, glaring over at him. ''_They'll hear you! _Just stop… and think! What do we do?!''

''How in tha hell should I know?'' He bit back in return, gesturing sarcastically towards the problem to sneer out derisively, ''Why don't we jus' waltz in an' hack our way through, fuckin' hope for tha best!''

''You're not helping!'' Beth snapped, biting at her lower lip before quickly thinking out loud, ''Could there be another way around, a back alley or something?''

To his credit, Daryl pulled a calming breath before saying grudgingly, ''If there is, we'd have'ta go all tha way back to tha end of this fuckin' street ta find it. All these buildings are attached.''

''Well, if that's the case, how about the roof?'' She glanced up past the overhang, ''If we can somehow get up to the roof we can find the store that way, stay out of reach of those on the ground. If all of these buildings are attached, it couldn't be that far. It's completely do-able.''

Daryl's brows rose as he stared at her disbelievingly. ''Lemme get this straight, you wanna go all tha way up there an' what… finangle our way over a bunch'a rooftops like we're in the fuckin' circus or somethin'? Is that what ya sayin'?''

''You got a better idea?!'' Beth argued in frustration. She seriously wanted to scream at his hardheadedness but didn't dare do so because of the situation in which they found themselves, one she was at least trying to get them out of! ''Think about it! At least if we're up there we can find the store without having to deal with anything down here. Once we do, we'll just access it from the roof rather than the ground… clear any problems from the inside without disturbing anything on the outside!''

Having caught the attention of a random walker that had just happened to look over, Daryl turned and kicked in the bottom window of the stores front door, knowing that others would quickly follow.

''Guess it's as good 'a plan as any...'' He rushed out, glancing over hurriedly to see a few more walkers breaking off from the horde to begin heading their way, ''Times up for discussin' it! Climb through!''

Beth scrambled to do as he said, crawling over the doors threshold on her hands and knees while being careful to avoid any of the broken glass scattered on the floor. Turning, she grabbed the crossbow from Daryl so he could do the same. They quickly shoved a display case against the door to prevent anything else from following and both stood there for a moment panting as they watched the walkers slam themselves in frustration against the slats of plywood.

Daryl glanced over to where she was pallidly staring at the mass now gathering outside and placed a hand on her arm, ''Let's go.''

Pulling the Horton up, he led them upstairs past the offices and storage rooms until they found the access door to the roof. Climbing out easily enough, they both squinted in the daylight as they viewed the situation from their new much higher vantage point.

''Well, that ain't somethin' ya see everyday.'' Daryl muttered as he peered over the edge of the roof top terrace to the horde milling agitatedly below.

Seeing a row of dead potted plants nearby, he picked one up and threw it as far down the road as he could manage, watching its trajectory until it smashed on the street. The noise it made served its purpose as even more walkers began diverting from Main street, funneling instead onto the road they were on. Even the ones in front of the store started to move off, falling in line with the rest of the mass as they shuffled towards the outskirts of town. Upon seeing them do so, Beth picked up a pot as well, giving it her best effort only to have it land on the head of one of them, killing it instantly.

Her eyes widened and she glanced over at Daryl to see if he saw.

The amused look on his face told her that he had and he bit back a smirk before muttering, ''If you could do that ta all of 'em, it would make this whole day a hell of a lot easier.''

''It wasn't what I was going for…'' She chagrined, now finding the humor in it as well.

''Don't matter, worked either way.''

She looked down and saw he was right. The unexpected noises had the walkers steadily empting from their objective. If they were lucky, they'd keep on going, the length of the road itself leading them further away. While it wouldn't resolve the problem completely, it would at least take care of the worst of it, helping significantly in case something were to happen while the two of them were here. The river would keep the walkers contained so they didn't spill into the surrounding area to become an issue again later. All her and Daryl would need to do was find another way out whenever the time came to leave.

With at least one problem in the process of being handled, Daryl climbed onto the ledge of the building and followed it down its length, leading them across the roof tops and past any impediments in their way such as antennas or satellite dishes. Beth stayed close to him as he went, making sure to keep an eye out he had asked. Most had terraces on top that were either public or private and the two of them passed by them all without a second glance, not much caring to know what or where they led to.

Daryl had been right, the buildings themselves were mostly attached. Those that weren't were so close together that Beth couldn't help but wonder why they had even bothered to separate them at all. Rickety makeshift bridges spanned the small gaps, temporary platforms constructed out of two by fours, pieces of furniture and sheer desperate ingenuity. Erected by the previous tenants, they were likely a last ditch effort to stay above the gory madness below and were probably used for the very reason that her and Daryl were using them now.

Crossing only the ones they needed to, they were able to find the parts store quickly enough. Unfortunately, it was on the other side of the street, too far away for any ramshackle bridge to cross. It also had a fair amount of walkers meandering around in front of it.

Daryl sighed resignedly as he looked down at it. ''Shoulda known it wasn't gonna be that easy.''

Like every other store in the area, the auto shop was located on the ground level with either apartments, offices or storage facilities occupying the top two floors. The outside looked undisturbed for the most part but Beth knew how misleading such a thing could be. There was no way to know what lay behind the boarded windows. Even from where she stood high above, she could see the bloody handprints that marked the glass on the inside. That was never a good sign.

Adjusting the Horton on his back, Daryl saw them too. He squinted over at her through his hair, ''Got anymore bright ideas?''

Feeling somewhat put on the spot that he would even think to ask, Beth assessed the situation once more.

''Um… we could go downstairs, make a run for it like we did in Barnesville?'' She suggested improbably.

Daryl pondered it for a moment before shaking his head, ''Ain't gonna work. They'll be on us before we even reach tha door.''

Surprised that he was even contemplating what she had to say, Beth thought about it harder, trying her best to look for the answer to their dilemma outside of the very small box they had to work in.

''How about the power lines.'' She said, pointing to the jumble of cables and insulated wires that stretched over to the building in question, ''We could use them to cross over, go in through the roof the same way as we would over here. It's not like they have electricity running through them and they'd be more than strong enough to hold our weight.''

Seeming to consider the option viable, Daryl went over and swung himself over the edge of the building, setting his boot on the cable so that he could gage its strength against his weight. Upon sensing its sturdiness, he steadied himself more fully onto its grappling connector, holding onto the ledge of the bricks just in case. As he took the time he needed to assure himself that it wouldn't snap from under them, Beth glanced down at the walkers below, thankful to see that the actions he was taking hadn't garnered their attention. If their luck held steady, it would hopefully stay that way.

''Well?...'' She breathed nervously.

''Seems solid.'' He muttered, hefting himself back up onto the ledge. Assessing the distance once more, he glanced over at her to say, ''I'm gonna head over. You stay here an'…''

_''What?!''_ Beth whispered furiously, suddenly resentful beyond belief. She stepped towards him with her pointed finger at the ready, ''_No! _You don't get to tell me that anymore! This was _my_ idea! As was coming up onto the roof in the first place! You're not going to do this to me again… make me feel like I can't do the things you can do just because I'm not like Carol!''

Daryl just stared at her, the indignant outburst having obviously come from out of nowhere. ''What tha hell are ya talkin' about? I ain't tellin' ya ta stay because I'm wishin' you were like Carol an' I sure as shit ain't tellin' ya to do so because I think you're incompetent or whatever!"

''Then what is it? Every time that I feel like I'm pulling my weight and can actually be an asset of some kind, you hit me with 'you need to stay here' and 'I'm leaving you behind'! You already got to do that when you went to go get the bike. I'm _not_ getting left behind again!''

Beth felt the tears burning the back of her eyes and cursed herself silently, wanting more than anything to just be able to assert her point with as much conviction as possible. She was in this too and meant every word. Her defenses up, she was now left waiting to see what he would have to say about it, having forced them into a stand-off that neither had expected to deal with right then. With her feelings building to a head for a while now, she could honestly say that her only real regret was that they had chosen now of all times to make themselves known.

Just as she knew he would be, Daryl was too observant for his own good. Upon seeing the misting of tears behind her adamance, he released a drawn out sigh. ''Christ sakes, ya got it all wrong. C'mere... it ain't like that." He grabbed her hand and pulled her against where he was sitting on the ledge of the building. "I ain't tellin' ya to do any of those things 'cause I don't think you can handle ya self... ya more than showed me that ya can by gettin' us this far."

''Then what?'' Beth whispered up to him, completely at a loss.

''Jus'... don't want nothin' happening to ya, is all.'' His brows drew as he struggled to find the right words. ''Me, I can deal with… it's all I know an' what I'm used to. But you? I get… all distracted, things gets outta focus...''

Daryl paused for a moment before continuing, ''That's why I said what I said to ya back at tha cabin, despite knowin' it was heavy handed as shit. It ain't you that I'm worried won't have their head on straight out here… it's me. Thinkin' about ya in harms way... I don't know… it fucks with me in a way that I'm still tryin' ta wrap my brain around. Sure as hell makes me wanna do nothin' but leave ya locked up safe in the house for tha rest of ya natural born life, that's for damn sure.''

Feeling better for knowing the truth, Beth looked up at him and said with all sincerity, ''Could we choose not to do that and instead just trust that I know what I'm doing? You need to understand that I can handle myself, but only if I have you right there to take care of both of us. I promise I can do anything that you need me to, just as long as I know that you believe in me to do it the same way that I believe in you. Do you think you can do that?''

Daryl regarded her for a moment before the corner of his mouth notched up begrudgingly, doing so despite himself. ''Do I have a choice in tha matter?''

The stiffness in her shoulders eased now that a tentative accord between them had been reached, leaving Beth to impart decisively, ''Not really.''

''Well, I'm guessin' that _we_ better jus' get this done then,'' He sighed, obviously somewhat relieved to have found an agreeable middle ground as well. ''… before ya make me spill my guts anymore than I already have an' tha sun gets ta settin'. An' jus' so we're clear, _we_ may be doin' this together but it still goes down _my_ way… an' that means I'm headin' over first.''

Beth glanced past the edge of the bricks to the walkers below, noting the daunting distance down to where they lingered on the curb. ''Oh, by all means…" She conceded dramatically, ''you go _right_ on ahead.''

''Pfft...'' Daryl sniffed, shaking his head but seeming to appreciate the sarcasm none the less, "Figures."

She stepped away so he could push himself back over the ledge, not necessarily looking forward to following behind him now that everything was said and done. Still, Beth had no doubt she could do it, especially now that the two of them had cleared the air between them. Daryl may not know it but he had just professed some of the most meaningful things he had ever said to her, but it didn't change the fact that she had a point to make too and at least now she felt as though he had heard it.

Situating his weight back on the coupling, Daryl swung under the cable and wrapped his legs around the wire to steady himself on it more securely. Pausing for a moment, he looked up to where she was watching him do so to say with gruff sincerity, ''Y'know, my fuckin' life was so much simpler before you came along, y'know that?''

There was a faint glint of humor in his eyes as he began shimmying his way across the length of the cable hand over hand. As he went, he continued grumbling, doing so under his breath despite knowing full well that she could still hear him perfectly, ''Swear ta god, shit used ta be easy… didn't have'ta talk 'bout my fuckin' feelings… didn't have'ta be told what ta do… sure as hell didn't have'ta convince anyone ta stay out of trouble… not that they listen or nothin'…''

Rolling her eyes on a smile, Beth hefted herself up onto the ledge to whisper over to him as loudly as she dared, ''Will you just shut up and move faster! You know you'd miss me if I was gone!''

From where he was half way across, she heard him huff resignedly… the slight breeze that flowed between them allowing her to catch him say, ''I would… an' that's tha damndable thing of it all.''

…..

**Thank you for reading "What Still Lies Ahead". I appreciate all comments and reviews as always and am grateful to anyone who takes the time to leave one.**


	38. Chapter 38

... Chapter 38 ...

Moving as fast as he could, Daryl finally made it over to the other building they were trying to reach and swung himself up past the shingles onto the rooftop terrace. Swiping his dirty hands down his pants, he looked over to where Beth was waiting on the other side and silently gestured for her to head over as well. With his heart thumping steadily in his ears, he watched as she slipped carefully under the cable, her legs wrapping tightly around it to support herself. Once situated, she began moving down its length hand over hand, crossing the fairly narrow expanse the same way as he had done before her.

It had surprised the hell out of him when she had blown up on him like she had but, looking back on it now, he reckoned he fucking deserved it.

It wasn't like he had said what he'd said intentionally and it sure as hell didn't speak to her capabilities. It was more like a gut reaction, one that always seemed compelled to want to leave her behind. It couldn't be helped. He had just convinced himself a while ago that he'd rather have her safe and sound than risk the heart stopping distraction seeing her in trouble always seemed to cause. While he personally hadn't seen a damn thing wrong with that, Beth had obviously thought differently.

All it took was seeing the glimmer of tears in her eyes to make him realize how fucked up it had been. He had effectively ensured that she couldn't win for losing. What was the point in taking the time to train her if he never gave her a chance to use her training?

After explaining his thought process to her the best he could, he was left wondering when it was exactly that everything had decided to become so complicated. The more emotionally and physically attached he became to the girl, the more mixed up she had him feeling inside. He had always done things the way he wanted and for the most part it had worked out fine. Not much caring about the consequences past that, he had never felt the need to justify it to anyone... until her.

Right now, she had him thinking that it was just an excuse he used to get his own way. While he couldn't say so one way or the other, he just knew the mentality had served its purpose… to everyone of course except the one person he was trying his damndest to protect.

Coming back to the moment, Daryl saw that Beth was halfway across and was making surprisingly good time. Just when he felt comfortable enough to release the pent up breath of relief he'd been holding, her hand slipped inadvertently from the thick cable she was on. Grabbing for the other thinner one that ran adjacent to it in a panic, her lower body had no choice but to follow, leaving her dangling precariously by just her arms over the oblivious masses below.

''Beth!'' Daryl bellowed, barely believing that such a thing had just occurred within the span of a single heartbeat. Hefting himself quickly onto the ledge of the roof, he prepared himself to go back out and get her.

''Don't!'' She gasped out, trying desperately to reach back over to the original cable, ''I got it!''

Completely undeterred, he bit out, ''Nah, fuck that! I'm comin' out!''

''No! It won't hold you! This cable isn't as strong as the other one… I can feel it! Just give me a chance, I can do it!''

Having no choice but to concede, Daryl watched with his heart racing, stuck in a frustrating quandary as she tried once again to reach for the wire. The effort it was taking had exhausted the girl to the point where each attempt elicited a determined grunt of frustration. Left pending nervously at the edge of her request, he finally decided he had given her all the time he would allow, swinging his legs over the side of the shingles to snap out, ''That's it, goddamn it! Stay tha hell still…''

Just when it seemed like for once she wasn't going to argue, the cable she was on snapped noisily from the other side, the popping sound it made reverberating through the air. Beth didn't get a chance to utter a word as she went careening down with it, hanging on for dear life as she barreled through the second story window below him. Daryl watched her do so like it was a nightmare happening in a slow motion, his body seizing automatically like he'd been uppercutted in the gut.

''Beth!'' He yelled down, leaning precariously over the ledge to see only the cable as it fluttered loosely against the wall. The walkers below were now staring up at him in confusion, having just been showered in a flurry of glass.

Running over to yank on the terrace door, he slammed his fist against it to find that much like the others, it only opened from the inside. On the verge of completely losing his shit, Daryl was about to climb down the side of the fucking building himself when he heard the push bar from the other side of the door depress quietly. He stepped back in disbelief as she opened it with a shove, looking somewhat contrite but other than that not much the worse for wear.

Feeling like he'd just been run through a gamete of hell that he neither asked for nor wanted, Daryl's fear matriculated into anger as was his nature, ''_Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me right now_! You could 'a been killed out there!''

Seeming to realize that his fury had nothing to do with being actually pissed off and was more because she had just scared the heck out of him, Beth latched the door and said as breezily as she could manage, ''Well, we needed a way in… turned out I just so happened to find it through the window...''

Staring at her in complete and utter shock, Daryl's jaw muscles ticked into overdrive as he ground out tensely, ''Y'think it's funny? That kinda shit right there is tha exact reason I wanna leave ya locked up all tha time! I done told ya that I can't handle tha fuckin' heart attacks you're givin' me an' then ya come up here an' act like it's no big fuckin' deal? What tha hell!''

Swallowing hesitantly, Beth came over to where he was standing, approaching him slowly much like one would do a wounded dog that was all bark and no bite. Staring up at him, she placed her hand gently on his chest. Confused by the tactic, Daryl knew she could feel the organ in question thundering away at his rib cage uncontrollably. She didn't say a word and he didn't need her to, everything around him seeming to decelerate to a crawl.

Caught in a moment he hadn't anticipated, he pulled a deep breath under her strangely calming influence. His fingers came up to thread tightly through hers, doing so without his knowledge or consent. Holding her hand against his skin, Daryl took the time that he hadn't known he needed to appreciate the fact that she was ok.

When he was done and felt like he could breath again, she stepped away, giving him back the space she must have thought that he wanted. Daryl shook off the residual effects of the heart pounding moment and its aftermath to ask her how things looked from inside the building, feeling awkward as hell while doing so but at least able to focus somewhat back on the task at hand.

Beth just shrugged. ''Abandoned just like everywhere else… at least the top two floors are. I don't know about the store itself though…''

''Well, we're here so we're gonna find out. I'm 'bout ready to be done with all this anyways.''

She nodded in agreement and followed him downstairs, making sure to stay back as he swung the Horton through all of the buildings obscured corridors. Reaching the auto part stores backdoor, Daryl paused with his fingers on the handle before turning around.

''Remember, this is a mom n' pop kinda joint which means it's likely nothin' more than a cluttered shithole,'' He whispered pointedly, ''Watch your footing an' stay close. You're gonna have ta keep an eye out for trouble while I look for what we need… I can't do both, so if ya see anything jus' tap me on tha shoulder an' let me know…''

Seeming to appreciate the fact that he wasn't telling her to wait out in the hall, Beth just nodded and pulled her knife, taking the request as seriously as he meant it.

Daryl pushed the door open and swept inside, the crossbow stationed firmly at his cheek. He was met immediately by a large male walker that stumbled out noisily from the back room. Dressed in blood stained overalls and a ratty Zeppelin t-shirt, it went down easily enough, a bolt through the skull seeing it through. Stepping silently over the now prone body, Daryl barely noticed as Beth plucked the expelled bolt from the corpses rotten skull, shoving it in the side of her boot for safe keeping until she could give it back to him once the job was done.

Snapping a new bolt off from the rack on the Horton, Daryl set it in place and locked it down before leading them further in past the back counter. The store was narrow but longer than he had expected and looking around he could see that it was chocked to the ceiling with all manner of parts and accessories, everything that the only store of its kind would need. As predicted the place was in shambles, racks were tipped over and boxes torn open, but the worst aspect was the groaning noises coming from somewhere in the darkened chaos. The two of them were not alone.

Glancing back over to the girl, he could see that she knew it too.

Using silent hand signals, Daryl indicated that he wanted her to take the right aisle down while he took the left, making sure to point out the stores hidden recesses so she knew to stay aware of them. Beth nodded that she understood and they both headed in, losing sight of one another as the tall shelves obscured all contact between them.

As soon as she dropped out of sight, Daryl found himself instantly straining to hear anything amiss from where she was at, reminding him yet again why his original idea of leaving her behind had initially been so appealing. Finding it distracting as shit, it made it a hell of a lot harder than it needed to be for him to concentrate on what it was he was doing.

He saw a sudden movement in his peripherals and swung the Horton over to see her through a small gap in between the display cases. Pausing, they both expelled a nervous breath as he quickly lowered his sights. Christ, that was close. With no time to acknowledge just how intense the situation was, they carefully continued making their way down their respective aisles, their weapons both held high and at the ready.

After some time, they finally reached the source of the noise that had been playing with their nerves so dangerously. Three walkers were stationed at the stores front window, scratching mindlessly at the glass in an effort to join the throngs that were wandering around outside. Stepping carefully around a fallen rack in his way, Daryl lined up the crossbow and looked for the liveliest of the three. Beth had cleared her aisle as well and waited for his mark, gripping her knife that much tighter as he took aim.

His finger depressed the trigger, the released bolt slicing through the air and the walkers frail skull only to impale itself into the window, causing the glass to crack.

_''Shit!…''_ Daryl cursed under his breath, barely believing he had just done something so stupid.

The hissed expletive had barely left his mouth when the other two walkers turned to see them, stepping over their downed companion without a thought to stagger clumsily over. Daryl pulled his knife and took out the first one easily enough, stabbing it resoundingly under its chin. The second veered towards him immediately and he grabbed it by its gory neck, its jaws snapping at the air ferociously as it latched its fingers painfully into his arms. He held on to it tight as Beth sunk her blade into the base of its skull, silencing the damn thing for good. Letting the body drop to the floor along with the other two, Daryl didn't dare allow himself to huff out a breath of relief. Instead he snatched up the crossbow and rushed over to the broken window, dreading to see the damage done.

''That weren't what I was goin' for…'' He muttered, using the same words that she had used earlier just because it was true.

Ghosting his fingers over the crack, he could practically see the fracture expanding. Making matters worse was that the commotion they had made inside the store had attracted the attention of the walkers outside of it. They began pressing themselves against the thin slats of wood nailed up haphazardly to the windows frame, trying to investigate the source of the sound. As he backed away from the glass, Daryl could hear the wood begin to buckle.

_"Shit!"_ Daryl said again, only this time louder and a lot more urgently. Grabbing Beth's arm, he pushed her past the front counter. "That's it! Time ta go!"

With the glass shot to hell and the boards that protected it insufficient, he reckoned that they had about a minute to find what they came for before the horde broke through. Reading the tags on the messy aisles as fast as he could, he glanced over to where Beth was now nervously watching the walkers gather, ''Go upstairs an' wait for me up there, jus' gotta find one thing…''

''I'm not leaving you.'' She said, her shoulders locked in defiance.

The broken glass suddenly gave from the pressure and shattered into pieces, allowing the air to be instantly filled with the sounds of the dead. With the boards now being the only barrier straining to hold them back, Daryl chose not to argue, instead handing her the crossbow so she could make herself useful and reload it. Digging frantically through the clutter while she did so, he finally found the part he was looking for and not a damn moment too soon as the slats began to crack one by one.

''Umm, Daryl?...'' Beth started, her eyes widening as the wood snapped under the pressure.

He glanced over before hurriedly saying, ''Go! I got it…''

Beth quickly ran for the stairs as the walkers broke through, those in front practically falling over themselves in a frenzy now that they were unobstructed. Daryl followed behind her, tipping over more racks behind him in an effort to slow them down. Snatching the crossbow back, he took the lead as they both flew upstairs, bursting out onto the roof to slam the door shut behind them.

Daryl felt his stomach drop when he remembered yet again that the door only opened from the inside. Just one shove on the push bar and the walkers that they were trying to avoid would suddenly not be so goddamn easily avoidable. With Beth staring up at him realizing it too, Daryl felt his brain spin into overdrive, the sound of the horde clambering their way up the stairs hindering all capacity for rational thought.

''Next roof over?'' Beth panted out, obviously thinking quicker than he was under the insanely tense circumstance.

Daryl gave the suggestion as quick of an assessment as he could feasibly manage. Unlike the row of compacted buildings that got them here, this side had much wider spaces in between each one, the dumpster lined alleys below leading to an access road likely used for deliveries. ''Nah, got no way ta cross over an' with our shitty luck we'd probably jus' end up stuck up here.''

She ran over and skidded to a halt at the edge of the roof, looking past the masses still clamoring in through the window below to the other electrical cables that led back across the street, ''Back the way we came then?''

Not ready for a repeat performance of her first attempt at it, Daryl began looking around for other options. ''Not with tha other half of this horde heading out that way as well, fuck that.''

Beth threw up her hands, his lackadaisical attitude making her testy. ''Well, what then because I'm officially out of ideas!''

Steadying himself, Daryl peered over the far side of the building, ''Hold up, I got one.''

Going over to where the snapped cable still hung loosely against the building, he pulled his knife and cut it from its coupling, pulling it up quickly to coil it in his hand. Doing his best to ignore the growing sounds made by the walkers traversing the stairwell, Daryl went over and tied it to the base of a satellite dish that was bolted about two feet down on the side of the wall, tightening the knot the best he could despite the awkward position he had to be in in order to reach it. He struggled momentarily with the rigid material that comprised the cable itself, ignoring the splinters of metal that dug painfully into his skin.

Behind him, he could hear the walkers starting to pile up against the door and he felt a cold sweat break out under the collar of his vest. He yanked hard on the cable until he felt the knot was secure enough to handle their weight. Beth slammed herself against the other side of the door like it would make the slightest bit of difference and whispered over urgently, ''Whatever you're doing, do it faster!''

The door unlatched and with a fervent wave of his hand Daryl indicated for her to run over, grousing as soon as she got there, ''Goddamn, you're so fuckin' bossy y'know that?''

Beth peered over the edge to see what he had in mind, noticing immediately that the cable would drop them into the walled area where the stores dumpsters were kept on the side of the building. There were a few walkers wandering through the long alley that it led to but nothing compared to the agitated mass that was currently funneling onto the rooftop terrace where they were at.

Daryl shimmied his way down first, figuring that if the cable was going to give out, better for it do so on him than her. Making his way down to the end as quickly as possible, he dropped the last ten feet to the ground and looked up to see Beth already grabbing for the wire to do the same. Her panicked glances over her shoulder told him without words that the walkers had seen her and several decaying arms reached out to grab a hold of her as she pushed herself from the ledge.

Now dangling precariously from the side of the building, she worked her way steadily down to the bottom of the cable as well, making a point to not look up at the walkers now watching her do so from above or look down to where he was doing the same from below. Finding the distance left between herself and the ground daunting once she got there, she paused upon seeing it, the coiled wire digging painfully into her hands.

''Ya plan on jus' hanging there all day?'' Daryl whispered up to her urgently, ''Jump!''

''I'm trying!'' Beth managed to snap out, for some reason her fingers refusing to cooperate with her intentions.

A walker fell from the top of the building, probably shoved off by the others as they all jostled for position against the narrow ledge. Its body landed on the concrete in a gory pile, close enough to where Daryl was standing for him to say quickly, ''Fuck that, jus' let go! I'll catch ya!''

''What?!'' Beth gasped down at him, the formidable distance between them seeming to grow substantially for her doing so. ''Are you sure?''

He positioned himself under her as another walker came careening down, the height again proving to be too much as the corpse splattered messily on the ground. ''Yeah, do it… I got ya.''

Realizing how dire the situation could quickly become, Beth swallowed nervously before closing her eyes and doing as he said, falling the sizable distance to land heavily in his arms.

''Jesus!'' He huffed out exaggeratedly, ''Ya sure you ain't gained weight since tha last time I had ta do this? 'Cause I swear ya weigh a ton!''

Beth could only stare at him open mouthed as she tried to comprehend what was for all intents and purposes a poorly timed joke. Daryl supposed the stress of the moment would make such a thing implausible, especially coming from him. It wasn't something he would normally attempt but he was just so fuckin' relieved to be back on the ground, where everything made sense again and he felt like he could think clearly.

Still blinking in disbelief, Beth finally managed to sputter out indignantly, ''Oh my god Daryl! Will you stop saying that?! I am not that heavy!''

''Pfft… maybe ya are and maybe ya ain't,'' He smirked, trying his best to look serious as he set her down on the ground, ''Guessin' my back will be lettin' me know tomorrow…''

If the girl had anything more to say about his smartass commentary, it was cut off by another walker falling from the roof top above. The body landed heavily on the lid of the nearby dumpster to roll onto the ground. This one wasn't quite as decayed the others so it instantly began trying to find its bearings from where it lay sprawled on the cement, growling noisily as it started crawling its way towards them.

''Let's go.'' He said quickly, eyeing its progress.

Daryl pushed against the large metal gate of the enclosure only to find that the damn thing was locked from the outside. He gritted his teeth in frustration, wanting nothing more then to kick it for being yet another obstacle they had to overcome. What had he said earlier about things being easy? Just one fucking time! Christ sakes, was it really too much to ask?!

As two more walkers fell from the roof, he stepped back and quickly gaged the height of the enclosure before cupping his hands and indicating for Beth to come over. Knowing instinctively what he had in mind, she set her boot in the brace his fingers made and let him heft her up on top of its wall. As she swung a leg over to situate herself on its ledge more steadily, Daryl said up to her, ''From what I saw tha alley ain't too crowded but there's enough to where we could be in for a world 'a hurt if we get hung up in it.''

From her new vantage point, Beth glanced down its length to verify what he was saying before whispering down to him nervously, ''How are we doing it then?''

''Like we did in Barnesville,'' Daryl adjusted the Horton more securely over his shoulder as he backed up to make the jump himself, ''We run. You first an' I'll bring up tha rear.''

''But what about food?'' Beth rushed to ask.

''Still gonna look for it, but not until we get clear of this death trap an' get to a place where I can fuckin' think straight. Run fast, ya hear? Don't look back an' don't stop for nothin', not even me. I mean it. If we get separated, ya know where ta go...''

Her brows drew. ''But…''

Another walker fell a few feet away from him, effectively cutting off any further discussion.

''Go!'' Daryl snapped, doing so with enough determined conviction to get her moving. Beth didn't hesitate, jumping down the other side to take off full speed down the alley as though the devil was on her tail. Fully intending to follow, Daryl ran for the wall with all the momentum he'd need to vault himself up onto its side. He was almost there when the walker that had barely missed him a few moments ago made a sudden grab for his ankle, sending him careening to the ground with enough force to leave him dazed and disorientated.

Rolling over, he used the brunt of the motion to boot the walker away with a solid kick to its decaying head. The crossbow dug painfully into his shoulder as the air that had vacated his lungs in a hurry now struggled to return. Through the oxygen deprived fog clouding his vision Daryl saw that it was starting to rain walkers down on him from above, their bodies launching from the roof as if knowing he was incapacitated and out of it below. Sprawled helplessly on his back, he could only watch them do so in a daze, inanely thinking how surreal the sight of them falling through the air was.

He could feel himself slipping into a blackened void, despite the persistent thought that he had something else that he needed to do… Fuck, what was it? The excruciating throbbing of his head was quick to convince him that it didn't really much matter. Whatever it was... must not have been important...

This was exactly how his nightmares had always foretold things would end for him... buried under the suffocating weight of a horde, atoning for the actions of his past. Every walker falling towards him seemed to morph into those he knew, those he remembered all too well… the CDC walker, the bridge walker… Patrick… Sophia…

Daryl closed his eyes from their grotesque faces, the large gash on his head leaving a trail of blood trickling around his ear to splatter steadily onto the cement beneath him. The repetitious dripping sound was strangely soothing and he found himself not much caring about the dead corpses landing heavily nearby as it puddled in his hair.

If this was it, well... then fuck it. It wasn't like he hadn't always known that there'd be a reckoning to be had.

Way he figured, he was probably long overdue.

…..

**Thank you for reading as always! I want to ****apologize that this chapter took so long in coming. I had a bad case of what I can only surmise is writers block. With "What Lies Ahead" being not just my only story but also my first and only attempt at doing anything like this, I found it really hard to get over.**

** I love this story, I'm super proud of it and it has taken up a year of my life. The last thing I want is for the quality of the writing to suffer. But fear not loyal readers, all is back on track. Enough to where I am currently halfway through writing Chapter 43! **

**Thanks for your support and I look forward to reading your comments, should you feel inclined to leave one :)**


	39. Chapter 39

... Chapter 39 ...

Huffing for breath, Len stepped away from the shallow grave and wiped his hands down his jeans, not much caring when the dirt that caked them didn't budge in the slightest. Tossing the shovel into the back of the LTD, he slammed down the hood and dug into his pocket, looking for what was left of his pot. Finding the plastic baggy, he hefted himself onto the trunk of the car, decidedly needing to rest for a moment. After expending the energy digging the hole had entailed, he was hot enough and tired enough to be done with the muddy endeavor.

Holding the bag up to eye level, he sighed in disappointment when he saw that it contained nothing but skuff and a single roach. Glaring down to where Dan's body was haphazardly buried, any guilty feelings he might have been briefly afflicted by immediately dissipated. The empty ziplock in his hand just another in a long line of reasons why his former companion was now stuck in the ground, deader than hell with a bolt hole in his head.

"Good riddance, mooching ass junkie piece a' shit!" He muttered derisively, taking the moment to literally spit on the man's grave.

Fishing into the bag, he pulled the roach out and lit it, hissing in pain when he damn near burnt off the tip of his finger in the process. Smoking what he could, he got about a hit and a half before the measly thing cashed out.

His lips pressed into a resigned thin line, he shoved the empty baggy into his pocket and went back to the tent, crashing down exhaustedly on the disheveled sleeping bag. Making sure the keys to the LTD were safely tucked in his pocket, he shoved an arm under his head and pulled a deep calming breath, his mind drifting back to the chaotic events of the last few hours.

The drastic measures he had ultimately resorted to hadn't become necessary until just recently. Him and Dan had managed to make it about a week before the traits he'd forgotten annoyed him about the man had started to make themselves unbearably apparent. Up to that point, Len had been able to keep the smaller man fairly in line, using his stash of drugs and a friendly demeanor to insure it. The affable ruse quickly proved itself impossible to maintain leaving him with no other choice but to ply Dan with even more drugs to keep him in check. With himself having to use just as much in order to tolerate the mans stupidity, the two of them had quickly blown through most of the haul they had brought with them.

With no idea how long they'd be stuck out there for, Len had begun rationing that shit… after all, the drugs were his to do with as he pleased. None to say, Dan and his addiction hadn't been too damn receptive to the idea and it was then that the real problems had started.

It was right around that time that they had found the motorcycle. Up until then, the two of them had been roughing it on the long stretch of asphalt, the one where the man and the girl had first been seen. They had set up camp in different spots, working their way steadily down its length as they searched the woods for tire tracks, prints… anything that indicated how the couple had gotten there.

Len almost hadn't seen the bike from where they had been searching on the other side of the road. The Triumph being buried in the woods for the most part, a slight reflection from its rims had been all that was needed to ultimately give its location away. Slapping Dan on the back in an 'I told you so' fashion, they both had stalked over to pull off the foliage used to cover the machine.

''What did I tell ya, huh?'' Len gloated, checking the bike over for anything that could possibly identify the owner.

''Holy shit,'' Dan had muttered, barely believing what he was seeing, ''... and here I was thinkin' we weren't doing nothin' but lookin' for a needle in a haystack. Hell, I ain't gonna lie, I was starting to think that the needle didn't even fuckin' exist…''

Len ran his hand over the Triumph's tank, letting his dirty finger trail down the bikes length to the rear of the saddle where the girl would sit. He could practically see the indent of her ass in the leather. ''Naw man, didn't I tell you they had to have some kinda fucking vehicle hidden out here? How the hell else could two people just suddenly appear on the fucking road from out of nowhere! There ain't shit around these parts for miles.''

Dan pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his hand shaking slightly from the onset of Oxy withdrawals, ''Ok, well... we found it. Now what?''

Picking up the heavy branches that had covered the bike initially, Len set them all back in place, making sure to arrange them just right. He had almost given up on finding the thing himself but he would never actually say so out loud. It had taken them a lot longer than he thought it would, the fact that he had assumed that they were looking for a car decidedly not helping. Although they hadn't seen any activity to indicate the duo had come back for their mode of transportation, there hadn't been a way to be absolutely sure. Dreading to think that he had missed his small window of opportunity, finding the bike and the two sets of footprints pressed into the dirt around it had been incredibly gratifying.

Looking over, he saw that Dan was still waiting for an answer, a dumbass look plastered on his face. ''Now we wait, man. We set up camp nearby and keep an ear out. Motherfucker's gonna come back for it… if we're lucky, he'll bring the girl with him.''

Dan hocked a wad of junkie spit into the dirt and said skeptically, ''And if he don't?''

''Then we get the jump on him and make him tell us where she is. If he takes off before we can, we follow him an' find her ourselves. Ain't like we won't hear him start this fucking thing up. The engine turning over will let us know he came back for it long before we need to worry about it. All we need to do is be ready to roll one way or the other once he does.''

Dan shrugged indifferently, not as gung-ho about the whole endeavor as he had been initially. Len fed him two Percocets to take the edge off and had him move the car where it could easily access the road. After covering the vehicle to camouflage it, the two men set up a tent nearby and hunkered down, the Triumph becoming the bait that everything they did from that point on revolved around.

They had quickly fallen into a pattern as the days dragged by, doing copious amounts of drugs followed by excessive bouts of sleeping it off. Even when it started pissing down with rain, Len hadn't cared. The way he figured, it was still a damn sight better than being stuck in the house under Joe's oppressive rule. Dan had whined about being cooped up incessantly though, to the point where Len had wanted to kick his ass out of the tent. Obviously not used to roughing it hard core, the man had been this close to being forced to sleep in the car, where he could cry about it all he wanted and do so by himself.

Of course, the constant deluge hadn't been the only thing Dan had bitched about.

Finding his reduced ration of drugs unsatisfactory, it quickly became a bone of contention between the two of them. When Len finally had no choice but to cut him off, Dan's behavior became even more unpredictable. Erratic and fidgety, he'd be laughing hysterically one minute while throwing up disgustingly the next.

Stuck in a tent with him and already sick to death of his bullshit, Len had come back from hunting to find Dan digging through his personal stuff like the tweaked out addict he was, scavenging for anything he could suss out. That was the last straw. Losing it completely, Len had beaten the ever living shit out of the smaller man only to finish him off by shoving his face into a puddle. When Dan's body finally stopped twitching, Len put a bolt through his head for good measure, wondering why the hell he had waited so long to get rid of this huge fucking pain in the ass.

Not wanting to attract any biters to the camp site he had buried the body immediately, leading him to where he was now… the sole owner of the LTD with nothing much else to do other than to wait the storm out. He did so with the full awareness that the bikes owner was likely doing the same.

A week or so later the rainy weather finally broke and figuring that now it was just a matter of time, Len began mentally preparing himself to act. Having done nothing other than stew inside his own head for weeks, he had come to the conclusion that both he and the man he was waiting for were very much alike, in more ways than just their particular taste in blondes. Both of them were bow men which meant both knew how to hunt… both obviously preferred the outdoors and knew how to use nature and their gut instincts to their best advantage. The man was likely a tracker… just like himself. In fact, the only reason the bike had been discovered in the first place was because someone of equal skill and proficiency had been taking the time to look for it.

As it happened he didn't have to wait long. The roar of the motorcycles engine starting up woke him from a dead sleep not but two days later. Having run through the drill more times than he cared to admit, Len quickly swung into action immediately, rolling the car out after the overly loud bike without a worry that it would be heard over its din. Although the girl wasn't with the man, the fact that it was the dead of the night had more than made up for it. The rider would lead him directly to her, the surrounding darkness ensuring that he'd never even fucking know it. Wherever she was, it had to be a damn sight better than the shitty camp that he'd been forced to dwell in and as Len followed behind the Triumph, he could barely believing how easy it had been.

Making sure to keep the LTD's headlights off, he followed the Triumph's single beam ahead until the bike suddenly veered off the road just outside of some podunk town called Piedmont. Tired as shit and in the midst of withdrawals, Len hadn't expected it do so and had ended up plowing the car in the group of biters that had been the reason for the rider's sudden detour.

''Fuck!'' He threw the car into reverse and backed up, having no choice as they quickly converged on the vehicle.

The moment he was clear of the problem Len got out of the car, straining his vision into the pitch blackness of the surrounding woods in an effort to see where the bike had disappeared to. Unable to detect a discernable break in the trees, he resorted to turning on the cars headlights, his frustration pushing him past the point of giving a shit if it gave him away. The hi-beams quickly lit up the massive amount of dead corpses stumbling towards him, their piteous moans loud enough to drown out the sound of the LTD's low idling engine.

Getting back in the car, Len slammed his fist against the cars steering wheel, pissed beyond belief that he had lost the dude at the very last minute, especially when he'd been so close, _"Fuck!"_

A biter fell against his window, effectively telling him that it was time to go. He glared at it, the cars dashboard lights making the thing look more gory and decayed than usual.

''Yeah, yeah… fuck you!'' He spat at it inanely before backing the car up again to spin it around in the middle of the road, taking off the way he came.

Not wanting to leave the immediate area, he pulled over to the side of the road as soon as he saw somewhere safe enough to do so. Taking the car into the thick of the trees, Len cut the engine off angrily. Now stuck waiting until dawn, he kicked the seat back and lit a cigarette, staring out unseeingly into the night sky. He was too fucking amped on adrenaline and anger to sleep so he didn't even attempt it. Instead he just silently cursed the fact that he couldn't track for shit in the dark, even if he had a flashlight. He just hoped that the motorcycles tire prints would still be there in the morning and weren't lost completely to the muddy terrain.

He sat there for hours until the sun began to rise in the distance, the sky lightening into vibrant hues of orange and red.

Pulling his Stryker crossbow from the passenger seat, Len grabbed what he needed from the LTD's trunk before covering the vehicle the best he could, tucking the foliage in around it. From there he set out determinedly on foot, avoiding the biters lingering on the road by working his way even deeper into the woods. That the whole area was crawling with them didn't change a damn thing as far as his objective was concerned. The bike didn't just up and vanish like a fart in the wind, it left tracks somewhere and he was going to find them.

Trudging his way through all kinds of soggy conditions, he eventually came back to the place where the Triumph had initially veered off of the road. Keeping an eye on the biters close by, he scoured for a starting point, his hardened gaze sweeping over the saturated ground. The terrain itself was flat as fuck, causing huge puddles of muddy water to be left sitting stagnantly at the tree roots. With the boggy mess being the worst kind of shit to track in, he found himself having to search an even wider radius to detect the slightest trace of the motorcycle or its rider passing through.

Cursing under his breath the whole time, Len finally found what he was looking for. There... lost in the mud... was an imprint of a tire barely visible amongst the natural chaos that surrounded it. He followed it as far as he could before it disappeared into the mass of soggy leaves left behind by the storm. Ready to kick something in frustration, he looked up to see the edge of town sitting just past the ravine he was standing next to.

The man and the girl were obviously in the area, the few tracks he had managed to find indicated as much. With the town so close they'd have to be taking advantage of it. If he could find one key building, one he could set himself up in, he could wait for them to come to him, scavenge the place while he did so. It would at least provide a decent shelter so he wasn't left roughing it in the scrub when the next storm rolled through.

Feeling better for having the semblance of a plan, Len pulled out a cigarette and lit it, snapping the lighter shut with a flick of his wrist. He was so close to the two he could feel the reverberations of it ghost over his dirty skin. Caught in a moment of reflection, he honestly couldn't say what it was that was compelling him to keep chasing after the girl, despite having thought about it more times than he cared to admit. She was more of an objective now than a person, a singular reason to continue living in a shitty world that offered him nothing more.

Whatever it was, it was all encompassing… his mind barely able to focus on anything else. Even when the details of their brief interaction became convoluted in a drug induced haze, she was still all he could think about.

Although the chase had been fun, he was undoubtedly ready to be done with this. This whole situation had been out of his control for far too long. The severe beating he had received from the man had left an indelible mark upon his twisted psyche, one that was just as acutely tangible the denial of the girl. He had given up more than the two of them could ever possibly imagine… he had killed… for her.

It was damn near time to claim his reward.

…...

**Another post so soon? What can I say, I found my mojo again! Yay! I just currently started on Chapter 46, making me further ahead than I've ever been. I've been on a writing spree as of late and am super happy about it after that weird lull I experienced. **

**As my regular readers know, I write five chapters ahead so I can make all kinds of revisions as I go. "What Still Lies Ahead" is always changing from the big picture in my mind and I find having those chapters to play with before posting allows for that (I'm always thinking of dialog or a certain scene that I'd like to add). They also mean I can do quality control and ensures that I am giving you the best story I can.**

**This was obviously a Len-centric chapter which for me is cool to write. He has a very dark twisted way of thinking that's fun to explore. It's very different from the rest of our story.**

**To me, he's the exact opposite of Daryl, which makes him equally dangerous. **

**Thanks for reading as always and I look forward to reading your comments! **


	40. Chapter 40

…... Chapter 40 …..

Beth ran down the alley as fast as she could, flying past the walkers and dumpsters in her way until she reached the main road that adjoined it. Skidding breathlessly around the corner, she ducked into a recessed loading dock located behind the adjacent building, figuring it to be as good a place as any to wait for Daryl to catch up. Feeling lightheaded and wobbly on her feet, she peered into the interiors darkened corners, looking for any hidden threat that could suddenly and unexpectedly make itself known.

Panting heavily for air, it didn't take long to realize that she couldn't see a thing past the oxygen deprived haze that was clouding her vision. Drawing a calming breath she tried again, doing so until the fog cleared enough to show her that the enclosure was empty. Not daring to feel relieved just yet, she shook off the residual dizziness to tentatively venture back out onto the street, needing to see what kind of state it was in as well.

The stretch of asphalt was nothing more than a commercial service road, its sole purpose to allow back door deliveries to the stores it ran between. It was littered with burnt out vehicles, even more dumpsters, a ridiculous amount of trash and more than a few dozen walkers. Upon seeing the daunting amount of obstacles they'd still need to deal with, Beth felt her shoulders drop despondently, not really sure why she had bothered to hope for something else.

Slumping back against the docks corrugated gate, she focused what was left of her energy on slowing down the painful heaving of her chest, taking advantage of the reprieve while she could. With Daryl right on her tail, it was just a matter of moments until he caught up and she wanted to be ready to do whatever it was he wanted them to do next. From where she was hunched over with her hands on her knees, Beth looked up expectantly, waiting for him to barrel past her any time now...

A long minute passed… and then another...

Her brows slowly drew in confusion. Ok… that was strange… where was he?

She left the relative safety of the dock to peer back down the long alley, not having much choice in the matter. Her stomach dropped uneasily to see that Daryl was nowhere in sight. The walkers she had managed to pass by were still there undisturbed and quiet for the most part. They milled listlessly around the dumpsters scattered down the narrow corridor seemingly unaware of the potential meal that had just raced past them in a blur.

Beth pressed herself anxiously against the bricks, now stuck in an impossible dilemma.

She had been told on more than one occasion that when he told her to run, she was to do just that and not go back for anything… including him. Daryl had made clear that under no circumstance was she to return to help, that he didn't want her to try and assist. She was to go to whatever predetermined location had been chosen beforehand and wait for him there with no questions asked.

As much as her head was telling her to do just that, her heart was having none of it. Swallowing at the tangible lump of dread in her throat, Beth faltered on the edge of overwhelming indecisiveness, everything that made her who she was urging her to go back… to see what was wrong… to find out why he wasn't behind her like he assured her he would be.

There in the distance, she finally saw Daryl making his way towards her, sporadic glimpses of the Horton managing to be seen past the impediments between them. Spared of the nerve racking quandary, Beth collapsed against the wall she was hiding behind, relieved beyond the capacity for mere words to see that he was alright. It was then that she noticed that he was moving a lot slower than he should be, especially considering the amount of walkers in the general vicinity. Unsteady on his feet, he was practically stumbling his way around them, inadvertently alerting them of his presence to the point where they began congregating behind him as was their nature. It wasn't until he got a lot closer that she saw the reason why. He was injured, the blood flowing down the side of his face being a dead giveaway.

Seeing her there hovering, he pushed past a dumpster in his way and rolled it back in the path of the oncoming walkers, slamming his body weight against it with all that he had. Wedging it tightly against the alleys narrow walls, he gritted his teeth with the determined effort the task required before kicking down the locks on the wheels, effectively blocking his pursuers. All of the walkers behind him were now left clawing pointlessly at the other side of the large metal container, not able to do much other than groan loudly in disappointment.

''Thought I told ya ta run.'' He groused, sweeping past where she stood waiting for him.

Beth was left gaping at his back. ''You also told me you were going to be right behind me… or did you happen to forget that?''

Not really expecting a response and unsurprisingly not getting one, she followed behind him as he led them down the road, using the cars and alcoves that lined the stretch to avoid the scattered walkers in their path. As they hunched down behind a burnt out SUV, Beth could see that he was holding it together by a thread, the constant moving he was forcing them to do causing the nasty gash on his head to bleed out that much more profusely.

''Daryl…'' She whispered, only to have to repeat herself more earnestly when he didn't seem to hear her, ''_Daryl!_ We have to take care of that! You're going to fall over if we stay out here!''

Knowing him as she did, Beth fully expected the completely logical suggestion to be rudely brushed off. Readying herself to have to argue with him about it, she was surprised instead when he just slumped back against the vehicle and nodded resignedly. Seeing a back entrance to a small diner nearby, he pointed to it before pressing the finger to his lips, indicating that she was to head there as quietly as possible. Beth peered around the bumper of the vehicle to make sure the coast was clear before taking off for it, the sound of the crossbow rattling behind her reassuring her that he was where he should be this time.

As soon as they reached the restaurants back door, Beth stepped aside and let Daryl find a way into the building. With him starting to look pale, she could only pray that the diner and the two nondescript stories above it were empty. The door gave and she followed him in, keeping to his back as he swung the Horton and the flashlight through the ransacked stockrooms. They stepped carefully past the walk-in refrigerators and the wreckage in the kitchen to finally arrive at the dining area up front.

To say that the place was a disaster was an understatement. Beth glanced around, noting the dirty dishes that were scattered on every available surface and trash strewn all over the floor. The boarded windows behind the booths had clothes hanging all over them like they were makeshift curtains and there was calendar spray painted crudely on the wall. Looking closer, many of the boxes were crossed out, indicating that whoever had been tracking the days on it had been camped out in the restaurant for a while. Not that it mattered now. Whoever they were, they were long gone. The place was empty… there was no blood… no gore… none of the usual signs that indicated a violent breech of any kind.

As if thinking the same thing, Daryl lowered the crossbow in his hands. ''Fuckin' abandoned… jus' like everywhere else in this shithole," He muttered, pausing to pick up a raggedy looking teddy bear from one of the tabletops, "S'like everyone who lived here jus' upped an' turned or somethin'.''

''I know… it's really weird…'' Beth whispered over the nervous pounding of her heart, ''What about upstairs? Do you think it's abandoned too?''

''Won't know till I go check it out.'' He responded, already heading for the door to do so.

When she was quick to remind him of his injury, he stopped and turned around.

''It's jus' a cut,'' He insisted, completely aware of its existence without having to be told, ''It ain't like I'm dying or nothin'. Tell ya what, let me get this done an' I'll let ya take care of it afterwards. Deal?''

Knowing that he was going to do what he wanted with or without her consent, Beth just nodded and sat down at the counter, straining to hear anything out of the ordinary coming from the two upper floors the whole time he was gone. Her fingers unknowingly clenched around the sugar dispenser in front of her, doing so in an effort to counteract the eerily depressing pall of the diner. What could've possibly happened to this town that would cause every single living soul within it to end up dead on the streets? After thinking about it for longer than she wanted to, Beth realized that she didn't really want to know.

She looked up when Daryl pushed open the kitchens swinging doors, the Horton pointing safely at the ground.

''S'clear.'' He said, motioning for her to follow him with a tilt of his head. ''Windows upstairs ain't boarded so it's a hell of a lot brighter up there, cleaner too. Let's patch this up an' then figure out how we're gonna get out of here.''

Beth followed him as he led the way, the natural light flooding the stairwell making it easy to do. The directory on the wall showed that the second and third floors housed private law offices, small hometown practices that would serve a place the size of Piedmont well enough. As she looked past the rows of secretarial cubicles stationed in the middle, Beth could see that everything was in fairly pristine condition, especially when compared to the mess downstairs. Speculating on it, she supposed that offices in general wouldn't hold much appeal to the average scavenger, not when there was a stocked diner to be ransacked below.

Daryl walked into the first executive office he came to and headed straight to the bar. Grabbing a handful of fancy cocktail napkins, he pressed them to his temple, peeling away the top few layers when they became overly saturated with blood. With him preoccupied, Beth wandered over to the rooms huge window, glancing down at the walkers that still lingered out front on the street.

''Goddamn it…'' He groused from behind her, making her turn to see him swiping at the wound like it was an inconvenience that he had neither the time, patience or inclination to deal with.

''Here, stop that,'' She came over to take the napkins from him before he did even more damage to the area. ''Go sit down over there and let me see what I can find to take care of it.''

Tossing the Horton onto the desk that dominated the room, Daryl slumped down into a plush leather chair by the window, looking about as out of place in it as he possibly could.

Searching in the offices private bathroom, Beth dug around until she found some antiseptic and a small first aid kit. Retrieving what was left of the bottle of water they had brought with them, she sat down in front of him on the chairs matching ottoman, situating herself as close as she could without having to actually resort to sitting in the man's lap.

She set a makeshift prep station at her side, doing so out of habit and with the acute awareness that she had his complete and undivided attention. When everything was finally ready, she dampened what was left of the napkins with water and glanced over at him, for some reason feeling slightly self conscious. Daryl shifted forward in the chair, closing the distance between them enough for her to be able to reach the wound without having to stretch too far to do so. With her pulse inexplicably racing out of control, Beth pressed a napkin gently to it, trying her best to refocus her wayward attention back on the task at hand. The way he was staring at her was making it incredibly difficult and she had to keep reminding herself to pull a breath from under the intensity of his gaze.

''Y'know, you got tha prettiest blue eyes I ever did see, I ever tell ya that?'' He said from out of nowhere, his voice low and quiet on the air. ''Swear, they're like tha ocean… ta me anyways.''

Completely stunned, Beth stopped what she was doing, her hand left hovering uselessly at his temple. The man must have lost more blood than she thought!

The compliment was so out of character that she could only stare back at him in return, trying her best to determine if he had meant sincerely or if it was just the traumatic head injury talking. Either way, it had her heart feeling like it was going to throb right out of her chest.

As if suddenly realizing he had voiced his very private thoughts out loud, Daryl's body tensed and he immediately set his defenses back into formation, schooling his features into an air of forced indifference. A slight flush at his hairline was the only indication given that he might have been embarrassed and he dropped his eyes from hers uncomfortably.

Beth picked back up where she had left off, blotting away what was left of the blood until she was satisfied the wound was clean. Sweeping the hair from his eyes with her finger, she traced it down the length of his jaw and said softly, ''Y'know, sweet talkin' me is not going to get you out of explaining what happened to you back there.''

Seemingly relieved that she wasn't going to make the awkward situation more unbearable for him than it already was, Daryl relaxed the broad set of his shoulders, the tension held tight in the muscles there releasing.

''I mean, I thought you were right behind me...'' She continued, dabbing some antiseptic carefully to the wound. Beth let the connotation linger on the air, doing so in hopes that he would start filling in the blanks.

With his head starting to feel a hell of a lot better, Daryl sighed from under her ministrations, ''Yeah, well… that was tha game plan, that was until a damn walker gotta hold of my ankle right when I was makin' tha jump. Goes without sayin' that I wasn't expectin' ta get hung up like that. Next thing I knew, I was ass out on tha ground, feelin' like I'd been worked over with tha business end of a sledgehammer.''

''Tell me, did you purposely decide to break your fall with your head?'' She asked, pausing on a smile to give him a knowing look, ''Because this may need stitches… again!''

''Sass... swear, nothin' but sass,'' Daryl sniffed, seeming to appreciate the undertone of humor apparent none the less, ''Weren't my intention, that's for damn sure. I'm layin' there bleedin' out like a stuck pig an' next thing I know, I got a bunch'a fuckin' walkers raining down on me from tha rooftop like a goddamn tickertape parade. I don't know… guessin' they didn't much appreciate tha fact that their lunch was makin' a break for it.''

In the process of tearing open some suture bandages, Beth stopped what she was doing, having not realized just how potentially bad the situation could've been. ''What happened then?''

She watched as he lost himself in the dark recesses of the recollection. ''Can't really say. Jus' know it was surreal as shit layin' there watching 'em fall like that… like… somethin' out of a nightmare that there weren't no waking up from. Tha beatin' my head took had me floating in an' out of things but I could still hear 'em droppin' nearby. Weren't until one landed on top 'a me that I finally pulled my shit together an' jumped tha wall.''

Beth listened with her heart throbbing against her ribcage, not trusting herself to say a word. It seemed like every time they ventured outside of the safe haven they had created for themselves, something bad happened to one or both of them. The disparaging aspect of it made his idea of staying locked up in the house appealing... but only if he stayed in there locked up with her.

She applied the sutures to the cut, pressing down on them lightly to keep them in place. The temporary measure would have to suffice, at least until they got home and she could see to it properly.

''You're probably still going to need stitches… but... it's the best I can do for now.'' She chagrined, dropping her arms to indicate that she was done.

''S'fine.'' Daryl dismissed predictably, shoving himself from the chair to go and retrieve the Horton. ''Stitches would have'ta wait either way. It's gonna get dark here soon enough an' I don't want us being out here when it does. An' besides… no offense or nothin'… but I ain't sure my head can take another round of ya needlework.''

Shoving the antiseptic and the rest of the items into the backpack, Beth glanced over to see he was joking. ''Oh, like you could do so much better?''

Daryl smirked but didn't respond, instead going over to the window to assess the front of the building for himself. She left the backpack where it lay on the ottoman and stood up to join him there.

Knowing without having to be told that the substantial amount of walkers they both saw there on the street were going to be an issue, Beth asked over to him, ''How do you want to do this?''

''Well, we're here. Reckon we might as well sweep tha place an' see if there's anything left in it we can use.'' He glanced down to where she was at his side, ''Ya found bandages an' antiseptic… who knows, maybe there's more. Between everythin' downstairs plus all 'a this up here, there's gotta be something.''

''And if there's not?''

Thinking about it for a moment, Daryl sighed and squared his shoulders, seeming to accept the only viable option that was available to them. ''Still gonna call it a day. As I said, don't want us out here at nightfall. Whole point was ta check tha place out and we've done so. With a better idea on what ta expect we can come back in tha next couple 'a days or so, not be caught so unawares by it."

Settling the crossbow more comfortably on his back, he glanced back down to the road below. "Hell, at this point I'm more concerned 'bout gettin' past them walkers than I am about findin' food. We managed ta get a fair amount of 'em out of our way but I don't trust for shit that they won't come back once tha sun sets. I'm thinkin' it's best ta get out now while tha goings good... I don't know, what do you think?''

Beth just nodded, the prospect of what he was saying making her nervous, ''I'll check downstairs while you take these two floors?''

''Yeah, but make it quick… say, fifteen minutes tops.'' When she nodded in agreement, Daryl paused hesitantly, taking the moment to gruffly clear his throat, ''And, uh… thanks for takin' care of this,'' He gestured to the small bandages at his temple, ''… shit feels better already so I 'preciate it.''

''You're welcome.'' She said sincerely, meaning it. The quietly spoken expression of gratitude had him shuffling back and forth on his feet as it chafed against everything that made him the person he was. As much as she wished it differently, at least it was clear he was trying.

Leaving him to his own devices, Beth headed quietly back downstairs, now faced with the daunting task of digging through the personal belongings of those who had used the restaurant as a temporary sanctuary. Stepping around an narrow inflatable mattress on the floor, she took a moment to look around the chaos they had hastily left behind.

The place was in even worse shape than she had initially thought. The cups on the tables still had coffee in them and personal effects were stacked all over the chairs. It truly was like whoever had been there had upped and vanished without a trace. Rummaging around only seemed to confirm the strange notion. She found a stockpile of canned goods hidden under an unused tent – spaghetti O's and a variety of vegetables – all stacked neatly in a box along with several can openers. With anything in cans worth its weight in gold, why not just take them?

Choosing not to dwell on it, Beth shoved what she could into the backpack and left the rest where they were. She dug through a crate and found six government issued insta-meals, the kind soldiers were forced to eat while out in the field. They were vacuum packed and sealed for freshness so they went into the bag as well, along with several packets of oatmeal and a couple of candles.

With the backpack running out of space and herself almost out of time, anything else she wanted to take would unfortunately have to wait. Beth placed it all neatly into the box with the remaining cans and hid it carefully away in the kitchens dish washer. When the two of them returned they could get it then, but until that time at least she felt secure that it was stowed away safe and sound.

Going back upstairs she found Daryl digging through the lockers in the employee break room. He had managed to find a couple of things worthwhile but nowhere near the surprising haul that she had. On the table next to him sat a couple of bottles of water, some packets of ramen noodles, several protein bars and multiple bags of candy. All of it went into the backpack until the thing was practically bulging at the seams.

The break room had two large vending machines that sat against the far wall, both of which were stripped empty and completely destroyed. The front panels of each were shattered as though someone had kicked them in hastily and looking over at them, Beth wistfully sighed out loud, ''God, what I'd give for a can of root beer right now…''

Daryl spared the machines the slightest glance before muttering, ''Yeah, guessin' it was too much ta hope that there'd be somethin' left in 'em but whatever, I reckon we found enough. More than I thought we would anyways.'' He adjusted the Horton's strap on his shoulder while she situated the bag over hers, ''Shit ain't tha best but it will last us 'til we can make it back out here again.''

Beth was about to tell him of the box she stashed in the kitchen when the sudden sound of rumbling could be heard coming from the street out back. They just stared at each other as they listened to it intently, both of them frozen in place. With the noise getting progressively louder, there was nothing within it that indicated what it might be coming from but whatever it was, it was large... large enough to cause the second story windows to rattle noisily in their frames as it passed in front of the building.

As if suddenly remembering that she needed to pull a breath, Beth's hand flew up to her chest. The slight motion all it took to break the heightened tension that held them both firmly in its grips, prompting Daryl to bolt out of the room. Beth ran out behind him, not knowing what they were about to see but completely dreading it none the less.

She skidded to a halt next to where he was peering through the rear office blinds and waited for him to confirm that it was indeed a tank out there. When he didn't say a word about it one way or the other, Beth resorted to having to look outside for herself, being mindful to open the blinds just enough to not be detected by anyone or anything that could be watching for movement from below.

It turned out to be a military armored truck of some kind, heavy duty with large oversized wheels. Behind it followed a writhing mass of walkers, all of them traipsing after the vehicle like it was the piped piper from hell. Whoever it belonged to had felt the need to reinforce its defenses beyond its standard steel plated sidings. It had a metal V shaped bumper welded to its front end that let it plow easily past the walkers in its way, doing so much like a hot knife would through butter. Bars covered its windows and an army issued Gatling gun of some kind was stationed on its roof. It was an massively imposing vehicle, one specifically custom made for the kind of world in which they all lived in... and it looked like it was slowing down.

Its brakes squealing, the truck stopped just down the block from where they were watching it and a man rushed out from the passenger side. Although his clothes were clearly not military, he was still heavily armed. Unrolling a poster of some kind, he slapped it against the fence and stapled it there methodically before frantically glancing over to see the walkers behind him were now starting to catch up. He got back inside the vehicle and it took off again, pushing past the walkers in its way like they were insignificant nothings. Beth looked on as they mindlessly integrated in with the others, doing so until the truck and the meandering corpses behind it both disappeared around the corner.

With the silence it left behind deafening, she dared to look over at Daryl. ''What do you think that was all about?'' She whispered, wishing more than anything that he would just volunteer his opinion on his own.

He shrugged, his face a blank slate. ''Could be a scouting party jus' checkin' out tha place, could be what's left of tha army lookin' for survivors... who knows, could be somethin' worse.'' He looked back down the length of the service road before saying quickly, ''I ain't too worried 'bout it. Let's go.''

''What? Right now? Are you sure that's a good idea with that thing out there?''

''It's a damn good idea,'' He said, already heading for the stairs, ''Whoever tha hell that was, they jus' did us a solid by clearin' all them walkers out back. They had ta come in from somewhere… which jus' means that there's a clear path out of here somewhere as well. We need ta find it an' quick!''

With no time to think upon what he was saying, Beth ran after him as he flew downstairs and out the diners back door.

Grinding to a stop next to him as he checked out the stretch of asphalt they were about to risk, she saw he was right, it was remarkably clear with barely a walker to be seen. Feeling as though luck was on their side for once, she followed him as he took off down the street, heading out in the opposite direction from the truck. The two of them traversed it as fast as they could, doing so without having to resort to running. It was clear that Daryl intended for them to take advantage of the favorable conditions while they had them so Beth kept that in mind, making sure to mimic his movements the best that she could.

He stopped behind a retaining wall and pressed his back to it, pulling the Horton up more securely on his chest. Beth fell against it next to him, taking the moment to hurriedly catch her breath. Panting at the air for it, she happened to glance over and see one of the posters that the occupants of the truck had attached to the wall. Torn at the edges, it was covered in sloppy handwriting but was still legible for the most part. Unable to help herself, she pushed away from the bricks to go and read it, Daryl coming over to join her when she didn't respond to his insistent whispering of her name.

'Sanctuary For All.

Community For All.

Terminus.

Those Who Arrive Survive.'

The words themselves were scrawled above a faded map of Georgia and Beth looked it over to see that the state itself was covered in a plethora of red lines, all which led to a central location marked with a big black star.

''Terminus…'' She said out loud, readjusting the backpack on her shoulders, ''It doesn't look too far from here. Do you think it's where the others could've gone?''

''Maybe.'' Daryl muttered from next to her, chewing pensively at his lower lip as he studied the map, '''All that arrive survive'? I don't know… sounds shady as shit if ya ask me. Ain't no such thing as sanctuary, not no more. Any place tryin' ta be one gets overrun an' nobody tryin' ta reach one ever makes it.''

Beth's felt her shoulders slump in unwitting disappointment. It was the first time since the turn that she had seen anything resembling an organized effort to unite the survivors so she had tentatively indulged the stirrings of hope that had flared painfully in her chest. Daryl was much more of a realist, his sixth sense about such things giving him a much clearer understanding of the potential hidden dangers. While what he was saying was probably true, she still found it discouraging to hear and her eyes fell from the poster despondently.

As if he could tell, Daryl put an arm around her shoulders. ''Hey, I ain't sayin' we can't still go an' check it out. Jus' cause it don't seem right ta me don't mean that Maggie an' tha others didn't choose ta go there. With these storms rollin' through, who knows… they might've thought it was tha best option outta tha few available to 'em."

He stepped over to trace a possible path on the map with his finger before adding, "Here, tell ya what... when the weather clears up we'll take a road trip an' see what's up. I could be wrong an' maybe it's exactly what this thing is sayin' it is.''

She looked up at him as he came back to her side, barely believing that he would offer to do such a thing. ''Wrong?'' She imparted, her brow rising skeptically, ''You?''

''It happens,'' He shrugged in return, the corner of his mouth smirking up, "Don't try ta call me out on it 'cause I'll jus' change my mind about goin' an' not take a chance in provin' it.''

Beth held up her hands to concede immediately, somehow both of them already knowing that she would. Daryl was obviously going against his gut instinct on the matter and she could only wonder at it, not daring to question his motives out loud. Whatever his reasons were for doing so, she just knew that she was grateful. It had been so long since she had dared to hope that she had almost forgotten what the galvanizing sentiment felt like.

''Now that's settled, it's 'bout time for us ta get tha fuck on outta here an' go home, what d'ya say?'' He glanced down to where she was next to him before lightheartedly adding, ''Don't know 'bout you but I'm thinkin' we should go ta bed, eat a shit ton 'a junk food an' maybe fool around… see what happens.''

The sense of humor that was trying its damndest to relax the harsh lines of his face hadn't been attempted sincerely since they had first stepped foot outside of the house. Beth suppressed her happiness for hearing it and said with as much conviction as she could muster, ''Y'know, I'm going to need you to not say things like that to me outside of the bedroom, I've been told by a certain someone that it will get me in trouble.''

''Pfft, like ya need help with that…'' Daryl grinned, pulling the crossbow back up as he ignored the expected eye roll the response earned him.

Getting himself situated, he pointed the weapon into the far distance. ''That's tha way we're headin' out. Stay close ta me an' keep clear of them recessed doors an' alleyways. Whatever way is tha emptiest is tha way we're goin', we jus' need ta do it fast until we clear tha river…'' He paused for a moment before asking, ''Ya ready?''

"Born ready." She said, smiling when he recognized the same cocky assurance that he had given to her at the moonshine house.

Shaking his head appreciatively at it none the less, he tsked, "Smartass..."

Beth pulled her knife from its holster, once again feeling better for having it held tightly in her grip. Leaving the brick wall behind, Daryl proceeded to lead them out on the roads less traveled, doing so until they found their way out of town. Using an old maintenance bridge to cross the roaring river, they reached the relative safety of the surrounding woods to disappear into the thick cover it provided.

Looking past the swaying tree limbs to the darkening sky above, Beth realized that they had probably left not a moment to soon. Winter had the night descending faster than usual, the shadows all around them seeming to blacken with every step. The prospect of being stuck out in the woods once it did was enough of an incentive for her to pick up her pace.

As she did so, she realized that she didn't feel remotely as scared as she used to at the thought of knowing such a thing. With Daryl at her side and her knife in her hand, it was almost like she could keep the lifelong phobia at bay. In fact, Beth was beginning to realize that she felt a lot more capable overall, her confidence growing substantially. There was a gradual shift happening within her, one that she never expected, and the trip to town had been all that was needed to assure her of it.

Daryl's trust in her to do what was necessary to keep them both safe was a huge factor behind the growing inclination. He wasn't one to hand it out freely and that he had it in her meant everything to Beth. Secure in the knowledge that the two of them could handle anything that came their way, she felt stronger for it… more self reliant. With the conviction only gaining traction the longer she was around him, acknowledging it to herself was a good feeling... one that encouraged her to keep guard at his back until the trees began to thin and the mortuary lay quietly in the distance.

…...

**Thanks for reading "What Still Lies Ahead" and sticking with me through a milestone of 40 chapters! This was a really long one, to the point where I was almost tempted to cut it in half. Looking forward to reading your comments as always and**** if you are new to this story, welcome. Bethyl on!**


	41. Chapter 41

... Chapter 41 ...

Rolling onto his side, Daryl shoved his pillow back under his head and huffed out a frustrated sigh. He had been tossing and turning for hours now, alternating between restless bouts of staring at either the ceiling or the walls as the night dragged on. The ambient sounds coming from the cemetery outside were starting to mess with his head and it went without saying that he was beyond fucking sick of it. Despite being tired as shit, his brain was still wide awake, the spectrum of troubling thoughts coursing through it making anything else he was attempting to do damn near impossible.

Something had him uneasy, something that he couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it had his senses tingling unnervingly on point.

With the gut instinct hell bent and determined to take root, he shoved the covers off of himself in recognition of it, sitting up to swipe a hand agitatedly down his face. Daryl gave a cursory glance over his shoulder, relieved to see that the girl at his side had stayed completely undisturbed by his fidgeting. As if somehow subconsciously knowing he was regarding her, Beth hummed in her sleep and hugged her pillow closer, looking for all intents and purposes to be without a care in the world.

Must be fuckin' nice.

The candle she kept lit at her bedside had extinguished itself long ago, not that his heightened state of awareness needed it. Putting on his boots, Daryl shoved his arms into his jacket before grabbing the Horton and going silently downstairs.

Stepping out onto the porch, he ignored the frigid night air as he lit a cigarette under his cupped hand. Pulling the nicotine deeply into his chest, he let the quietness of the moment rake across his skin as he flicked the lighter shut and stuffed it back into his pocket. A thick cloud of smoke expelled within his breath as he scanned the surrounding area, straining his vision into the distance to look for any movement that could be remotely considered out of the ordinary.

This was the second time now that he had come outside to check for something wrong, and much like the first he couldn't help but wonder what it was exactly that was compelling him to do so. Everything was just as silent and motionless as it had been before, almost eerily so. While disconcerting to say the least, it still wasn't enough to make him as goddamn edgy as he was.

Letting the smoke hang forgotten from between his lips, Daryl looked around once more and tried to shake off the unsettling feeling he had that something bad was about to go down. As much as he wanted to blame the fatigue, something didn't feel right and his propensity to sense such things had the premonition crawling under his skin to become almost tangible. With the nagging suspicion refusing to budge, he chose to trust his instincts on the matter, heading down the cemetery's driveway to veer off into the tombstones. With sleep nothing but a wishful pipe dream anyway, he might as well make another sweep around the place, check it out. After all, what could it hurt.

As he stepped carefully around the decrepit plots, Daryl's mind wandered back to the previous days events as it had several times now since they had gotten back home from town. With the supply run there giving him so much to process, it wasn't like it could really be helped. Thinking about the time spent in Piedmont was just another reason why he was wide awake and wandering around a goddamn cemetery in the middle of the night like a fucking idiot. Hell, just the armored truck alone was enough to be worrying. Its presence just meant that there were other survivors in the area, ones whose intentions remained to be seen. All he knew was that they advocated for sanctuary but chose to promote it armed to the teeth, which didn't bode so well for good.

When a safe path out of town had finally presented itself, him and Beth had taken it, getting back to the safe confines of the mortuary a lot later than he personally would've preferred. Despite the near insurmountable obstacles that had presented themselves, the trip there had undoubtedly still been worth it. Not only did they now have a much better idea of how the place was laid out, they also knew of the remaining threats that were still contained within it. The town itself had been about as fucked as any other he had seen since the turn, a few more walkers perhaps... and of course that whole shady business with the truck… but other than that, nothing he could say he hadn't really expected looking back on it. They had managed to score a fair amount of food while they were there as well, just not the kind he'd been hoping for. While it wasn't the best by any means, it at least it showed that the place had potential. He'd know for sure the next time they went. The two of them would be better prepared and not be caught so unaware of the lurking issues in their way.

Completely lost in thought, Daryl trudged his way towards the rear of the cemetery, using what little moonlight that was available to him as a guide. As he went, he once again pondered the idea of leaving Beth behind when that time came, if only to be able to sweep through the place that much faster. Remembering her indignant request on the rooftop, he quickly realized how unfair that would be. She had earned the right to come by thinking outside the small box afforded to them and getting them out trouble more than once. The girl swore that could do for herself, the least he could do was believe her. Of course he would keep an eye on her none the less and up the ante on her training, just to be sure.

Night had fallen by the time they'd gotten back and the clouds that lingered overhead had only shrouded the area in an even more oppressive cloak of darkness. The mortuary had been so obscured that even he'd had trouble seeing it sitting alone in the distance. If it was hard for him, then she had to be struggling. Purposely slowing his gait for knowing it, he had eventually stopped just outside of the main gates to wait for her to catch up, figuring that her phobia was likely on the verge of kicking into overdrive. As she made her way closer, he had taken the moment to swing the Horton onto his back, at that point having held onto the damn thing for so long that his knuckles ached and his trigger finger felt like it was frozen in place.

''Ya doin' alright?'' He had asked, the gravelly sound of his own voice cutting into the air making him realize just how disconcertedly quiet everything was around them. Suddenly acutely aware of it, Daryl recalled feeling its inert stillness grate over his senses, making him instantly uneasy.

''Yeah,'' She had whispered in response, falling in line next to him as he began walking up the driveway, ''I'm just glad to be home. I'm tired and my ankle hurts but other than that I'm doing ok.''

He had felt her fingers feel for his own, obviously finding it safe enough to do so now that he wasn't preoccupied with holding the crossbow. Despite the residual pain the weapon had left behind, his hand had instinctually closed around hers when she had coaxed for it to, their fingers threading together like they'd been put on their bodies to do so. They had walked along in silence, neither one of them feeling the need to verbally acknowledge the small token of affection. Daryl distinctly remembered being relieved by the fact. Not one used to engaging in random acts of hand holding, it went without saying that he wouldn't have known where to begin.

After doing a quick sweep of the inside of the house, he had headed outside to check on the bike and secure the immediate area. It was then that he'd had the first inkling that something felt off. A further look around had revealed nothing amiss so he shook off the unsettling feeling, chalking it up to exhaustion. After testing the locks on the doors, he had double checked all the windows and figured he had done enough. He was beyond fucking tired and Beth was waiting for him upstairs in the kitchen with a hot meal laid out and ready.

By the light of the flickering candles, the two of them had talked quietly about the town as they had eaten a passable dinner of spaghetti O's and butterscotch pudding. Beth had come up with the resourceful idea of drawing out a map of the place, figuring it best to do so while its layout was still fresh in their collective memories. As her pencil had scratched unwaveringly over the notepad paper, Daryl could feel himself begin to unwind because of it, the rigid lines of tension that had held tight within his muscles slowly releasing in her presence. As a result, he'd been left sitting there watching what she was doing in a state of drowsy contentment, the fullness in his belly and the warm candlelight around them decidedly not helping.

While she sketched out Piedmonts roads and landmarks, each of them had gone over their ideas for the next trip they'd be making there. He thought it best to return the way they left, believing the remote location of the service bridge to be the best option of the few available to them. She had volunteered several good ones herself, including going back to the diner for a box of food that she'd had the foresight to hide safely away. It was then that Daryl realized that he trusted her implicitly, the notion surprising him for a moment. Cynical by nature, it wasn't something he could say with conviction that anyone else could claim... not his brother… hell, not even Rick. Knowing that Beth had earned it only added to the growing inclinations he was having towards her, casting her in an even more appealing light if that was at all possible.

In the soft glow of the candles, she caught him staring and asked what was the matter. Unable to look away, Daryl had been worn out and unraveled enough to give a honest answer.

''Nothin'…" He had drawled, caught off guard in the stillness of the moment, "Guess I was jus' wonderin' when it was ya got so damn smart.''

Realizing how such a thing could be misconstrued, he had immediately tried to amend himself, the words tumbling out as he backpedaled awkwardly, ''I mean, not that I didn't think ya weren't smart before… 'cause I did…I mean, you've always been smart an' I've known that… fuck, I'm tired as hell, jus' forget I even said anythin'…''

Beth had just stared at him as he rambled on, making him even more painfully aware of the hole he was digging himself deeper into. Mentally cursing his inherent compulsion to speak before thinking, Daryl didn't need to be told that he probably looked and sounded about as damn ridiculous as he felt. Giving up, he slumped back in his chair, mightily regretting the fact that he'd even bothered to open his mouth in the first place. Taking a degree of pity on him, she bit back a giggle, making him realize that she knew what he was trying to say all along and was just having a bit of fun at his expense.

''Jesus, that came out all kinds 'a wrong,'' He chagrined self depreciatingly, finding the eventual humor in it as well. ''Didn't I tell ya that I ain't much good at expressin' myself? Now ya know why.''

''It's ok,'' She said, her gaze remaining warm, ''I knew what you meant.''

He regarded her more seriously, feeling the inexplicable need to attempt it again. ''Guessin' what I'm tryin' ta say… piss poorly at that… is that ya did real good out there today. An' I want ya ta know that I heard what ya said ta me on tha roof. If I ever… I don't know… made ya doubt yourself or feel bad or whatever, it weren't my intention. I jus' didn't know any other way ta be, is all.''

Daryl felt his shoulders drop, the sincerity he'd been trying to relay not coming across quite as he intended. The uneasy feeling now left behind was one of the many reasons he preferred to keep his thoughts inside his head, tucked away where they probably belonged. Through his hair, he glanced over at her for knowing it, hoping she had at least gotten the gist of what he was trying his damndest to say. Turned out, he needn't have worried. The considerable effort it had taken to put his feeling on the line paid off substantially when she rounded the table and sat herself down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him to her tightly.

She kissed him by his ear before pulling away to say, ''Y'know, I think you're getting much better at that.''

''Yeah? What's that...'' He groused, lowering his defenses enough to pointedly ignore the fact that they were back to holding hands, ''Makin' an ass outta myself? 'Cause for some reason ya make it easy ta do.''

''But you do it so well,'' She smiled, ''One of these days you could try… oh I don't know, maybe just apologizing… spare yourself the embarrassment or something.''

''Pfft, who's embarrassed?'' He sniffed, a self-assured smirk slowly growing on his face, ''In case ya ain't aware, I'm startin' ta enjoy stickin' my foot in my mouth. If I continue eatin' shit like this,'' He gestured down to the empty junk food containers scattered all over the table, ''… maybe I'll do it more often an' jus' call it dinner.''

Beth burst out laughing, the unexpected humor obviously a welcome reprieve after the arduously long days events. Finding himself appreciating the moment as well, Daryl grinned in response, shifting her weight on his lap so she sat upon it more comfortably. His thumb subconsciously traced over the length of hers as they both fell into a comfortable silence, the lightheartedness between them gradually abating until just the remnants of their smiles remained.

''Y'know, ya once told me… a long time ago… that you were glad it was me you were stuck out here with, that you were sorry that ya weren't Carol or Michonne,'' He looked down to their fingers were threaded together, swallowing hard at his reticence before quietly adding, "Well, I want ya ta know that I ain't... I ain't at all. I wouldn't want ya ta be anyone but you.''

With the heartfelt sentiment finally admitted, the girl had kissed him rousingly for hearing it, her mouth parting willingly under the weight of his own as he had purposefully taken over. For once in his life, Daryl felt that he had said exactly what he wanted say, the very way he had wanted to say it. It was because of her that such a thing was even remotely possible, especially for someone as introverted and socially stilted as he had a sullen tendency to be. That she was able to read between his lines, to understand and accept him as he was, meant more to him than she could possibly even begin to know.

From there they had both gone straight to bed, the two of them exhausted enough to forgo anything further happening between them. Although initially disappointed, Daryl quickly realized that it was probably for the best. He was running on nothing but fumes and wouldn't be able to give the endeavor the full attention it rightly deserved. Besides, he preferred it when he had the equal measure of her willingness in return, liking it best when she was hot, wet and eager for him. With that level of energy understandably unfair to demand from her at that particular moment, he had just crawled his tired ass into bed beside her instead, letting her drape herself over him as they had both settled in for the night.

It felt as though they had fallen asleep almost immediately, remaining fully clothed for the first time in days. Daryl couldn't say what woke him up the first time – a disconcerting noise from the cemetery or the wind flowing past the detection system out front perhaps. All he knew was that he had jerked awake with a start, slightly out of breath and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Whatever it was, it hadn't gone so far as to awaken Beth so he had decided it best to go check it out by himself. As he always said, it was better to be safe than sorry.

After untangling himself from her sleep heavy limbs, he had gone outside to find not a damn thing wrong. An hour later, he went back to bed only to have the same strange occurrence happen again… bringing him to where he was now, traipsing through the graveyard outside for a second time, smoking another cigarette and wondering what the fuck he was doing.

His thoughts returning back to the present, Daryl made his way down to the tree line that bordered around the cemetery and cut across the pathway that lined its jagged edge. He was about to light up another smoke when he saw an amber glow mushrooming in the distance, its haziness flaring into the night to show that it was close by. The fiery plume began to grow, gaining traction almost as fast as his heart was dropping into his stomach.

_''What tha__…__''_ He whispered, taking off at full speed before his brain could finish the sentence or even begin to contemplate the potential direness of what he might find.

Daryl ran back the same way he came, flying past the markers and decrepit mausoleums. He ran without a second thought, doing so until his lungs depleted and all that remained was the fear lodged firmly in his throat. Skidding to a halt in the gravel driveway, he huffed in sheer agonized panic when he saw that it was the house that was on fire!

''Beth!'' He yelled, coming up behind the place to see that the flames had already started to infiltrate the second floor. _''Beth!''_

Not having the mental capacity needed to comprehend that the roar of the fire was likely drowning out the sound of his voice, he ran up onto the porch, yanking on the back door with all of his might to find it still locked. Rearing back, Daryl kicked it in, the effort immediately inundating him with a blast of searing heat. It scorched at his nostrils as he flew upstairs, heedless of the flames that licked dangerously at his boots.

_''Beth!''_ He gasped, the blistering air starting to sizzle in his chest. He rushed into their bedroom only to see that the bed was alarmingly empty. _What the fuck?!_

Spinning around in confusion, he coughed as the smoke threatened to overtake him. Over the cacophony of noise crackling all around him Daryl heard a car trunk slam from outside, the distinct sound of which somehow making itself known past the din. He ran over to the window, throwing it open to frantically slam his elbow through several of the wooden slats that covered it. Gasping at the clean air, he looked down just in time to see the black LTD barrel out from the side of the house, righting itself as it skidded around the corner.

''Beth!'' He yelled down, barely able to believe that the vehicle was there yet somehow inherently knowing that she was inside of it. _''Beth!'' _

The car peeled around to the front of the house to take off down the main driveway, leaving a trail of gravel dust floating amongst the embers coming from the fire.

Beneath his feet, the house began to shift precariously from the damage being inflicted on it, the staircase down the hall being the first thing to succumb noisily to the flames. With no other choice, Daryl backed up and plowed his way through the rest of the boards covering the window, landing on the porch overhang situated below it with a heavy weighted thud. Grunting in pain, he ignored the Horton as it dug excruciatingly into his back, rolling off of the side of the house to fall to the ground. Scrambling unsteadily to his feet, he managed to avoid the searing heat pouring from the house as he frantically looked back out towards the road.

With the cars receding tail lights just reaching the threshold of the cemetery, he took off running for the Triumph, tearing away the extra foliage that he had used to cover it. He had this one chance… one chance only to follow the LTD while he still could. There was no way in hell he was going to just let it disappear into the night to vanish without a trace!

Taking the briefest of moments to thank god that he'd had the forethought to hide the bike from sight, Daryl shoved the key into its ignition and sped out from behind the shed, the bikes RPM's spiking well into the red before he had even cleared the side of the burning house. His fingers gripped at the handlebars tightly, keeping the pressure on the gas until he caught up to the speeding sedan. Only when the cars rear lights held steady in the distance did he allowed himself a scant moment to catch his breath. Now firmly situated on the vehicles ass, the fucking thing wasn't going anywhere.

Ignoring the rising thermometer gage, he kept his headlight off as he tailed after the LTD, staying far enough behind to not be detected by its driver. As he rode, Daryl beat himself up mercilessly, fluctuating between alternate states of anger, regret and fear as he blamed himself for being gone… for losing his focus and dropping his guard.

He knew who it was inside the LTD, knew without having it spelled out for him. It was either one or maybe even all of the remaining men from the store. Somehow they had found them... and even worse was that he had let them, completely having underestimated the diligence of their tenacity. They had drawn him out of the house then had set fire to it on purpose, forcing Beth outside as well when she hadn't been able to find him.

Of the three of them, Daryl knew that one in particular had a very personal stake in the reclaiming of the girl… that tall mangy bastard Len. He was the one that had first set his sights on her so long ago, the one whose ass had been beaten into the ground just for having the sheer fucking audacity to act upon it. He should've just killed the poxy son of a bitch when he had the chance and was now left regretting the fact that he hadn't more than he could possibly begin to say.

Daryl felt sick to his stomach, realizing that the sudden chain of event leading him to this moment was actually happening and wasn't just the unbelievably fucked up nightmare he severely wished it was. Christ, this was all his damn fault. He shouldn't have left her, even for a moment. Time had relaxed his guard as he had lost himself in what they had and as a result he had become complacent in his contentedness. Now she was gone and the very thought of it had his heart clenching painfully in his chest...

The cars headlights rounded a corner up ahead so he gave the motorcycle more gas to ensure that he kept up with it. With thoughts of how scared she must be far surpassing the gut wrenching remorse he felt, Daryl followed it well into the night, ready to do whatever the hell was necessary to get her back.

His shoulders locked in determination as his eyes narrowed in the wind...

_Hold on baby, I'm comin'__…_

…...

**Happy Monday! I thought I'd post a new chapter since I had it ready. Yes, it's a cliffhanger but I'd like to think it's not as bad as one Season 6 left us on! Thank you for reading as always. Your support means everything and really encourages me to keep writing. **


	42. Chapter 42

... Chapter 42 ...

Consciousness gradually began to intrude and Beth bit back a groan, her head instantly throbbing in agonizing spasms. The tear inducing pain was close to unbearable and she squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to counteract it. The measure failing miserably, the headache remained unaffected and wasn't helped at all by the constant deafening noise roaring in her ears. God, what was that? More importantly, why the hell wasn't it stopping?

Feeling dizzy and on the verge of throwing up, she went to roll over only to realize with no small degree of confusion that she couldn't. Curled up unnaturally on her side, she shifted around to find that her hands were tied firmly behind her back. The plastic zip tie used dug painfully into her skin and she instantly began to panic, her already labored breath hitching deep within her throat.

She opened her eyes to see that everything around her was a suffocating black void, the heavy weight of which began pressing down on her immediately. Laying there in the darkness, it didn't take long to decipher past the fear that she wasn't anywhere she even remotely wanted to be. Choking on the knowledge of it, Beth began to struggle desperately for air only to find that she was gagged with a rag of some kind. Having no other choice but to compensate through her nose, the alkaline stench of exhaust fumes burned sharply at her nostrils. While the smell of it was disconcerting, it was undoubtedly the least of her worries.

The debilitating phobia she suffered from since childhood had shifted into hyperdrive, making all other thoughts irrelevant and meaningless. The black denseness was the epitome of why she had the fear to begin with, making every other nightmare she'd ever had about it sear its way to the forefront. The claustrophobia that accompanied it was unforgiving and the panicked cries she wasn't even aware she was making were lost to the gag wedged firmly in her mouth.

Somewhere past the all encompassing terror came the vague awareness of being jostled around. Panting for breath and unable to see a thing, Beth gradually came to the realization that she was in a trunk of a car. It was then that the clamorous noise that had been a consistent all this time revealed itself to be the roar of an engine. The vehicle hit a pothole and she gritted her teeth, her head screaming in protest. The car continued on unimpeded, not much caring about the struggles of the frightened girl it had locked away in its trunk.

Having endured more than she was emotionally and physically capable of, Beth blessedly passed out again, her limp body sinking back into the dirty carpet that lay underneath her. The welcoming abyss brought with it the convoluted recollection of seeing Len in the glow of the fire, his face looming over her as the lights had gone out.

It was then that she knew that he was the one who had taken her...

He was the one...

….

Coughing around the gag between her teeth, Beth woke up some time later to find that her dire predicament unfortunately hadn't changed. As much as she'd hoped it otherwise, she was still locked and tied up against her will with dried blood caked in her hair and tear stains on her cheeks. The crippling headache from earlier had receded though, at least for the time being. Feeling slightly better for it being gone, Beth glanced around to quickly realize that she could somehow see into the trunks dark recesses.

There was light coming from somewhere and rolling over, she searched for its source. There were three air holes drilled into the backside of the vehicle, which explained how the tight space hadn't suffocated her. The light they let in indicated that the car had driven through what was left of the night and into dawn of the next morning. While it didn't seem like that long, there was no way to be sure. The fire must have been started a lot later than she thought.

The holes themselves were a sure sign that both it and its owner had done something like this before. How many other girls had been where she was right now? Of them, how many had survived?

Though not much to work with, the thin luminescent beams were effective enough to keep the crippling phobia she suffered from at bay. Her panic temporarily reigned in for seeing them, Beth was able to think a lot more clearly. Testing her bonds, she took a quick mental stock of her circumstance. Where was the car going? What happened to Daryl? Did Len do something to him before he had taken her?

She felt her chest tighten as her heart lurched painfully at the thought.

The last thing she truly remembered was the two of them going to bed as usual, not thinking it to be different from any other night they had done so. Completely exhausted, they had both crashed immediately, Daryl sleepily kissing the top of her head as she had nudged up next to him. She had woken up a lot later to her candle being out and the stench of smoke searing at her nose. Her eyes instantly watering from it, she had felt across the sheets in the darkness to find that he wasn't there. While thinking such a thing to be strange, she hadn't had time to contemplate on it further. Something was horribly wrong.

Her breathing had become incredibly labored and she pushed herself from the bed, coughing intensely the whole time. Opening the bedroom door, she discovered that the house was on fire, an unmistakable orange glow blooming on the walls from downstairs. Thick black smoke had already begun to permeate the upper hallway, snaking surreally across the ceiling as it searched for crevasses to bleed into. Shocked at the sight, she recalled hearing the hard wood floors in the viewing rooms begin to buckle, the house groaning in protest as the fire gained traction. The frightening sound had her running for the bannister, leaning over it to scream Daryl's name downstairs. The sound of her voice was discordantly thick and with her heart threatening to beat its way out of her chest, she listened intently for a response that wasn't coming.

She had immediately rushed back to the bedroom, scrambling into her boots before shoving the spare bolt she had forgotten to give back to Daryl inside the left one as well. Grabbing her knife, she made her way carefully down the stairs, pressing her back to the wall as she felt her way past the burgeoning smoke. Beth could still feel the heat of the nearby flames wither at her skin, even now just thinking back upon it. The searing intensity of it had stolen her breath away as she traversed each step as fast as she could. Once in the lobby, she ran for the front door, the air in her wake being quickly engulfed.

Unlocking it in a panic, she had rushed outside blindly only to tumble over the detection system at the top of the porch. Landing in a tangle of cans and hubcaps at the base of the stairs, what little breath she had left to give was knocked instantly from her lungs and she lay there gasping from it, trying in vain to draw it back before pushing herself to her feet. Groaning in pain, she glanced down to see that the bare skin of her right arm had taken the brunt of the fall. The nasty laceration began bleeding profusely and she felt her eyes tear up upon seeing it.

Yanking the string from her legs, she called again for Daryl only to croak out something completely unintelligible. Prolonged exposure to the smoke had stolen her voice away, leaving her throat raw and caustic. Where was he?! Was it possible he could still be in the house and just hadn't heard her?

Without a moments hesitation she ran back up the stairs, damning the consequences as she steeled herself to go back inside the burning house. Almost at the door, Beth was suddenly grabbed from behind, a wiry arm wrapping around her waist as a dirty hand clapped over her mouth.

''Oh no you don't. C'mere…''

Initially confused by the chilling voice in her ear, she immediately began to struggle. When her teeth bit down on a finger, she was tossed down the stairs for the second time, the breath expelling from her chest again even more so than it had before. Rolling over, she gasped in shock to see Len descending down the steps after her, the fire behind him silhouetting him with the vile aura she knew him to have. She went to scramble away only to have him catch her, backhanding her hard to send her head careening into the asphalt.

Sprawled in the road dazed and bleeding, Beth barely felt him take her knife from her. After hiding it somewhere on his person, he leaned down to seethe in her ear, ''That's the last time you put your fuckin' teeth on me! Do it again and I swear I'll kill you!''

He flipped her onto her stomach, tying her hands behind her back before hefting her up and over his shoulder with a grunt. Beth could only lay limply against him, her body refusing to cooperate with the fierce resistance of her mind as it went into a complete and utter state of shock. Hanging upside down, blood began to drip into her ear, the effects of which making her lightheaded. The way Len was carrying her had the sharp curve of his shoulder digging painfully into her belly and her eyes fluttered closed, unconsciousness taking her away from the frightening situation despite everything inside of her screaming for it not to. She was out long before he even felt the need to gag her and from there everything else was a blur.

Now, despite the smatterings of grey tinted light managing to make it into the trunks confining space, Beth couldn't help but wish that she could just go back to that oblivious state once more. If she did, maybe she'd wake to find that this was all just a horrible nightmare, one that she could easily forget… she'd be back home with Daryl where she belonged, where everything made sense and she could feel safe again...

With the missing pieces of her predicament firmly back in place, Beth began fighting to get out of the zip tie that bound her hands. The car she was in took a sudden right turn, rolling her over with it to slam against the side of the trunk. Groaning against the rag in her mouth, she doubled her efforts, somehow sensing that she was running out of time. The vehicle made a sharp U-turn and ground to a halt, the engine idling noisily for a moment before eventually cutting off.

Frozen in place, Beth felt her stomach drop along with it, the pulse in her ears racing that much louder for the deafening silence. An instant fight or flight mentality took over and she prepared herself for whatever was about to happen.

Footsteps could be heard approaching from somewhere nearby, the single set getting progressively louder as they crunched into the gravel. The drivers side door opened and Len got out to meet them, his own stopping next to where she was inside the trunk. Confirming her belief that he acted alone, the passenger door remained closed. If Beth had any doubts, they were quickly dissuaded by the angry conversation that managed to penetrate down to where she was listening.

''You've got some fuckin' balls coming back here, you know that?''

Beth heard Len huff in annoyance. ''What are you talking about man?''

''You know _exactly_ what the fuck I'm talking about!'' The other voice bit out, seeming to find the dismissive attitude coming from her abductor infuriating. ''You think you can just waltz back in here like you own the place? It's been weeks motherfucker!''

Someone hocked a gross wad of spit to the ground and from where she lay Beth cringed in disgust.

''So fucking what." Len growled, making it clear how much the other mans opinion mattered to him. "I never said I weren't coming back.''

''Could be wrong but you also never said you were leaving!'' There was a pause as two more sets of footsteps joined the arguing men. ''Joe!_ Please_ tell me that this fuckin' asshole ain't coming back in here!''

''Depends…'' A deep voice intoned, this one a lot more authoritative and imposing despite having only said a single solitary word.

''On what?'' Len sounded indignant.

''On your answer." The man Joe said before adding meaningfully, "So you best watch your fucking tone when you're giving it. Last I knew, you two assholes just upped and took off without so much as a by your leave. Where you been?''

''Man, I ain't been nowhere. Just scouting out the area looking for shit.'' Len stepped away from the rear of the vehicle as he finished his point. ''Whatever the hell I was doing, I reckon it ain't nobody's concern but mine. Beside, I weren't aware that I needed your permission to leave… y'know, being a grown ass man an' all.''

''Where the fuck is Dan." It wasn't a question. Even through the thick barrier of the car hood, Beth could tell that Joe wasn't someone to be trifled with. "Let me guess… he just lent you the car and stayed behind.''

''Well, he's dead so I guess we'll never know now will we.'' Len snapped back, feeling the need to explain himself further despite his initial cockiness. ''Got caught up with some biters just outside of Forsyth. What's there to say, two of us went in an' only one of us came out, end of story.''

The first man must have been listening to the exchange silently seething because he suddenly burst out with, _''Bullshit!_ _Fuck this guy!_ Let me just shoot him already!''

''I couldn't give a flying rats ass if you believe me or not so fuck you Tony!" Len yelled back, the angry tone of his voice making it much easier for her to hear what was being said. "Whole fuckin' thing about leaving was Dan's idea anyways. He just had to have him them prescription drugs, couldn't live without 'em! Fucker was jonesing for 'em like the tweeker piece a' shit that he was and bum rushed a pharmacy! Got his ass killed for it! Weren't shit I could do about it 'cept watch him bleed out like a goddamn stuck pig! Biters took care of the rest!''

There was a moment of disbelieving silence before Joe sniffed out, ''And when exactly did that happen?''

'''Bout a week or so ago man, what the hell does it matter?'' Len sounded like he was about at his wits end with the third degree he was being subjected to. ''I'm back! Deal with it! I brought the fucking car back and I got some supplies as well! Now, I ain't standing here expecting the red carpet to be rolled out but that's gotta count for something!''

After a long drawn-out silence, the only man whose opinion obviously mattered sighed heavily, a resigned tone of bitterness coming across with it.

''You one fortunate son of a bitch, you know that?" Joe said, the animosity in his voice implying that Len was anything but. "You see, normally I'd just shoot you in the face like I'm itching to do and watch as you sullied up my driveway. I could take the car and the supplies and leaving your ass out here to rot. But luckily for you we're short on men. Tell you this though… and I hope for your sake you believe it… try that shit again and I'll kill you while you sleep, you understand asshole?''

Len must have understood fine because Beth heard no response coming from the normally arrogant man. Not that she blamed him. Joe sounded like he meant business.

Deeming the conversation over, Joe intoned over to the forth man who up to that point hadn't said a word, ''Billy, get the supplies from the car and take them inside.''

With his order given and dutifully acknowledged, Joe left with Tony following in his wake, the sound of their footsteps receding back the way they came. As they went, Beth could hear Tony arguing about the decision made uproariously, making it clear how much of an issue he had with it.

Holding her breath, she nervously waited for the trunk to spring open only to hear the cars rear doors be opened instead. The vehicle shifted on its tires as the weight of whatever supplies Len had mentioned were removed from the back seats.

As the bags hit the ground, she heard the forth man Billy say under his breath, ''Man, what the fuck ever. Joe's just pissed 'cause you guys took off without him knowing it. That shit chapped his hide something fierce, to the point where even Tony was sick to death of fuckin' hearing about it. We've been gone for weeks ourselves, trying to find that son of a bitch that killed Lou. The three of us only just got back not but five days ago, found the house exactly as we left it.''

''So, y'all find him or what?'' Len asked, his tone implying that he couldn't care less one way or the other as another bag fell heavily into the gravel.

''Nah man, by the time we caught wind of where he went, them Terminus assholes had him," Billy said, closing the car door closest to him, "We were outnumbered a good ten to one so Joe reckoned he'd get what was coming to him soon enough. Hell, by then we were all ready to head on back anyways. The only thing we found out there were a couple 'a new recruits. One of 'em tried to claim what didn't belong to him so he got taken out back right from the get go. The other has potential… guessin' Joe knew him from doing time together back in the day or something."

There was a long pause and Beth heard the tell tale sound of a lighter firing up. The distinct smell of marijuana wafted into the compact space she was in, making her bite down on the gag in her mouth to prevent herself from coughing. Billy took a long hit before wheezing out his point, "Besides, the dude that killed Lou weren't nothin' but a ghost in the breeze, man. With you gone jus' meant Tony was the one tracking him and we both know how that goes. Fat son of a bitch couldn't find his own ass if he had a map an' a flashlight. That's probably the reason why Joe's letting you come back in without a fuss. He needs a good tracker, straight up.''

''Where's everyone else?'' The question was asked on a exhaled huff of smoke after the joint was passed over and was the first time that Len sounded invested in the conversation he was having.

''They went out lookin' for supplies,'' Billy mumbled, the words almost unintelligible, ''Hell, they must'a found 'em 'cause we ain't seen hide nor hair of 'em since. With you, Dan and the LTD gone, we were running low. Showing up with the car and this stuff right here? You just played your fucking get-out-of-jail-free card my friend.''

Len sniffed indifferently. ''Yeah, well… you best be getting it into the house then while the goings good. I'm gonna move the car round back, get it cleaned up.''

Billy grunted in agreement and picked up the bags, walking away to leave a trail of pot smoke wafting in the air behind him. With him gone, Beth was left alone with Len for the first time since the both of them had arrived here.

She had managed to garner quite a bit from the short interaction between the four men, probably more than Len had wanted her to hear. She now knew that he wasn't alone and more importantly, that he wasn't in charge. That was obviously Joe. There were other men around, though not nearly as many as there once had been. She also knew that Len was a tracker, just like Daryl… which explained how he was able to find the mortuary despite their best efforts to deter him.

The fact that Len had felt the need to lie about his absence wasn't necessarily surprising, especially considering the character of the man. What _was_ surprising though was the fact that no one had called him out on it, at least not in any way that mattered. The story he had given sounded like complete bullshit, even to someone like herself who didn't know him that well. If Joe had been smart, he would've followed through with his intentions to kill the man like he should of and in the process spared her a lot of misery.

Len climbed into the LTD and started it back up, the engine humming reliably back to life from beneath her. As the car began to move, Beth was left wondering why he hadn't divulged to the others that she was in the trunk. What kind of game was he playing here, not just with her but with these men he associated with as well?

A short while later, the car was parked and Len walked away from it seemingly without a care in the world. His footsteps fading into the distance, they eventually disappeared to leave only the sound of her own labored breathing behind. Beth was left laying there apprehensively, the thoughts in her head subjecting her to the gamete of every emotion imaginable. Had the man just forgotten that she was there? How was that even remotely possible?

Minutes ticked by…

Stuck in the same prone position for what seemed like an eternity, Beth began wishing that he would just come back. He could rape her or kill her or do whatever the hell he wanted as long as she could get out of the trunk of this godforsaken car!

The numbness in her right arm kept the large scrape that ran its length from hurting too bad but it was of little consolation or comfort. She was cold, stiff and absolutely scared out of her mind. In between long bouts of claustrophobic panic and more tears than she had the fluid to spare for them, Beth thought about Daryl. Was he dead? Had Len killed him? Was that why he hadn't been where he should've? He would have never have gone down without a fight, was it possible that he out in the cemetery somewhere hurt but alive?

Beth tried to believe that such a thing was possible, wanting it to be true more than anything. With her mind spinning out of control as time dragged on, the stress of waiting for whatever was going to happen all became far too much. The conviction that she was attempting to hold onto slowly began to ebb along with her hope, both threadbare emotions unable to sustain themselves as her will broke down.

Len's plan had been executed to perfection, the whole thing going off without a hitch. The only thing that could have prevented that from happening was Daryl. By getting rid of the obstacle he presented, Len gave himself free reign to do as he pleased, burning down the house to leave her practically running into his waiting arms. The man had been thorough, more thorough than either of them could've ever anticipated. The car, the ties and the destination - all had been sitting there at the ready. Someone that meticulous wouldn't just leave a loose end like Daryl alive, not if there was the slightest chance that he could get the hell up, dust himself off and come back with an unholy vengeance.

Beth felt her empty stomach sink in her frame, something cherished inside of her dying. The stark realization meant one thing and one thing only… and she could barely bring herself to acknowledge it. If Daryl was dead then she didn't want to do this without him. There was nothing within her that could fathom living in a world he wasn't a part of. She would've tried otherwise… she would've fought to the bitter end until there was nothing left in her to give...

That hope was gone for her now.

If Daryl was dead and this hell was all that remained then by god, she'd find a way to escape it too… better that than to submit to whatever depravity Len had planned for her.

Beth heard steps approaching, the sound they made coming from nearby and she braced herself to do what needed to be done. As resolute about her decision as she could possibly be, she chose to focus only on the objective itself and not the heart crushing reason behind it. The situation was about to come to a head and she was beyond ready to be done with it, no matter what the outcome might be.

But if Len thought that she was going to give him her life that easily then he was about to be sorely mistaken. She was prepared to give him no choice in the matter… she was going to force his hand...

And she sure as hell was ready to take him down with her.

…...

**Thank you so much for reading and please take a moment to review!**


	43. Chapter 43

….. Chapter 43 …..

Daryl pulled off onto the shoulder of the road and let the bike coast to a low rumbling stop. As its wheels sunk heavily into the mud, he hurriedly read the government evacuation sign posted in front of him. He was somewhere just outside of Butler, a place he had heard about but had never actually been to. The gated communities he had passed indicated that it was one of the wealthier suburbs outside of the city though, the high-end cars left rusting and abandoned in his way only seeming to confirm it.

Wherever it was, it had been ground zero for a conflict of some kind. There was evidence of a large scale military counteroffensive all over the place. Futile remnants of a desperate last stand, the burnt out shells of army vehicles were strewn across the road, most of them gutted and overturned. Equipment… barricades... hell, even a tank, all lay wasted over the previously well manicured lawns. Next to the developed areas, huge holes were charred into the surrounding woods, explosive impacts that marked a battle that nobody was left to talk about and clearly hadn't been won.

Cutting the engine off, Daryl shoved the keys into his pocket and looked around. The dark clouds that had accumulated overnight only shrouded the morning in a depressing grey pall. It did nothing but make the surrounding chaos look that much more surreal. The gloom brought with it an eerie sense of foreboding and he struggled to put it aside as he finished assessing the area.

He had somehow managed to stay on the LTD's ass the whole time, only worrying about being seen by its driver when it started getting light outside. With no other choice, he had fallen back... caught dangerously between not wanting to lose the car and an unwillingness to be detected by it. The painful grip he had around the Triumph's handlebars had only eased when the damn thing finally pulled off from the highway. Upon seeing it do so, Daryl had felt his shoulders physically slump in relief. The bike beneath him was hissing loudly with both the thermometer and the gas gauge firmly situated in the red.

Straining to hear anything past the incessant clicking coming from the overheated engine, he got off the motorcycle and rolled it further down the embankment. With no time to waste in covering it, Daryl shoved it into the nearby foliage to leave it where it lay. The thing was on its last fucking legs but it didn't matter. Up ahead the LTD had turned into a private cul-de-sac at the end of the road. Figuring that it had to be going there for a reason, he pulled the Horton from his back and ran after it, cutting into the tree line to follow both the car and the road it had taken into the exclusive area.

Making his way through the woods as silently as he could, Daryl looked though the brush to see that the homes sitting nearby were huge plantation style mansions, the gaudy pretentious kind that were beyond common in the south. Spread out for privacy, they were intended for the wealthier residents of Butler. They lorded over the plots of land they were built upon and each had its own private entrance.

Daryl finally found what he was looking for in front of the fifth one he checked. There from where he was crouched, he could clearly see the LTD sitting in the driveway, looking about as out of place in it as it possibly could. The vehicle was surrounded by four men arguing, one of them for sure being that mangy piece of shit Len. The others he had never seen before, leaving him to assume that they had been at the store as well on that fateful day. If that was the case then they would likely be just as dangerous as their cohort and without a doubt equally as grudgy.

Looking past them, his brows drew when he didn't see Beth anywhere. Feeling both apprehensive and relieved because of it, Daryl slowly made his way closer, keeping the Horton tucked firmly at his cheek while he did so. His brain felt like it was spiraling into a pit as he tried to formulate a cohesive game plan on how to best handle the situation. Never much one for thinking things through, his first instinct was to storm the hell in, bolts flying. The only thing stopping him from doing so was the knowledge that Beth wouldn't want him to do such a thing. Somehow she'd think of a better way and admitting it to himself was like a punch to the gut that Daryl didn't necessarily need right now.

Edging his way through the overgrown foliage, he got close enough to the edge of the road to see two of the men walking away. The fat one was clearly pissed off and he huffed for breath as he struggled to keep up. His companion had the decisive stride of someone who couldn't give a shit, not once acknowledging what was being said and looking as though he didn't need to. Both disappeared into the house to leave Len and the other guy behind, unpacking bags from the back seat of the sedan like they'd just gotten back from vacation.

Daryl watched as the bags hit the ground, each thud they made seeming to hammer home the fact that the girl was likely locked in the vehicles trunk. In such a dark enclosed space, she had to be absolutely scared shitless. Worrying at his lower lip, his felt his heart constricted beneath his ribs. None of the men who had taken her would care that she was frightened of the dark. To them she was nothing but a means to an unfortunate end.

Across the way, the forth man picked up the duffle bags and took them into the house, leaving Len standing there alone. Daryl tensed when he got back into the LTD and started it up, realizing instantly how completely fucked he'd be if the cocksucker decided to drive off. Instead he pulled the vehicle around the side of the house, out of sight but at least still on the property somewhere. The man reappeared again a minute later, twirling the car keys on his finger like he didn't have a care. He climbed the steps to the house and went inside, the screen door slamming noisily behind him.

Still hunched nearby, Daryl could feel his anxiety rising. What the hell? Did the bastard really just leave her locked in the trunk like that? After all of the trouble he had gone through to acquire her, what was the fucking point?

Not wanting to wait around to find out, Daryl carefully crossed the road and made his way around the property, using the cover of the overgrown landscaping to mask his movements. Observing everything as he went, he could easily see why the place had been chosen as a base camp for the men who resided there. It was well laid out, with a large sprawling yard and a wall of dense trees surrounding its perimeter. The house itself was untouched though, which made it an anomaly. The tall majestic columns at its front and the long porches lining its sides were both free of any anti-walker modifications that had mostly become the norm. There were no boards on the windows, no traps at the doors and upon closer inspection, no lookouts posted either... nothing that would hinder him in what he was attempting to do.

Whoever these guys were, they had to be some cocky sons of bitches to be living in a building so unfortified. Confused by the notion, Daryl suddenly heard the groans of the dead coming from somewhere nearby, the tell tale sound of which instantly making the hair on his neck stand on end. Not wanting to be caught unawares by whatever it was that was causing it, he took a moment to find its source.

Following the noise, he stepped past the overgrown shrubs in the back yard to come across a large steel fence erected around the secluded pool area. By itself such a thing wouldn't have been that unusual, except this one had tangles of barbed wire that ran around its length as well. Moving in closer, it didn't take long for Daryl to find out the reason why. The pool itself had no water but it was packed to the walls with walkers, all of which were anchored to its floor by a complex net of chains and weights. There was an array of blood soaked body parts mashed under their feet and swallowing at his revulsion, Daryl instantly realized what such a thing meant.

The scent of the walkers alone would act as a natural deterrent, shielding the house against any others that happened to be roaming the area. But of more importance, they would provide a quick and convenient way to get rid of any human problems as well. From where he was hovering nearby, Daryl could see that most of the walkers were female, all of them young. Beth obviously wasn't the first girl taken by these bastards. Upon noticing a slim blonde one snarling in their midst, he swore to himself right then and there that she would absolutely be the last.

Getting back to the task at hand, he disappeared into the trees until he finally found the LTD. The car was parked under an open overhang, right next to an F-250 truck that had seen better days. It was easily accessible… almost too much so... and Daryl felt his senses jump instantly on point, his stomach clenching as they tingled ominously under the plains of his skin. Raising the Horton, he honed in on the vehicle, slowly leaving the safety of the trees to close in on it. Despite his best intentions, his blood was racing anxiously in his ears. He was so close… so fucking close. All he needed to do was jimmy the trunk, grab the girl and get them both the hell out of here. Once he was sure she was safe, he would come back and finish what he started, set fire to the house and leave it and everything it represented behind like the hellish nightmare it was...

With the sights of the crossbow leading the way, Daryl steadily closed the distance to the car, making sure to stay alert to any sudden movement in the vicinity that could make itself known. When no alarms were raised from the house, he figured he was in the clear and ran over to the vehicle to check the inside of it quickly. Finding the interior empty, he took a knee down next to the trunk.

''Beth…'' He whispered urgently, not daring to actually bang on it, ''Beth, ya in there?''

There was no response but he could hear movement. It was enough.

''Hang on baby, I'm gonna get ya out…'' Setting the crossbow by his feet, Daryl pulled his knife and jammed it in the crack just below the trunk lock, twisting on it in an effort to get the damn thing to trip...

''Says who, motherfucker.''

Daryl felt the cold tip of the bolt jab the back of his head before he heard the voice that accompanied it. Unable to help himself, he squeezed his eyes shut, the feelings of anguish and regret inundating him enough to bring him to his knees it he hadn't already been on one. How the fuck could he have been so stupid! There hadn't been a lookout for a reason. The car… the girl inside it… all of it had been a trap and he had just walked right into it.

Slowly raising his hands, Daryl swallowed hard and muttered, ''Hold up man… ain't no need for that.''

A boot came out to kick the Horton away. ''Stand up… real slow... unless you want to eat the end of this bolt for breakfast.''

Daryl did as he was told, pushing himself to his feet to turn and face his provoker. Unsurprisingly, Len was standing there, an intimidating Stryker crossbow held tightly in his grip. There was a gleam of satisfaction apparent in his bloodshot eyes and upon seeing it, Daryl mentally berated himself once more for fucking up so badly.

''The knife. Drop it and kick it away.''

Troubling at his lower lip, Daryl did so, his mind scrambling to formulate an exit strategy where there wasn't one to be had. This wasn't one of those situations where Rick, Glenn and the others would sweep in and unexpectedly save the day. This was all on him.

''You have to be one dumb son of a bitch, y'know that?'' Len sniffed unbelievably, obviously feeling free to voice the sentiment now that both the Horton and the knife were far out of Daryl's reach. ''Who the fuck else would raid an unknown camp out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere all for some stupid teenage girl?''

When Daryl just glared at him narrowly through his hair, Len stepped in closer. ''You see, I'm onto you… I've been onto you since the day the tables were turned and _I_ was on the other end of _your _crossbow. Remember that day, asshole? While you and… what's her name? Beth? Yeah, while you an' Beth here were playing happy little home time, I was lookin' for you and I been lookin' for you ever since. Guess it was pure dumb luck that I saw the two of you leaving town that day and from there it was easy... as easy as lighting a fire.''

Daryl could only listen with his chest heaving in anger, the sound of the man's voice now grating over his last nerve. Not caring in the slightest, Len walked his way around him, continuing with his tirade as though enjoying himself.

''For a dumb son of a bitch, you sure were smart to hide that bike though, I'll give ya that." He leaned in to sneer at Daryl's ear, "I bet you came in here thinking this was gonna be easy, didn't ya? That you were gonna just waltz in here and get what you came for. Well, I hate to be the one to break the bad news but it ain't. The girl? Well, she's just the cherry on my cake. But you… I've been waiting a long time to give you this…''

Len hammered the butt of the Stryker into Daryl's gut, taking him immediately down to the ground. Left wheezing there for a moment, Daryl spat out a wad of agitated stomach acid before rolling over to bite out derisively, ''That tha best ya can do? Fuck you.''

Smirking back a grin, Len set the crossbow to his cheek before saying, ''Nah, that's not the best I can do. That bitch in the trunk? She's gonna see the best I can do. Y'know what, asshole? I was thinking about letting you watch, just so you'd know who it was that was giving it to her good… but now, I'm thinking I want to keep it private like… y'know, just me an' her. I promise, I'm gonna make it real special…''

Daryl immediately moved to shove himself to his feet, a red cloud of fury convoluting his vision and his judgment. The thought of Beth being subjected to what was being said had his stomach clenching more painfully than the blow it had just taken. Wanting nothing more than to go ballistic, he came up yelling, ''Try it an' I swear ta god, I'll fuckin' kill you like I should've tha first time!''

Len took him down to the ground again, this time with a solid boot to the chest. Coming over to where Daryl was sprawled out on his back, he stood directly over him, lining up the crossbow in his hands to say quietly, ''You ain't gonna do jack shit. At that store you were damn lucky my back was turned… damn lucky. It ain't never gonna happen again. You're one tenacious bastard, I'll give you that… but it's time for you to go…''

Not one to just take his fate laying down, Daryl reared back and went to sweep the man's leg out from under him, rolling to the side when he only stumbled instead of going down. In response Len immediately released the Stryker, the gut reaction causing its bolt to sear across the side of Daryl's arm through his jacket. Grunting against the pain, Daryl scrambled quickly for his knife, the blade being the closer of the two weapons that he had. Gripping it firmly in hand, he surged to his feet, his wound now leaving a trail of blood on the asphalt that couldn't be helped.

Completely pissed at the sudden turn of events, Len threw down the cashed crossbow and drew his own knife - a sick looking tactical combat blade with a serrated edge. The two men faced off against each other and were about to go for each others throats when an infuriated voice cut through the tension that inundated the air.

_''What the fuck is going on out here?''_ It barked, causing both combatants to hesitate. Neither Len or Daryl took their eyes off the other as time seemed to freeze in place.

''Nothing that concerns you,'' Len responded casual like, readjusting the knifes grip in his hand, ''… just two friends settling a disagreement that's been a long time comin'…''

''Yeah? And who the hell are you?''

Daryl didn't need to look over to know that the question was being directed at him. Stuck in a quandary, he could either answer it or take the opportunity the distraction provided to finish Len off right there and then. As tempting as it was, he found himself hesitating, realizing that such a thing would probably exacerbate the situation beyond the point of no return. If that happened nobody would win, least of all Beth.

''Name's Daryl,'' He admitted, his voice heavy with the angry adrenaline still flooding his veins. ''Weren't my intention ta come here an' start a fight, but I'll sure as hell finish one if that's what it takes.''

''That so.'' The deep voice sniffed, sounding amused enough to where Daryl felt compelled to spare its owner a glance. Sure enough, all three men he had seen earlier stood there with guns held at the ready, the one addressing him still carrying himself with the same air of authority that Daryl had recognized in him from before. It was clear that he was the leader. ''You have some nerve coming in here like that, boy... you suicidal or something?''

''Nah, jus' came here ta get what's mine. No more an' no less.'' Daryl muttered, lowering his knife somewhat after seeing Len sullenly do the same.

''Get what's yours?'' The big man next to the leader repeated, his face puffy and flushed from the stress of the moment was taking. ''Do you mean a death wish? 'Cause if so, I reckon you came to the right place, asshole.''

''Tony, will you shut the fuck up!'' Len barked, obviously getting frustrated. ''Joe, I done told you this ain't got nothin' to do with you! I got a debt to settle with this piece 'a shit and if you don't mind, I'd rather just get to it!''

''Wait… is this the guy from the store?'' Joe said incredulously, the piece of the puzzle that had been previously missing now falling into place. He went over and picked up the Horton, taking a closer look at the bolt locked on its frame. ''I'd recognize them bolts anywhere. I'll be goddamned if they ain't the same as the one pulled from Harley's dead bloated corpse…''

He began pacing around the two men still glaring at each other, his cold eyes missing nothing. Daryl could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he did so, not knowing what to expect now that the man had the loaded Horton and his gun held firmly in his hands.

''You know Daryl, you lead me an' mine on quite a wild goose chase through that store, running around in the dark like that. Guess you had better places to be, more important things to do… like kill one of my men. Can't say I'm too happy about that but then again, I also can't say that I blame you. Still, there's a price to be paid for everything in the end…'' Joe raised both of the weapons in his hands and pointed them over, disheartening Daryl and confusing the shit out of Len. ''Where's the girl?''

''Man, she's in the trunk of the LTD!'' Len said irritably, having now realized that none of this was going his way. ''Why the hell else would this motherfucker be here for!''

Shoving the gun in its holster, Joe held out his hand for the keys and Len begrudgingly handed them over, not having much choice in the face of the crossbow pointed squarely at his chest. Tossing them to Tony, Joe stepped back and waited along with the rest of them as the big man made his way to the car, opening the trunk to stare inside of it stupidly.

As he stood there watching, Daryl felt as though he could barely pull a breath. This whole situation had spiraled disastrously out of control and Beth was about to find herself thrown in the middle of it. His throat was dryer than shit and he swallowed against its grittiness as she was pulled from the trunk and situated unsteadily on her feet. She was gagged with her arms tied behind her back and even from where he was standing, he could see traces of the tears that had stained her cheeks. They coalesced with the dried blood on the side of her face and neck, leaving her looking as torn and broken as she probably felt.

Unable to help himself, Daryl huffed in torment and surged forward, only barely comprehending to stop when the Horton was immediately swung over in his direction. The angry red haze descended once more and with it came a palpable bloodlust, the urge to attack Len with the knife in his hand almost overwhelming. His fingers shaking with it, he struggled to reign himself back, doing so not just for Beth's sake but his own as well.

The moment she saw him, Beth's eyes welled up again as though hardly believing that he was there. Practically sagging over in relief, she spared no one else even the slightest glance, her gaze remaining locked only on him. Sniffling back the tears, she swallowed hard against the rag in her mouth before pulling herself together enough to stand up straight.

From somewhere close by, the forth man who still hadn't said a word spat into the dirt, breaking the tension that held them all firmly in its grips. Tearing his gaze away from her at the sound, Daryl saw that he was a kid really, a teenager… a really large teenager but a teenager none the less.

''Damn Len, what'd you do to this girl?'' Joe finally said, going over to grasp her chin with his free hand so he could take a better look at her.

''Man, I didn't do nothin' she didn't deserve.'' Len spat from behind him.

''She looks like you beat the ever loving shit out of her.'' The kid finally chimed in. ''That ain't right. Good lookin' gal like that…''

''Billy, go inside and get a glass of water, would you? Bring it to me.'' Joe ordered over his shoulder, not expecting an argument and not getting one. While the kid did as told, the man untied the rag from around Beth's head, letting it drop down unheeded to the ground. ''Let's take this off, shall we. What's your name girl?''

Painfully clearing her throat, she managed to croak out, ''Beth.''

''Beth.'' Joe repeated placatingly, for some reason making Daryl more edgy than he already was. ''Beth, you see this fella right here? He's telling me that he came here to get what belongs to him. Do you think that means you? Because I do. And you see, well… that's there's a problem…''

He paused the roll he was on to take the glass of water from Billy who was standing there patiently holding it out to him. Letting the girl drink some thirstily, he finished the rest himself before handed the empty glass back. Daryl and the three other men were left there watching this happen tensely, completely caught up in the moment at hand. The man was a commanding presence, the soothing voice he presented on the surface hiding a sinister malevolence underneath. Daryl's nerves were wound so fucking tight that he felt nauseous. For her part, Beth could only stand there dejectedly as Joe began walking his way around her, using all the time he had in the world to touch her hair, her neck and anything else that he wanted.

''Where was I… oh yeah, I remember… it's a problem because he killed one of my men and then beat the shit out of Len here. You remember that, don't you? You should because if I recall correctly, you were there for it… in fact, I'm fairly damn sure you were the catalyst for it. Now, Beth... you're a real pretty girl… who knows, maybe even beautiful... but I can't have my men getting themselves killed for such a thing. So with that being said, I now find myself in a bit of a predicament, a bind if you will. What to do… what to do.'' He began tapping his finger against his lip as though in deep contemplation, ''Oh, who am I kidding... we already know what I'm going to do.''

Daryl tensed instinctually, having already guessed what was coming. The knife left stagnant in his hand was no match for the Horton, he of all people knew that all too well. Even if he tried to use it, he had no doubt that Tony would put a bullet in his back as soon as he made the move. The whole time they'd been out there, the fat man had done nothing but glare at him as if itching for him to attempt it. The intensity of the moment seemed to decelerate into slow motion and Daryl could only watch as the crossbow was raised to point directly at his chest…

_''Don't...!"_ Beth gasped, her heart in her eyes. The tearful plea was enough to make Joe pause and glare back over at her.

''Why the hell not?'' He challenged, his features hard and unforgiving.

''I'll tell ya why not…'' A new voice drawled loudly in the distance, one Daryl instantly recognized as surely as if it was coming from his own mouth. He closed his eyes, the blood draining steadily from his face as it continued, '''Cause that there's my lil' baby brother, back from tha dead like Jesus H. Christ, that's why not. What say you Darylina, you done got ya self in one hell of a pickle. Before tha shit hits tha bricks, I was jus' wonderin'… you got somethin' ya wanna say ta me?''

Daryl turned around slowly to find the voice and its owner weren't just another facet of the nightmare he was in after all. There, leaning against the porch post like he'd been enjoying the show the whole fucking time was Merle, looking definitely worse for wear but still carrying himself like the imposing figure he knew him to be. Even from where he was standing, Daryl could see that he had on a prosthetic arm of some kind, a customized contraption that looked tailor-made for the apocalypse. He was cackling like the asshole he was and looked more than happy to wait for an answer, even if it took all damn day.

Daryl resignedly squared his shoulders to give it, shrugging with a forced indifference as he pretended that his mind wasn't reeling as it tried to process this equally unnerving change of event.

''Depends," He said, standing his ground. "Jus' know that if you're lookin' ta kill me, reckon ya gonna have 'ta get in line.''

…...

**Another Monday and another chapter to post! This was a great one to write because it's the ****pivotal moment where everyone and everything collide to the point we've been waiting for. Thank you as always for reading it and please post a review!**


	44. Chapter 44

... Chapter 44 ...

An aggravating noise pierced through the hazy dream Beth was having and she squeezed her eyes shut, groaning sleepily for hearing it. Reality slowly began to intrude where only comforting shadows had lingered before, bringing with it the residual headache that she had all but forgotten she had.

_There... there it was again... that noise... what the hell was that?_

She pressed her palms to her temple as her head throbbed heavily in protest, wanting nothing more than to submerge herself back in the darkened abyss that had been so welcoming. Hovering at the cusp of it, she heard the grating sound once more...

''You awake there girlie?''

The question itself was gruffly asked, the voice it was asked in deep, southern and tinged with a distinctive ax to grind. Her eyes flaring open, she let her aching head lilt over until its owner was found.

Sitting on the spare bed adjacent to hers was a large man with the steely gaze of someone who had seen a despicable thing or two in his life. His blood stained clothes were off putting enough but it was the prosthetic he had on his arm that had her eyes widening nervously. It had a sharp blade strapped to the end of it that the man was sharpening meticulously, the repetitious sound of the whetstone scraping along its length being the irritating noise that had woken her up.

When the intensity of his piercing glare didn't falter, she found herself asking, ''Who the hell are you?''

He just smirked in response, the slight gesture showing itself to be vaguely familiar for some reason. He set the sharpening stone down on the end table between the two single beds, ignoring the fact that the girl across from him was anxiously watching him do so the whole time.

''Ain't that a question for tha ages,'' He drawled, taking his sweet time before his eyes swung back over to find hers, ''Names Merle Dixon, darlin'. You might 'a heard of me... y'know, shacking up with my baby brother an' all.''

Beth could only stare at the man in complete shock, blaming her sleep addled mind on the fact that she was having a hard time comprehending what had just been said to her. Wait... did he say Merle Dixon? As in Daryl's brother? What kind of dream was this?!

Unable to make the slightest bit of sense of the situation, Beth felt herself falter in confusion. She tried to push herself from the bed, ignoring both the headache and the fact that her limbs felt like they were made of lead.

''Wouldn't do that if I was you.'' Merle sniffed, shaking his head knowingly as he watched her struggle to sit up.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she ground out, ''Why not?''

''Ya probably ain't aware of it but ya damn near concussed, that's why not. Now, I ain't one ta be tellin' folks what they should or shouldn't be doin', but ya head took a beatin' that would down a fella twice your size. Whatcha weigh… a buck ten wet?'' When she purposely didn't answer, Merle continued as though he hadn't really expected her to. ''They're givin' ya time ta recover, best take 'em up on it.''

At the mention of the word 'they', everything that had happened to her within the last twelve hours all came roaring back to the forefront... the fire at the house, being tied up in the trunk of the car, the confrontation in the driveway… all of it. Beth felt her heart sputter into a stall in her chest, every aspect of the disparaging ordeal falling to the wayside to leave behind the only thing she truly cared about. ''Where's Daryl?''

Merle shrugged, his flinty grey eyes glazing over at the question. ''What can I say, my lil' brother done got himself in one hell of a conundrum comin' out here ta get ya. Far as I know, he's locked up an' will probably stay that way until Joe decides how he's gonna handle things.''

''Locked up?'' Beth repeated, the concept failing to register as she struggled to process such a thing. Finding what was being said almost as frightening as the nonchalant attitude of the man who was saying it, she quickly snapped to and sputtered furiously, ''Oh my god! You're his brother! How can you let them do that to him?!''

''Hey now! I didn't ask ta get thrown in tha middle of this!'' Merle growled back resentfully as he surged to his feet, doing so as though his point could be made somehow more convincing for it. ''If anythin', both y'all should be thankin' me! It's only 'cause of me that his dumb ass is still alive! If anyone should be gettin' called out 'round here, it's _you! You're_ tha one that had him chasin' through hell an' high water ta come here after ya! So I'm thinkin' tha more important question here is who tha hell are _you?_''

Beth stood up as well and moved to shove past him, not much caring that it was like trying to push a tank out of her way, ''I don't have to answer to you! Since I'm the only one around here who even seems to care, I'm going to go find him _so move!_''

''Goddamn it, sit ya ass down!'' He grabbed her by the arm to sit her back down on the bed, holding her there firmly until he was assured that she wasn't going to fly further off the handle.

Ignoring the look of complete indignation on her face, he finished what he was saying, the tone of his voice a hell of a lot more serious for it. ''I don't think you're rightly appreciatin' tha severity of tha situation here. That Len fella's throwing 'round a lot 'a accusations… 'bout how Daryl kicked tha shit outta him and how he's claimed ya. Now, me an' Joe go way back but I only jus' stepped into this fucked up scenario a few days ago. Vouching for my brother will only go so far. I don't know what's bein' planned but I do know that ya best be ready for it. All that bein' said, ya better calm tha hell down an' start talkin'!''

Beth just stared at him despondently, the things he was saying making her pounding head spin. There was no way to know what Joe would ultimately decide to do with them, but the connotations of that decision could mean death to Daryl and a fate almost worse than that for herself. Realizing it, she looked up at Merle and nodded glumly, not really looking forward to having to explain herself. If there was the slightest chance that doing so could convince him to help, what choice did she have?

Merle sat back down, feeling the need to stress, ''We ain't got all day.''

Taking a hesitant breath, Beth told him everything from the farm to the mortuary, skipping over the parts that she felt that he didn't need to know. The most telling of which was that she was in love with his brother. The whole time she spoke, she could think of nothing else. That Daryl was alive meant more to her than she could possibly put into the words spilling out of her mouth. Whether or not he stayed that way seemed contingent upon getting Merle on their side. Although she knew little of him and couldn't help but to find him untrustworthy, there was no doubt that having an ally in this place would greatly increase both of their overall chances of survival.

When Beth was done, she looked over to find Merle pulling pensively at the whiskers on his face. He sat there completely lost in thought as he absorbed all that had been said.

''So... Officer Friendly's still alive.'' He sniffed quietly, ''Ain't that jus' a hell of a pill ta swallow…''

''_That's_ all you can think about?!'' She demanded incredulously, ''After everything I just told you?''

''I got beefs of my own.''

With the dismissive response his final say in the matter, Merle stood up to go over to the door. ''I'm gonna head back downstairs, tell 'em you're still sleeping it off.''

Her heart skipped a beat. ''But… what about Daryl?''

''What about him? My brother done made his bed when he left me ta die on that rooftop. I ain't expectin' ya ta understand but the blood that was supposed ta be thicker than water dried up an' died that day, 'specially now I know that he done stuck with Rick fuckin' Grimes ever since. He made his choice an' I made mine an' I reckon there ain't much more ta be said 'bout it, so don't be expectin' no help from me.''

Stunned, Beth could only stare at him, immediately regretting having told him a damn thing. Merle picked up a tray of food that was left sitting by the door and set it on the nearby console table, looking for all intents and purposes to be grimly determined to adhere to his convictions. Sparing her the slightest of glances, he left the room without saying another word, locking the door behind him.

If she hadn't been so physically and emotionally drained, Beth would've gladly laid down on the floorboards and cried. Instead she just sat there lost, the disparaging course of events she'd been run through since escaping the fire taking its toll. Instead of somehow convincing Merle to do right by his brother, she had likely only succeeded in sealing Daryl's fate. The elder Dixon was probably downstairs right now, regaling the others with the information she had just freely handed out... information they could now use against Daryl in the worst possible way.

With the guilt of it weighing down on her, Beth could feel herself crumbling disparagingly. She should've stuck with her gut instinct on the matter and not have said a word. Feeling about as low as she could, she went into the bathroom, twisting the faucet out of habit. Surprisingly water began to flow and she leaned down to splash some on her face. Opening the medicine cabinet, she found some aspirin and antiseptic along with several other things. Swallowing three of the pills, she took some time to clean herself up, hoping that by doing so she could pull herself back together. Quietly locking the bathroom door, she tended to all of her wounds, remaining undisturbed the whole time thanks to Merle's lie. That it had worked only proved he was good at it, which she guessed made him at least good for something.

An hour later, Beth emerged from the bathroom feeling a lot more like herself. The headache that had plagued her for hours had begun to recede, clearing her mind and giving her back her resolve. Since she had time to spare, she dug around the room to find anything of use only to come across a stash of women's clothes sitting in a box forgotten in the closet. Not wanting to think too deeply about who they belonged to or why they were there, she changed out of the blood stained ones she was wearing and into the few things she found in her size - clean socks, a pair of dark jeans and a thin black sweater. Once dressed and with her boots back on, she went over to the window and jiggled on it, not really surprised to find it locked. That it was done so from the outside was telling.

Happening to glance down at the overgrown yard, she paused in disgust upon seeing the pool full of walkers. The thing was completely fenced off and surrounded by multiple lawn chairs. Dozens of empty beer cans and a plethora of crushed cigarette butts were scattered at the base of each one and she felt a shiver run down her spine, barely believing the level of depravity these men would have to sink to in order to find such a thing even remotely entertaining. Starting to get an inkling of what might have happened to the previous owners of the clothes she wore, Beth paled in recognition of it. Was the same fate going to happen to her?

She heard the door unlock from behind her and instinctually reached for her knife, only to be met with nothing but the denim at her hip. Standing there defensively none the less, she hardened her stance when Merle came into the room, holding the door open as he indicated towards the long hallway outside with a tilt of his head, ''C'mon, they're waitin' for ya. Joe's made up his mind.''

''To do what?'' Beth asked, not moving an inch.

''Can't rightly say," He said impatiently like it was a given, "Weren't privy to tha discussion. Jus' know Tony's downstairs pulling Daryl outta whatever hole they had him in as well, so let's go.''

When she still didn't move, his eyes narrowed threateningly, ''Jus' so we're clear, I ain't got an tha slightest bit of an aversion ta comin' over there an' gettin' ya. I'll carry ya downstairs kicking an' screamin' if I have to. Now both of us know what my baby brother will do if he sees that happenin'. You gonna walk down there on ya own or do ya wanna get him killed?''

''You're an asshole.'' She said bitterly, doing as he wanted none the less.

As she marched past him, Merle sniffed knowingly, ''Yeah? You ain't tha first one ta say so… and when all is said an' done here, ya probably won't be tha last.''

Purposely ignoring him, Beth went downstairs, keeping her head high despite the fact that she was nervous and her pulse felt like it was racing out of control. It wasn't hard to decipher were to go. Even from the main entrance she could hear Len yelling obscenities from the enclosed patio just past the kitchen. With Merle a hulking figure at her back, she headed towards the spacious room, squinting past the late day brightness flooding its windows until everything came into view.

The occupants of the house were there waiting for her, all of them standing except for Joe. He was perched quite comfortably on an old bar stool and sat upon it like it was a tin plated throne.

''Ah… if it ain't the guest of honor.'' He declared, using the narrow neck of an empty beer bottle in his hand to spit out the wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth.

At the sound of his voice, Beth paused in the doorway only to be pushed further into the room by Merle. She remained oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at her, not caring in the slightest. The only one that mattered to her was somewhere there amongst them and her gaze swept dismissively past the rest until it finally fell upon him.

Daryl was standing there by himself, relegated off to the side of the room as though he were on trial. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, having fully expected his brother to have lied about his presence in order to get her moving. He had multiple abrasions on his face and his left arm was covered in dried blood but other than that looked better than she'd expected, especially considering the accusations being aimed at him by Len. His hands were tied behind his back and his weapons were nowhere to be seen, both aspects enough to have him looking understandably pissed off about it. Still, Beth couldn't help but stare at him with her heart lodged in her throat, doing so until the yelling started up again to jar her from the moment.

_''This is horseshit!''_ Len bellowed angrily, abruptly drawing her attention away from the man who was staring right back at her. ''I fucking come back here with supplies and the car an' this is how I get treated?! _What the fuck gives you the right?''_

The belligerently spoken question came from behind her so Beth looked over her shoulder for its source. Just past Merle's prosthetic arm, she saw Len standing at the back of the room in even worse shape than Daryl. He was also tied with his hands at his back, although he obviously wasn't taking the fact even remotely as well. He was bleeding from a deep cut above his eye and had several blood stains marring his shirt. Someone had also taken him to task leaving Beth to only speculate why.

As if to answer her question, Tony went over and slammed his fist into Len's belly, making the man double over as he fell to his knees. Gasping for air, he came up seething, the anger radiating off of him an almost palpable black cloud. The big man who had hit him didn't seem to care, grinning as though the blow had been something that he had wanted to do for a really long time. Completely confused by what was going on, Beth couldn't help but think that she had just walked into a den of testosterone fueled madness. Her brows drawn, she turned back around to see Joe just sitting there watching the proceedings disinterestedly, his casual attitude confounding her even more.

''Now Len, I done told you that there's a price to be paid for everything...'' He said with a sigh, getting up to wander around them all like he was taking a casual afternoon stroll. He walked behind where Len was still panting on his knees and grabbed a handful of his greasy hair, leaning down to sneer at his ear, ''Did you really think I'd let you just waltz on back in here without paying it? You disregarded my orders getting Harley killed, you take off in the middle of the night only to come back weeks later without Dan but with his car, this girl and the fella she belongs to in tow and I'm supposed to believe that wasn't your intention the whole fucking time? _Do I look fucking stupid to you?''_

The air was heavy with unnerving tension as Joe waited for an answer, an answer that Len's defiant body language made clear that he wasn't going to get.

Releasing him with a shove, Joe continued on the path he was taking, coming around Merle's stoic frame to stand in front of Beth. He notched a finger under her chin, forcing her head up so he could see her better. ''Well, well… look at you. Don't you clean up pretty.''

Beth could hear Daryl bristle sharply all the way from the other side of the room. He took a threatening step over, seemingly beside himself enough to attempt it. That he would do so despite not having the leverage or the capacity to do anything more was saying something.

''What was that?'' Joe said sarcastically, cupping a dismissive hand to his ear, "Didn't quite hear you…"

With a nod, he sent Tony over to do to Daryl exactly what he had just done to Len, the solid weight of the large man's fist cutting off any further enraged sentiment. Daryl huffed in pain as the air rushed from his lungs, the momentum of the blow enough to make him sway unsteadily on his feet. He stood there wheezing for breath, the dark look on his face indicating that he wanted to do nothing more than to destroy absolutely everyone and everything around him.

Ignoring him, Joe turned back around and continued to talk to her, doing so like the interruption hadn't happened. ''How's your head? None of us saw you go down until you were laid out, flat on the ground. That's when I had Merle here take you upstairs… let you catch your bearings.''

He said it like he had done her a favor, the look on his face one of cool condescension. Completely detached in his lack of emotion, he swept past her to go sit back down on his stool. Watching him go, Beth felt her shoulders slump in relief for no longer being within his immediate vicinity. The intensity radiating from the man was almost too much to handle and her nerves were barely hanging on by a depleted string as it was.

When he was sure that he had everyone's attention, Joe finally got to the point he was wanting to make. He scanned the occupants of the room before his gaze settled back on her.

''You being locked away allowed me to discuss the situation with everyone else here without the distraction you provide. As expected, both Len and Daryl here made excellent points... and when they didn't… well, they paid the price I spoke of earlier. Now, Len… he lied to my face, was directly involved in the killing of two of my men and is generally an asshole, but... he did bring back the car and some sorely needed supplies. He keeps saying that should count for something and I can tell by looking at him just how sorry he is. Ain't you Len? You're real sorry about all of that, right?''

Still on his knees in the back, Len nodded sullenly, the hatred emanating from his eyes indicating that he was anything but.

''Daryl here… well, he's obviously a good guy. I can tell he cares. He killed Harley back in that store and as I said earlier, I can't rightly blame him for that. It's bad luck to speak ill of the dead but Harley got what was coming to him. The man could only ever think with his dick and look where it got him. Daryl did beat the shit out of Len though and there's a reckoning to be had for that. After all, Len is still one of this group... despite his transgressions... and we take care of our own."

Joe paused the spiel he was on so he could dig in his pocket for his can of chew. Taking all the time he had in the world, he pinched a fresh wad of tobacco between his fingers, packing it together tight. Beth watched him do so nervously, wondering where the hell he was going with all this. Looking warily around the room, she could see that she wasn't the only one.

''Daryl came here looking for you Beth, and I hate to be the one to tell you this but that's where he done fucked up. It goes without saying that he brought whatever bad intentions he might have with him. It's only because he's the young brother of my friend Merle here that I'm even allowing him to huff that goddamn breath back into his lungs as we speak. So, with all that being said, I'd like to know... what do _you_ think I should do in this situation?''

Shoving the chew into his mouth, he sat back and waited for an answer. Taking a page from Daryl's book, she wasn't one to disappoint.

''I sure know what I'd _like_ for you to do.'' She managed to bite out derisively, wishing more than anything that she could just tell him to go to hell like she wanted.

Almost immediately, Tony stepped over towards her, making Daryl stiffen from across the room. Joe was quick to hold up a dissuading hand, the simple gesture effectively stopping the large man in his tracks.

''You know Beth, I like you, I really do. You're a sassy little thing and damn cute as a button. But liking you doesn't change what needs to happen here...'' He paused, a self congratulatory stroke of genius seeming to go off in his head, ''It does, however… give me one hell of an interesting idea...''

Beth felt her stomach churn in dread as she braced herself for whatever it was she was about to hear. She chanced a quick glance over at Daryl to see that he was clearly apprehensive as well. From behind them, Len was practically grinding his teeth with anger, having finally mustered the strength to push himself heavily to his feet. Merle did nothing but stare on indifferently, his face a blank slate as though the sudden turn of events was to be expected. Of all of them, only Tony seemed remotely excited, his face flushed with color as he began chuckling like a lunatic. The spectrum of the vastly different reactions she was seeing didn't bode well. Everyone obviously had an idea to what was coming but she still didn't have a clue.

''Beth, take a look at both Len and Daryl, would you?'' Joe asked, the tone of his voice pleasant enough despite the dire connotations lingering beneath it. He paused while she apprehensively did as requested.

''Both these boys want you, enough to where they're willing to take the life of the other just to fucking have you. What do you think, should I give 'em that chance? Let 'em resolve the issue for themselves?'' He contemplated the specifics of his own question while running a hand down his straggly beard. ''Let's see, both of 'em are trackers with one hell of a score to settle. Len, he's the best I have… but who knows, Daryl could be better. Considering that he found you within a day when the same took Len weeks, I'm inclined to believe it. His brother Merle here says he's good… what about you Beth, do you think he is?''

Worrying nervously at her lower lip, Beth just nodded, not trusting the sound of her own voice.

''You willing to bet your life on that?'' He said ominously.

With her heart pounding furiously in her chest, Beth just stared at him, wondering if he was really expecting her to answer. From across the room, Daryl was glaring over her head at his brother who, much like Billy who lounged in the doorway, hadn't said a damn word. Even for knowing Merle for as little as she did, Beth thought his silence to be out of character. The tension in the room pressed down upon them all uncomfortably, doing so until Joe chose to relieve it.

''Never mind, no need to answer that. Tell me, have any of you ever heard the saying 'To the victor goes the spoils'? Anyone?'' He looked pointedly over his audience, not particularly giving a shit that everyone looked on edge. He smiled unnervingly for it, the warmth of the sentiment not reaching the maliciousness of his eyes.

''It don't matter. We're going to find out who's best 'round here, once and for all… and whoever wins gets the job and the girl, and whoever loses dies.''

…...

**Thank you for reading "What Still Lies Ahead" as always. I hope you are still enjoying ****reading it**** as much as I am writing it. Any feedback is appreciated so please take a moment to review. **


	45. Chapter 45

….. Chapter 45 …..

Daryl was sitting on the cement floor of his cell when he heard footsteps descend down the stairs from the far side of the basement. Not knowing what to expect, he glanced over to see Merle clear the landing and start to make his way towards him. Upon realizing that it was his brother, he huffed a resigned sigh out under his breath. The steely look in the elder Dixon's eyes said that he had a serious bone to pick, the determined measure of his stride indicating that he was ready to get to picking it. Either way, it was bad for everyone involved.

As Daryl watched him get closer he could feel the rigid set of his shoulders locked down tensely on his frame, a childhood defensive mechanism that couldn't be helped. With his left arm hurting like a son of a bitch, the inherent reaction brought with it a sharp shooting pain that only added to his shit mood. Merle stepped around the last of the teetering piles of junk in his path and as he did so, Daryl could barely fathom that he was about to engage in a conversation with his brother that he neither expected, asked for nor wanted.

"What tha fuck do you want?"

The belligerent question was spat out like the deterrent it was meant to be.

''Easy there baby brother,'' Merle said placatingly, grabbing the only chair from against the basement wall to swing it around in front of the cell. Straddling it, he set his good arm on its back rest and made himself comfortable. "Ain't no need ta be hostile."

Daryl sullenly watched him situate himself through the bars that separated them, wishing more than anything that he would just do what he did best and go the hell away. The predicament he was in was already fucked enough as it was, the last thing it needed was the inherent grievances that came with a little bonding session with Merle to make it more so. Unfortunately, the resolute look on his brothers face told Daryl that he wasn't going to be given much choice in the matter.

''This is one hell of a situation you've gotten ya self in here Darylina,'' Merle sighed, ''...one hell of a situation.''

Daryl turned away to stare at the wall across from him, decidedly not needing Merle to tell him a damn thing he didn't already know. Wasn't like he hadn't been sitting there on the floor of the modified wine cellar he was stuck in thinking the exact same thing, stewing on it heatedly for hours. The whole time, he cursed the fact that he hadn't just killed that fucking piece of shit Len when he had the chance. With the skinny bastard dead, the situation in question and everything that came with it could've been easily avoided.

''Yeah, well… you would know.'' Daryl ground out bitterly, the five words being five more than he initially planned upon saying. What the hell was his brother even doing here anyway? The chances that their paths would cross again now of all times were almost too coincidental to be believed.

''What...'' Merle responded indignantly, seeming to resent the implied accusation, ''Ya talking 'bout that beatin' ya took? I didn't know a damn thing 'bout that.''

Just hearing the bullshit excuse and the belligerently testy tone it was given in was enough to get the simmering anger brewing inside of Daryl threatening to overflow. With the blood in his veins beginning to throb from it, the headache he had been trying his best to ignore immediately bloomed behind his eye socket. Between that, his arm and the shit poor sorry situation itself, he had enough on his goddamn plate without doing _this_… whatever _this_ was that Merle was attempting to do right now!

Struggling to draw a calming breath, Daryl let his head rest uneasily against the wall behind him, forcing it stay there until the painful haze abated. With the cage he was in steadily closing in on him, all he wanted was to be left the hell alone. ''Whatever. Don't care.''

Merle leaned forward in his chair as though the point he was about to make was damn near insisting on it. ''How tha fuck was I supposed ta know that while I was outside beatin' the shit out of that Len fella, Tony was down here doin' tha same ta you? How was I supposed ta know that, huh? Joe said Len needed ta pay up, I was just sent ta cash tha check. When tha man supplying tha room an' board says ta do somethin', ya don't fuckin' question it!''

Daryl looked over, almost thankful for the bars that stood between them, ''Didn't I jus' tell ya I don't fuckin' care?_ Get tha hell outta here!''_

Merle flew to his feet, the chair scraping out noisily from underneath him. ''You got some fuckin' nerve being pissed at me, ya know that?'' He spat, the dark veins in his neck jumping, ''I saved ya ass out there, despite tha fact that ya left me behind in Atlanta ta rot like a piece 'a fuckin' dead meat! An' then ta find out that ya shackled your wagon ta Rick fuckin' Grimes? That ya been with him ever since? _What tha hell?!''_

Taking the bait despite all intentions of not doing so, Daryl shoved himself to his feet as well, storming over to the gate to meet his brother head on. His eyes narrowing in barely contained fury, he jabbed his finger through the bars to yell in true Dixon family form, ''I don't owe ya an explanation for that! I don't owe you jack fuckin' shit! I went back to Atlanta ta look for ya an' all I found was ya hand and nothin' else. What was I supposed ta do, huh? Wander the fuckin' city alone an' hope we crossed paths?''

Merle stepped in closer as well to bark out incredulously, ''_Somethin'!_ Guess it's too damn much ta ask for a lil' family loyalty, 'specially from my own kin!''

''You can jus' stop right there, take that loyalty an' shove it right up your ass!'' Daryl sneered, everything within him refusing to back down, ''You never gave a shit 'bout me an' what's more, ya still don't. Tha only thing you've ever cared about was ya self. Ya knew where that camp was, just as much as I did. I made it back, ain't no reason why you couldn't have too… ain't like ya didn't find tha truck an' then steal it! You were jus' lookin' for a chance ta bail. Ya took off then only ta show up now tha same fuckin' asshole ya were before!''

The elder Dixon backed away, the solid set of his jaw locked in utter disbelief. ''Y'know what, you got a big set of brass balls on ya sayin' a thin' like that ta me. You're neck high up shit creek without a paddle an' you're gonna stand there an' say this is _my_ fault? Only reason I came down here at all was tell ya how this thing's goin' down tomorrow but I guess you're too damn comfy on ya high horse that ya don't need ta know.''

With the huffily spoken statement giving him little choice in the matter, Daryl backed away himself, his face flushed with anger. After a few tense moments of the two of them just glaring at each other pointlessly, he grudgingly conceded and slumped back down into his initial position on the floor. What else could he do? He was stuck between a frustrating rock and a hard place, needing the information Merle could provide but preferring to take a bolt from his own crossbow than to go so far as to ask for it.

As if somehow knowing he had his younger brother by the brass set he had just mentioned, Merle fetched the chair and sat down in it again as well, his demeanor significantly more composed for doing so.

''Goddamn, you're somethin' else… comin' at me like that. Ya lucky these bars are here or you'd be gettin' ya ass beat twice in one day.''

Daryl glowered over at him, not much appreciating the additional commentary. ''If ya got something ya need ta be sayin', then say it!''

Merle leaned in and set his prosthetic on his knee, completely ignoring the uneasy look his brother was giving the thing now that it was up close and personal.

''Joe's dumpin' tha girl in the woods somewhere… somewhere only he knows about… an' whoever finds her first 'wins'.'' Letting the information sink in, he paused to make sure he had Daryl's full attention, ''That ain't all baby brother. Him, tha fat man an' tha kid? All three of 'em will be out there with ya, jus' ta throw the both of ya off her scent an' make things interesting. Bad news is that they'll be armed to tha teeth… you know what that means, don't ya? Whole damn things a hunt an' it ain't just for tha girl.''

Daryl just stared at his brother in shock, his brain reeling as it attempted to process the nature of what was being said. Whatever he'd been expecting, it sure as hell wasn't that. It was one thing to do this fucking scavenger hunt against Len himself but now three of his buddies would be out there too, all of whom would love to see his head sitting on a silver platter. The mere prospect had the already harrowing situation spiraling that much further out of control. The odds already near insurmountable as it was, Daryl knew that every one of them would need to be taken out before he could even begin looking for Beth, which couldn't be worse for him because finding her and leaving this fucking place was the only thing he even remotely wanted to do.

Completely discouraged, he glanced over at his brother to ask warily, ''Ya said that's tha bad news… what's tha good?''

''There ain't no good, little brother.'' Merle sniffed regrettably, shaking his head like it was a given. ''There's bad an' then there's worse. Game plans was for one of y'all ta walk out of that forest alive, supposedly with tha girl in hand. Well, that ain't gonna happen. Overheard the kid sayin' that neither one of ya is supposed ta make it. If you an' that Len fella don't get ta killin' each other, then someone else out there's gonna see it done.''

Daryl stared on incredulously, a chill running down his spine. ''What tha fuck?! What about Beth?''

''Who can say,'' Merle shrugged, ''If she ain't found before all 'a this goes down, I wouldn't put it past Joe ya leave her ass out there ta rot.''

With the connotation of such a thing lingering heavily on the air, Daryl pressed his palms to his brows, now completely and utterly overwhelmed. ''_Christ_! This whole fuckin' thing _sucks!_ How tha hell do ya know this asshole anyways?''

''We did time together in Macon, both of us bunking in D block. He was there for larceny theft an' me for resistin' and evading. We both knew people that ran in tha same circles.'' Merle said, believing the information to be inconsequential in the greater scheme of things. ''What can I say, them circles jus' happened ta cross each other not but a week ago. Up 'til then I weren't even planning on stickin' around these parts. Thought I was takin' tha better of my options but... well, there ya go.''

Daryl regarded his brother as he spoke, not really surprised in the slightest. Merle attracted unsavory types the way honey attracted houseflies. Knowing it, he couldn't help but wonder just how deep his loyalty to his new circle of 'friends' ran. Taking the only opportunity he might have to find out, he looked back over to ask, ''What 'bout you, bro? Ya get ta go huntin' too?''

''I've been told I have 'ta stay behind… '' Merle drawled in response, taking the moment to pull a toothpick from his pocket and shove it between his teeth. ''Guessin' they don't trust me as much as I thought. Bottom line is Joe's a spectator, he loves ta watch… always has for as long as I've known him. He'd instigate fights amongst tha inmates for shits n' grins, jus' ta see who got shanked first. He's like a kid with a stick fuckin' poking at an ant hill. Man can't help himself.''

Daryl gingerly pushed himself to his feet again, hoping that the simple act of doing so would help him clear his head somewhat. Cradling his injured arm, he paced around the small area allowed to him before pausing to say, ''If ya so pissed 'bout Atlanta, why ya tellin' me all this?''

His brother grinned, the sight of it unsettling considering that he had been nothing more than the harbinger of bad news.

''What can I say… never thought I'd see ya again Darylina. Guessin' my unresolved issues need ya around so I can hash 'em out with ya." He hesitated for a moment, his gaze turning serious. "My hands are tied in this. I'm indebted to tha man in a way that I'd rather not get into but none ta say, its got me by tha short hairs. Not jus' that but Tony's all over me like stink on shit. Hate ta say it but ya on your own on this one.''

''Yeah, well… I'm used to it.'' Daryl groused, the words infused with a residual double meaning that he didn't feel the need to expand on.

The not-so subtle jab went completely ignored, which wasn't surprising considering that Merle's overall mindset was to believe that both Daryl and the world in general owed him an apology and not the other way around. Instead, the elder Dixon pulled the toothpick out from in between his teeth, using it to point over and say, ''Ya just may be, but what about that girlie of yours?''

Daryl paused, the question having been unexpected. ''What about her?'' It sounded defensive as shit, even to his own ears.

Merle's gaze narrowed, going in for the kill, ''You're in love with her, ain't ya?''

When his younger brother just glared at him, Merle tsked knowingly. ''It's written all over tha both of ya. Never much figured ya for tha type, but then what do I know. Ain't no room in this world for that kinda shit... an' I'm thinkin' deep down ya know that. Be it today, tomorrow or next fuckin' year, it'll only end badly for one or tha both of ya. Maybe now's a good time ta walk away.''

Daryl stepped toward the gate that separated them, his hackles inadvertently rising. ''First up, don't recall askin' for your fuckin' opinion. Secondly, that ain't an option… not now, not ever.''

''Hmm, if that's how ya feel an' you're stickin' to it, best watch ya ass.'' Merle muttered, not looking to be his brother's keeper either way. ''I mean it. If Joe catches a sniff of it, he'll use her against you, mark my words.''

Already on the defensive and with his back against the wall, Daryl growled through the bars, ''Yeah, well…it's too damn late for that now ain't it, he already is! Ain't no reason for her ta be out there anyways! What kinda bullshit game's this asshole playin' here?!''

Merle held his arms up placatingly, wisely choosing not to throw fuel on the fire. ''Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there lil' brother, ain't no need ta slay tha messenger! I already done told ya, the man likes ta watch. You didn't think that pool outside was there for Sunday fuckin' barbeques did ya? Puttin' her in the middle is what _makes_ it interesting. However shit goes down, ya best hope she can handle it.''

''She's a hell of a lot stronger than she looks. 'Sides, it ain't her that needs ta be worried an' trust me, she's tha only one in this shithole that can claim that. Whatever goes down tomorrow, one way or tha other… this place ain't happenin'. I'm warning ya now, try an' step in tha way of that an' I'm considerin' you ta be part of tha problem.''

''Fair enough.''

With himself duly warned, Merle got up and pushed his chair back to its original position against the wall. Looking back over as though he had something more that he wanted to say, he changed his mind and instead went to head out of the basement the way he came in. He was almost at the stairs when a quietly spoken question was asked from behind him.

''You talk ta her?''

Merle turned around as though it was a given, for some reason finding the inquiry amusing. ''Did I talk ta her? Yeah, I fuckin' talked ta her. Right before I came down here. Why?''

Daryl hesitated on the edge of responding, not sure if he should be relieved or upset. The question had just tumbled out of his mouth, doing so despite the fact that his brother was the last person walking the face of the planet that he would ever want to ask. Unfortunately, it was the only option available to him and he wasn't going to squander it simply because he'd rather bite off his own tongue than give Merle the satisfaction.

Worrying at his lower lip for it, he knew that anything he said from this point on would be considered fair game by his brother. That was just how the shrewd son of a bitch operated. For Beth's sake though, he had to take that chance. The two of them were being forced to participate in this post apocalyptic insanity going down tomorrow on the whims of some dickhead riding high on a power trip. By himself, he could do it… but it was knowing that she was to be out there too that had him faltering on the edge of losing it. The focus on which everything was to revolve around, she'd be placed right in the middle of things, having been dragged out there through no choice of her own.

The whole goddamn thing was fucked up and made absolutely no sense... but his feelings about it ran a far distant second to what was really worrying him.

''She scared?''

''Pfft, scared for you maybe,'' Merle tsked, somewhat surprised by the fact. He came back over to the cell to say, ''Didn't much seem ta care 'bout herself. Tha girl took me ta task, said I was a shit brother… looked like she wanted ta straight kick my ass. Truth be told, I'm still tryin' ta wrap my brain around the fact that she had tha balls ta mouth off ta Joe like she did. She's a feisty lil' thing, ain't no doubting that.''

Daryl sniffed for knowing it, having thought the same thing many times himself. ''Where is she now?''

''She's safe enough, least for tha time bein'. Locked upstairs until shit goes down tomorrow. Told Joe I'd keep an eye on her, figuring it's tha least I can do seein' as I'm stuck in tha role of bein' a supposed impartial bystander. Len's holed up too but don't trust them other fellas for shit, not even tha top dog himself. Who knows when tha last time a woman was seen 'round these parts. Wouldn't wanna have ta get in an unnecessary confrontation jus' because some asshole couldn't control his baser urges, y'know? Anyways, I gave her some food an' told her tha same. If she's smart she's gettin' some shut eye as we speak.''

Daryl dropped his gaze to the floor, painfully aware of just how personally exposing his next request was going to be. ''Hey man, if… if for some reason I don't make it… don't let nothin' happen ta her, a'right? You said ya weren't planning on stickin' around these parts anyways… jus' take her with you.''

''Man, what tha hell am I gonna do with a teenage girl?''

''You ain't gotta do nothin' with her, she can take care of herself. Her sister's out there somewhere with Rick an' the others, jus' help her find 'em.''

When Merle just looked on without saying another word, Daryl threaded his fingers through the bars to add earnestly, ''She's strong, but she ain't strong enough to withstand tha livin' hell these bastards have planned for her, you jus' said as much ya self. Tha shit Len's promised alone would kill her an' I can't have that. Ya said you can't help tomorrow an' I ain't askin' ya to… but if ya do this for me, I'll consider us even no matter what tha outcome. You're tha only one here I can trust with her. Will ya take care of it?''

''Look, right now all ya doin' is speculating 'bout shit that ain't even happened yet," His brother insisted, running a frustrated hand down his face, "It ain't gonna come ta that. What ya really need ta be doin' is worrying 'bout ya self.''

''Man, _I can't!_ Whatever's gonna happen will happen one way or tha other, but if she don't make it…'' Daryl swallowed hard at his feelings as he laid them on the line, ''… well, then that's it for me too… 'cause I don't wanna do this without her.''

''Jesus, Daryl... what tha hell...'' Merle groused, his broad shoulders dropping heavily under the weight of what was being said. When his younger brothers gaze still didn't waver, he gave a resigned sigh before finally concurring begrudgingly, ''Fine, if ya feelin' that fuckin' strongly 'bout it, I'll look out for ya jailbait girlfriend.''

If Daryl hadn't been holding onto something solid he probably would've slumped over in relief. His brother could be many things but he was a man of his word, much like himself. Entrusting Beth's safety to him was the only thing he could think to do to ensure that she would survive this ordeal. It wasn't the best option by any means but it was a hell of a lot better than the none that would've been available to him if Merle hadn't been there.

''On one condition…''

Having considered the conversation over, Daryl felt his gut clench. He should've known that it wasn't going to be that easy… with Merle nothing ever was. Accepting it as such, he regarded his older brother through the bars that separated them, his gaze serious as he waited to hear what the stipulation might be.

Merle stared back at him just as seriously, pointing a hard finger in his direction to say, ''Ya school these motherfuckers tomorrow, ya hear me? Ya get in, take care of business, find that girl and then get tha fuck on outta here an' don't ya look back. Do that an' I'll be tha one considerin' us even. Don't ya come back here for nothin'. You take that girl an' run.''

….

**Thank you as always for reading, ****please take a moment to ****review.**

**Also thanks to anyone who has dropped me a line, I love hearing all your exciting theories!**


	46. Chapter 46

…. Chapter 46 ….

Joe untied the gag from around Beth's head and folded it up neatly before shoving it into his pocket. He regarded her unapologetically while he did so, the smug look on his face indicating that he didn't much give a shit that it had been placed there too tightly. He obviously thought that her angry outburst from earlier had warranted it, the heated looks she'd been giving him ever since not dissuading him of the notion. Either way, she was relieved more than she could say to be done with the damn thing.

Beth gingerly flexed her aching jaw in an effort to ease the residual soreness the gag had left behind, the whole time glaring at the man who had removed it. Pulling an unimpeded breath for the first time in hours, it instantly made her lightheaded and she inavertedly stumbled on the forests uneven floor. Quick to react, Joe reached over to grab her bound arm, hauling her upright to steady her back on her feet.

She looked down at the dirty fingers latched onto her skin and jerked her arm free of his grasp, completely ignoring the amused chuckle the haughty reaction immediately garnered. Too thirsty and tired to put up with his ridiculousness, she did her best to move as far away from him as the length of rope hanging between them would allow.

It had taken hours for the two of them to get to the point where they were now, although the dark storm clouds that had accumulated overhead could neither confirm or deny it. Joe had walked her deep into the woods, leading the way with what could only be considered a leash. With the coarse length of rope tied insufferably around her neck, he had pulled her along behind him despite the fact that she was completely and unequivocally resistive to the idea. Making damn sure that he knew it, he had ultimately decided then that it was in his best interest to gag her, doing so with a piece of cloth that he had on hand for seemingly such a purpose.

After ensuring the rest of the trek would made in the silence that he obviously preferred, he had them traipse through the sprawling area nonsensically, the whole time being sure to avoid the straight and narrow. The two of them had walked for miles, three or four at least… around muddy pits and fallen logs like the man had some kind of inherent map of their location. Being unfamiliar with the area herself, Beth had quickly become disorientated by it. With no distinguishing features or specific landmarks that she could make out, the trees and bushes all started looking disparagingly the same.

Joe didn't say a word from where he marched ahead determinedly and any attempt made by her to say something past the rag in her mouth was met with a sharp pull on the leash and nothing more. After about a hour she stopped trying. The man was obviously hell bent and adamant upon seeing his intentions through and she couldn't find it within herself to beg.

Trudging along behind him, Beth resigned herself to the situation at hand, doing so despite the fact that she could still barely believe it was happening. It all seemed so surreal... like something out of a bad dream. Even though she'd been informed of the part she was playing in it a while ago, for some reason it hadn't registered. With its stark reality beginning to make itself known, she subtlety went out of her way to leave any markers she could… a footprint in the mud here, a scuff mark there… small inconspicuous clues that would hopefully lead Daryl to her.

Completely occupied with what she was doing, Beth inadvertently stumbled on a tree root, tripping over it awkwardly before finding her bearings. With her hands tied uselessly behind her back, the effort to straighten up took her longer than usual. As unreasonable as it was to expect her to traverse the uneven terrain without her arms for balance, Joe didn't seem to care. The indifference radiating from the man made it clear that he would gladly drag her in his wake if that's what was necessary. With no other choice, she did her best to keep up with him, the rope around her slender throat seeming to tighten with every clumsy misstep she took.

Left staring grudgingly at his back, she fell back into line as they traversed their way around a pile of fallen storm debris. Her mind gradually began to drift, wallowing in the misery for not having anything else much better to do. Thoughts of her last conversation with Merle came flooding back to the forefront, the sound of it echoing hollowly in her ears. Stuck inside the despondent state she was in, Beth could still feel the anger she had at the man bristle sharply for recalling it.

Joe's decision stunning them both into silence, the elder Dixon had escorted her back to her room only to tell her that she was to be sequestered there for her own personal safety. He had insisted she get some sleep, seeming to feel it in her best interest. Why he would even care was beyond her. Now that she knew that Daryl was somewhere in the house as well, hurt and locked away a prisoner much like herself, the mere notion of trying to sleep was impossible.

She could still remember how overwhelming heart wrenching it had been to see him after Tony had pulled her from the the back of the LTD. Dehydrated and dazed, she had thought him to be a dream… an achingly wishful one but a dream none the less. Having worried herself about him to the point of tears, he hadn't seemed real and with her overactive imagination having run amuck, she had accepted it as such, convincing herself of it until a sudden rush of blood to the head had taken her down to the ground. Taken away from the scenario and all of the disparaging aspects that came along with it, a vague recollection of seeing his face was the only thing she had remembered.

She woke up some time later alone, locked away in a strange bedroom with just the remembrance and an awful headache for company. A later conversation with Merle had confirmed that Daryl was actually there and for the first time since since she'd been taken, she tentatively started to believe it.

With no possible idea how he could've found her, it wasn't until she saw him a second time that she began to wish that he hadn't. Merle had taken her downstairs where she had seen him standing with the others, the multiple cuts and bruises on his face indicating that he had been beaten. He had looked so relieved to see her unhurt that his whole body had practically sagged over with it. Because it was Daryl, that relief quickly turned to fury, having been misled by Tony to undoubtedly expect the worst. Even from where she was standing across the other side of the room, she could see that he was practically seething with it.

A volatile aspect of his nature, his anger would undoubtedly getting him killed. The consequences of such a thing had hit home for her immediately, enough to where she had stewed about it all the way back to her room. Just who the hell did Joe think he was, playing with their lives like this? Did he think this was some kind of sick and twisted game?

Needing an answer, she had chosen to ask Merle, despite everything inside of her seriously not wanting to.

''Why is he doing this?'' She had demanded, regretting it almost immediately.

Merle looked somewhat surprised by the question as well, probably because she had done nothing but shoot silent daggers at him from the moment he had been told to take her back to her room.

''Who tha hell knows,'' He had muttered, sounding more disconcertingly like his brother than she could've ever thought possible. ''Man's got issues that no one's got tha cajones ta call him out on. Maybe he's pissed, maybe he's bored… maybe he jus' wants ta kick back an' watch tha world burn, who can say.''

''Obviously not you!'' She found herself unintentionally accusing as she spun around in the doorway so suddenly that he'd almost ploughed into her. ''_How can you do this? _Daryl's hurt and thrown in a hole somewhere and you don't say a single solitary word about it? And this stupid thing he has us doing do tomorrow, I guess you're just fine with that! What kind of brother are you?''

Not used to getting called out for being the asshole he was, Merle's face had darkened. ''I don't have'ta explain myself ta you so ya best jus' stop right there before ya go gettin' ya self all riled up! You couldn't wrap ya pretty little head around tha things I do or tha goddamn reasons why I do 'em! Hell, even my own brother can't an' he's kin! You ain't!''

''Well, thank god for that!'' She had imparted furiously, ''Because if this is how you treat your kin, I'd sure hate to see how you treat your enemies!''

With the parting shot being said as loudly as she dared, she had stormed into the room allotted for her and slammed the door shut in the man's infuriating face. The tears had gathered almost immediately, as they always seemed to do when she put her feelings on the line. Sniffling from under the weight of them, she had slumped down on the bed only to hear the bedroom door open unyieldingly from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder as Merle barged in, looking seemingly determined to finish what had been started. Upon realizing it, she had swiped quickly at her eyes, preferring to gladly keel over and die than to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she was almost at her breaking point.

Much like Daryl, he was too damn observant for his own good.

''You're somethin' else, ya know that?'' He had uttered incredulously, coming around the side of the bed to glare down at her. ''Swear ta god, from tha moment I first laid eyes on ya, you ain't done a damn thing but give me a rash of shit over somethin' I can't do nothin' about! I ain't in charge around here! There are rules in place… codes ta be abided by an' penalties ta be paid for those that don't abide by 'em. It ain't my choice ta see my brother have ta do this but that don't mean jack shit ta them!''

He paused for a moment, seemingly confused when she wouldn't even look at him. The unyielding set of her shoulders had spoken volumes and he'd felt the need to try again… this time digging himself into an even deeper hole as far as she was concerned.

''I'm between a rock an' a fuckin' hard place here! In case ya didn't know, I ain't had it as goddamn easy as him since we both left Atlanta. I've been forced ta do shit that would make ya cry them tears for hearin' it. He's had Rick... an' a home with a nice comfy bed… an' you, right there in it with him…''

''So what are you saying?'' She had sputtered indignantly, cutting him off mid-sentence, ''That this is all some kind of payback? Why, because he made better choices?''

''Was one of them choices ta not come after his own fuckin' brother?'' He bit out in return, pointing his finger angrily down at her as if it could drive the stubborn question home, ''_Huh?_ Was it ta leave me behind?!''

With that she had flown to her feet, sick of him towering over her and not wanting to be out done. The man had some nerve! For all of his talking, the only thing she heard was one bullshit excuse after another, none of which was helping Daryl in the slightest. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing he could possibly say that could justify his indifference and she wasn't about to let him off the hook for it that easily, no matter what perceived transgressions he felt he had the right to complain about!

''Was one of yours to abandon him when he was a kid?'' She had said furiously, jabbing her own into the solid mass of his chest, ''_Huh?_ Was it to leave him behind? I've seen the scars! He came after you in Atlanta, which is a hell of a lot more than what you doing for him right now! If it's a matter of choices being made, you've made yours so there's nothing left for us to discuss! _Get out!''_

At her frank dismissal, Merle stepped back and threw his arms up in the air, the look on his face one of utter disbelief. ''_Christ almighty! _There's jus' no fuckin' winning with you! What do ya want me ta do here, huh?! Go downstairs an' kill everyone in sight? I do that an' I might as well jus' sign my brothers death warrant 'cause he'd be dead long before tha bodies hit tha floor! Is _that_ what ya want? Ya may not know it but both y'all have got a much better chance of survival if he jus' does this fuckin' thing tomorrow! I think you're underestimatin' that fact… tha same damn way ya underestimatin' him!''

Emotionally compromised and already on the verge of losing it, she had swallowed hard at the knot of heartache lodged in her throat to cry out, _''I don't care! I love him and I don't want him out there!''_

With her chest heaving, the tears had begun to overflow immediately, rolling down her face despite every last reserve she had called upon to keep them from doing so. Hanging on by a thread, she had been so worn out and depleted that the very mention of Daryl dying was all it had taken to send her careening over the edge.

Furious with herself, she had sunk back down on the bed, wishing that Merle would go away so she could think clearly for a moment. The last thing she wanted to do was to show any kind of weakness but she hadn't been able to help herself, the situation and everything it entailed crushing down upon her to leave her reeling in its wake. Sitting there in the aftermath, she had steadfastly refused to look at him for fear of losing what little composure she had left to give. Instead, she had just stubbornly crossed her arms, drawing deeply within herself to pretend that her nose wasn't running and the tears weren't dropping noisily into her lap.

Merle had stared down at her completely at a loss, the expression on his face indicating that he hadn't expected her to start bawling like that. Looking as uncomfortable by it as his brother would be, he had regarded her cautiously, almost as though wishing that she had just stayed angry… or had hauled out and hit him… or _anything_ besides the display of female emotion she was currently subjecting him to. His anger seemed to deplete in the face of it though and he sighed heavily for knowing it, walking away from her to go over and stand in the rooms still open doorway.

''Y'know, he'll likely say tha same damn thing 'bout you,'' He had said, pausing with his hand on the knob, ''but much like them tears of yours… there ain't nothin' for it. You should get some sleep, get ya head on right. I'm headin' downstairs ta tell my brother tha same thing.''

He gave a cursory glance over his shoulder to quietly ask, ''Ya got… I don't know… anythin' ya want me ta pass along?''

She couldn't even bring herself to look at him. Instead she had just wiped at her nose on her sleeve and said with as much conviction as she could muster, ''Nothing I would trust _you_ to tell him.''

''Suit ya self.'' Was all he said, leaving the room with her in it to lock the door firmly behind him.

Emotionally drained, she had sat there a while, despondently wondering if he was at all conflicted by the choices he made. It didn't take long to realize that she didn't care to know.

The man couldn't be more different from his brother if he tried. For very part of her that would gladly walk through fire for Daryl, there was an equal and just as fierce part that would unquestionably toss his brother into it. Merle had no redeeming qualities at all… none he could be proud of anyway... and considering the company he kept, that was saying something.

The rest of the night had been spent pacing restlessly around the room, feeling trapped and agitated as her anxiety began to get the better of her. At one point Billy brought her some dinner only to be resoundingly kicked out of the room by Merle. The elder Dixon had overheard him dropping one too many inappropriate innuendos and had quickly taken him to task for it, pulling him from her presence by the scruff of his neck. The uncomfortable interaction was the extent of her encounters with any of the other men in the house and that suited her just fine.

She had gone to bed thinking only of Daryl, her overactive mind running away with itself until she had fallen into a troubled sleep. Tossing and turning for the most part, the nightmares had come almost immediately - visions of him dying with a bolt in his chest, of herself struggling to get out from under Len. Joe's maniacal laughter had punctuated every scene as Merle and the rest of the men had looked on from the sidelines indifferently.

Daylight had started to bleed in through the windows when she heard the door to her room unlock. For a brief glorious moment, she'd thought that Daryl had escaped and that he was there to get her. She was to be quickly dissuaded of the notion when Joe walked in, dispensing with the pleasantries to tell her that it was time to go. Making sure she understood that any trouble caused would end Daryl's life all that much sooner, he tied her up before walking her out of the house, leading her to where she was now.

Having been lost in the recollection for at least half a mile, a sharp yank on the leash was all that was needed to abruptly bring Beth back to the moment. Finding the heavy handed tactic to be completely unnecessary, she squared her shoulders resentfully, glaring at Joe's back as the fire burning in her eyes gained traction.

They eventually came across a small clearing nestled deep in the woods, one that had been used as a makeshift campground of some kind. Joe stopped in the middle of it and took a look around, his sharp gaze darting into the tree line for movement. Bringing up the rear, Beth did the same, only to see that the small area had a burnt out fire pit, some abandoned camping equipment and not much else of possible use.

There were several large post dug into the ground, the purpose of which she didn't want to speculate on… but it was the thick tangle of trees surrounding them that was worrying. They were dense… way denser than anything they'd encountered to this point. With direct line of sight impossible, they would provide a huge impediment if the objective of the day was to engage in a warped game of hide and seek. The two men searching for her would be forced to rely on their tracking skills alone. By strategically choosing to bring her here of all places, Beth began to realize that Joe knew it too.

With their destination reached, Joe picked up the slackened rope from the ground and began coiling it up in his hands. Nervous for seeing the determined look on his face, Beth began to back away, feeling it tug at her neck as he worked his way closer...

''Easy...'' He said, using the damn thing against her like he was attempting to corral a frightened horse that wouldn't go back in its stall. ''C'mon now… I ain't gonna hurt you.''

As soon as he had her within arms reach, he turned her around and removed both the gag and the leash. Still chuckling to himself after the fact, he finished with the rope and threw it down next to one of the poles. Beth was left standing there eyeing him distrustfully while he did so, her hands still tied behind her back and her jaw aching something fierce due to the residual pain the gag had left behind.

The man looked over at her and sniffed knowingly. ''Yeah… I wouldn't have had to tie that so tight if you would've just behaved yourself… but hey, what can you do, guessing what's done is done.''

''So that makes it ok?'' She managed to croak, not buying it for a second. "Like any of this?''

''What's real funny is that you say that like it's something I should remotely give a shit about.'' He intoned nonchalantly, ''Truth is, I don't and what's more, I never have. The situation we have here just presented itself, all I did was take advantage of it. You wanna know why?''

Her eyes widened incredulously. ''I don't care why! Who the hell do you think you are, playing these stupid games with people? You're not some king on the mountain, you're just an post apocalyptic asshole with a bunch of stupid yes men to do your bidding!''

Joe's normally unreadable features darkened and he surged over to grab her by the throat.

''That just may be… but what you don't seem to understand is that _this_ asshole's yes men are gonna be out here playing this little game with him. You see, it was never in the plan to have Daryl live through this… hell, Len won't either if that makes you feel better. Both are here for my fucking amusement because _that's what I want!''_ He tightened his fingers cruelly as if to hammer home the point. ''I want to see just how far they'll go, if they're willing to go the distance. If not, then I have Billy and Tony out there as well to see it done. It's like I told you, there's a price to be paid for everything, especially when you go against me… and them two boys are getting ready to fucking pay it!''

He released her with a shove, leaving Beth to fall in a heap on the ground. Slumped there gasping for breath, she tried not to let the connotations of what he was saying defeat her as intended. Her heart seized for hearing it none the less and she heard herself wheeze out painfully, ''Oh my god! You can't do that!''

He hauled her to her feet in response and dragged her over to the posts that were set deep in the ground nearby. Wishing more than anything that she had her hands free, Beth struggled against him the whole time, kicking and screaming as though her life depended on it. Manhandling her roughly, he tied her to one of them using the rope from before.

Joe clapped a hand over her mouth, his fingers digging into her flesh. ''Shut the fuck up! What are you trying to do, bring down the biters on us?!"

The angry look Beth was giving him over his fingers must have said that she couldn't care less because he dug back into his pocket for the gag once more.

"Goddamn, again? You think you would've learned by now...''

He tied it back around her head and finished what he'd started in silence, seemingly a hell of a lot more determined for doing so. The rope jerked tightly around her body as he knotted the thing, causing the rough wood to dig firmly into her hands. Strapped to the post and with very little recourse, Beth hung from it limply, an oxygen deprived dizziness starting to gain traction as her circulation was cut off from her arms and legs.

''You're a fuckin' pain in the ass, do you know that?'' He groused irately, feeling it alright to say so now that all was said and done. ''If Len had never seen you two assholes walking on that piece of shit road, hell… we wouldn't even be here...''

A snapping sound was heard in the distance and they both looked over to determine its source. Beth felt her shoulders fall despondently to see that it was only a walker. The commotion the two of them were making had garnered its attention and it was now clumsily attempting to make its way through the tangle of trees in an effort to try and reach them.

She looked back over at Joe to find him backing away, his hands held up as if the situation was beyond him. ''Sorry darlin'… but you're on your own. I hate to leave you like this… I really do… but you were always just the incentive driving this thing and nothing more. Only it ain't just Daryl and Len that you're going to be that for and I'm guessin' I should tell you that. You see, Billy and Tony needed an incentive as well… after all, they're putting as much on the line as anyone else and its been a long time since they've seen a good looking woman around here. I reckoned I owe them that much. You didn't think that your participation was just for Daryl's sake alone, did you?''

He paused upon seeing the stricken look on Beth's face.

''You did! Damn, that's too bad. Everyone participating today gets to try for the door prize sweetheart... and it don't much matter to me who wins it. You're just what I needed to keep morale up around here and in doing so, I get to kill two birds with one stone. To the victor goes the spoils after all and I get to watch it all go down.''

Joe looked down at his wrist and tapped on the face of his watch. ''Speaking of which, them two boys are probably getting pulled out of their cages right about now. Tony and Billy are rearing to go so it's time to see how this little game of mine all plays out. I sincerely hope you have as much fun playing it as I will.''

''You're sick.'' Beth whispered around the gag in her mouth, blanching at the thought of any of the other men finding her now before Daryl did.

The walker nearby reminded them both of its presence by tripping over a protruding tree root. Groaning noisily, it landed face down in the dead leaves at its feet. Joe smirked as he watched it try to awkwardly rectify itself, not giving a shit about the threat it presented to her in the slightest.

''Ah, looks like our friend here wants to play as well! Hey, if it makes you feel better, we'd usually all just take turns fucking you before we fed you to the biters… at least this one here's taking its sweet ass time.''

When a disgusted glare was his only response, Joe disappeared back into the woods, the sound of his own twisted humor following on the air behind him. Beth watched him go with a dry lump of dread wedged in her throat, the potential direness of the predicament she was in making itself known.

The grey clouds above rumbled with thunder as the first drops of rain began to fall. It didn't take long before it turned into a downpour, the storm overhead unleashing itself to saturate the clearing and everything in it. Without a sheltering canopy of tree limbs to protect her, Beth got drenched by it that much faster, making an already miserable situation that much more so. The rope she was tied with was chafing at her skin and she was cold, tired and now beyond soaking wet.

…and none of that meant a damn thing to her.

Daryl was somewhere out there about to come looking for her and he was unknowingly walking into a trap. He had been led to believe that Len was to be his only competition in the matter, that the two of them would be on their own. What he didn't know that the rest of the men in the house would be out there with them, all of them armed to the teeth with an expected purpose in mind. They'd undoubtedly kill him on sight if Len didn't get a chance to do so first and there was no way in hell she was going to let that happen!

With her own situation paling in comparison, Beth began to struggle fiercely against the rope, ignoring the pain it left behind as it sawed unforgivingly over her skin. It gradually began to loosen, the fact that it had soaked up the rainwater like a sponge helping considerably. Her chest heaving with the effort, she glanced over to see that the walker was almost at the edge of the clearing, fighting the tree branches equally as hard as it tried its damndest to reach her.

Beth gritted her teeth, determinedly refusing to allow either it or the rope test her resolve. The walkers pending arrival just gave her that much more of an incentive to try harder, even though she barely needed it with thoughts of Daryl consuming her as they were.

Using the lubrication the rain provided to its best advantage, she managed to kick her way out of the ropes tangled grip, fighting it tooth and nail until it finally freed her enough to let her fall to the ground. With the walker now having broken free as well, Beth quickly pulled her bound hands out from under the sprawl of her legs, removing the suffocating gag to meet it head on without a weapon or even a second to lose...

The water logged walker fell heavily on top of her, making her gasp from under its slippery weight before she was able to roll out from under it. She crawled onto its back, sweeping her wrists over its head to lodge the rope that bound them together firmly against its throat. Wedging a knee between its shoulder blades, she pulled with all her might, straining against the flailing corpse until its head detached disgustingly from its body.

Exhausted beyond belief, Beth collapsed down in the mud next to it, barely acknowledging that the walkers now severed head lay snapping angrily from nearby. Panting for air, she closed her eyes against the rain for a moment... wishing the world would stop so she could give herself a small degree of credit for managing to get out of at least one of the harrowing situations in which she found herself.

She pushed herself back up, groaning for the effort it required. Using her teeth to free her wrists from their bindings, she ran off into the tree line the same way Joe had gone, ignoring the rain or anything else determined to get in her way. She wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. The sole reason why she had fought so damn hard was still out there somewhere and she had still yet to find him.

Beth ducked under a low hanging branch, thoughts of Daryl making her run that much faster. If luck was on her side, she would get to him first, hopefully before anyone else. The two of them could then leave this place, putting the nightmare that it had become behind them to be nothing more than a shared memory that they'd never need speak of again. She could do it… but only if he was alright and the two of them were together.

He was all that mattered to her. He was her everything. Now all she had to do was to find him so she could tell him so.

…...

**Please be so kind as to review, I really appreciate it and it's the reason why I do this!**

**Thank you to all my readers and followers, "What Still Lies Ahead" wouldn't be the story it is without you. Here are the answers to some of the questions I've gotten over the time its taken to write it.**

**\- Yes, I made that picture myself, I wanted my cover to reflect the Daryl and Beth that I'm writing about.**

**\- Yes, I do make changes to chapters after I post them, I'm always finding something I want to change.**

**\- Yes, it was a conscious ****decision to write each chapter from both perspectives, I think it adds something different to the story and I like it that way.**

**\- No, I don't know who's until I start writing it, who ever's is going to move the story along the way I want it.**

**\- No, I actually can't write and/or post faster, the story would suffer and I don't think anyone would want that (I know I wouldn't!)**

**\- No, Grady Memorial will not play a part in this story, way too many bad memories there for me.**

**\- No, I am not going to write another story when I'm done with this, WSLA is a one-shot deal.**


	47. Chapter 47

…. Chapter 47 …..

Daryl was fast asleep on the floor of his cell when a bucket of cold water was unceremoniously thrown over his prone body. He instantly came up swinging, the waters frigid temperature stealing his breath away as effectively as a swift uppercut to the gut. Gasping for air, he swiped it from his face, completely fucking out of it and unable to remember a goddamn thing about where he was or the reasons why he was there.

Somewhere past the ringing in his ears, he heard Tony start to laugh from behind him... full belly rolls that had the bastard red faced and teary eyed almost immediately. For Daryl, that was all it took for the missing pieces of the puzzle to fall disparagingly back into place. With the grim reality of his circumstance searing back to the forefront once more, he slowly turned around in the small space allotted to him, feeling much like a caged animal that had been kept that way for far too long.

Tony was standing there with the dripping bucket in hand, all but confirming what he had hoped to that point had just been a shitty dream. He was still locked up in the far recess of the basement, having been left there alone with only his own caustic thoughts for company. As far as he knew Beth was still in the house as well, sequestered away somewhere upstairs to be seen only once since being pulled from the trunk of the car. For reasons beyond Daryl's depleted comprehension, his brother was there too, having returned from the land of dead memories like he was the ghost of fucking Christmas past. Last but not least came the task he was supposed to do today, the daunting prospect of which ensuring that he hadn't slept for shit anyways.

Soaking wet and now pissed off about it, Daryl glared over to where the fat man was still snickering at his expense. ''Ya lucky these fuckin' bars are here asshole or you'd be laughin' through what's left of ya teeth!''

''I'm sorry, what was that?'' Tony quipped, cupping a sarcastic hand to his ear even though he had heard what had been said perfectly. His features darkened and he pulled a gun from the back of his pants, pointing it through the very bars in question, ''I didn't hear you partner. Don't suppose you'd care to repeat it.''

Having seethed on the edge of a rage induced state for hours, Daryl struggled to reign his temper back. His inherent tendency to run off at mouth wouldn't do Beth any kind of good if he got his ass killed for it. Tony grinned like an idiot to see him accede himself accordingly, seeming to enjoy the level of superiority that came from being the one with his finger on the trigger. Upon regaining the upper hand that he hadn't necessarily lost to begin with, the big man stepped towards the cells gate, making sure to keep his gun trained on Daryl's chest as he dug into his pocket for the keys.

Feeling assuredly smug with himself, Tony unlocked the door and motioned forward with the end of the gun barrel, ''Figured as much. Get your ass out here nice an' slow. Try something and I swear to God, I'll drop you like the dead weight you are. Consider this a crash course on how shit goes down 'round here… not that it matters, least not to the likes of you.''

With little choice in the matter Daryl did as instructed, leaving the puddle of water behind as he stepped free of the cell's stifling confinement. His hardened gaze never left the man in front of him, the memory of the previous days beating still gnawing aggressively at his consciousness. As much as he'd like nothing more than to stomp this fat fuck into the cement beneath their feet, he reckoned he'd have plenty of time to do it once the gun wasn't a factor and the odds were a hell of a lot more favorable.

As if somehow reading his mind, Tony's beady little eyes narrowed. ''I know what you're thinking... hell, I'd be thinking it too if I were you. You're thinking that you could take me, ain't ya? That I'd be real easy pickings. You're thinking that if didn't have this here gun pointed right between your eyes, that you could get the jump on me and it would be payback time.''

''You're tha one sayin' it...'' Daryl ground out irritably, unable to help himself.

Tony tsked back a knowing smirk. ''Guess it's a damn good thing for both of us that we'll never have to know then, ain't it. Now move.''

Daryl trudged up the basement stairs, the whole time quelling his inherent need to verbally throw more fuel on the fire. He was in a shit mood, making it real tempting to do. It went without saying that the bolt wound in his arm wasn't helping matters. He had tried to take care of it the best that he could with what little he had available to him but the pain hadn't abated much and it was only getting worse the more he was forced to move it.

He came to the top of the stairs only to have the gun at his back nudge him towards the back door. A gloom of morning light greeted him as soon as he stepped outside, the wet haze lingering in the air indicating that it had just finished raining. He squinted past its murkiness to find himself right back where everything had spiraled out of control the first time.

There next the parked LTD was Joe, looking slightly more disheveled than usual but no less authoritative. He had a grin plastered on his face that was disturbingly unnatural. Hanging loosely in his grip was the Horton, the weapon devoid of all the bolts that would normally accompany it. With Tony's gun prodding him sharply between the shoulder blades, Daryl made his way down the porch stairs and across the driveway to join him, looking around as he went to see Merle, Billy and Len nowhere in sight.

''Ah, there he is!'' Joe exclaimed, motioning towards him like he was welcoming a long lost friend. ''The man of the hour! Come on down, times 'a wasting!''

Heading over to the spot being pointed to, Daryl tried his best to ignore the sick feeling that was churning insistently at his empty stomach. There was a palpable sense of foreboding in the air… one that was as oppressive as the foggy haze that surrounded them. He couldn't help but feel as though the worst case scenario that he had been dreading for the last 24 hours was about to come to fruition. Trying his best to prepare himself for it either way, Daryl just stood there and glared at the man in charge, refusing to be the first to say a damn word as he waited to see what was about to go down.

''Bet you're wondering what we're up to today.'' Joe drawled, the warmth of his voice failing to thaw the coldness of his eyes, ''We're getting ready to have ourselves a good ol' time! But just so I don't forget… here… you're gonna be needing this…''

He held out the Horton, nodding encouragingly when Daryl just eyed it with suspicion. Damn thing wasn't of much use without the bolts it came with anyway so what was the fucking point? When he didn't make a move to take it, Tony jabbed him hard with the gun in his hand, pushing him forward against his will. Not much appreciating the unnecessary incentive, Daryl snatched the weapon from the hand offering it and stepped dourly back in place.

Joe chuckled, seeming to find his reticence amusing. He shook his head at it before muttering, ''You see? That wasn't so hard now was it.''

''Where's Beth?'' Daryl growled, getting straight to the only thing that was of remote importance to him.

''Beth? Why, that little girl's out there somewhere,'' Joe gestured widely to the sprawl of dense trees that occupied the acreage behind the house. Looking back over, his brows drew as though suddenly confused, ''I thought you knew that. Daryl, I'm going to need you to really start paying attention. If the whole point of what we're doing here is to have you go out and look for her, you didn't think that I'd leave her tucked away safe an' sound in the house, now did you?''

When the unnecessary sarcasm was met with an icy cold stare and nothing more, Joe continued... doing so this time as though he was talking to a wayward child that didn't understand the rules. ''Allow me to refresh your memory then, just so we're all on the same page. You see Daryl, I don't give a shit about you... I don't much give a shit about her… hell, I don't give too damn much of a shit about anything these days other than a healthy investment in my own personal survival…''

Daryl stood there listening as the man droned on, the connotations of what was being said making him worry habitually at his lower lip. The core instincts he needed to depend upon were starting to bottom out from under the stress of it, depleting what was left of his fortitude while undoubtedly frying his nerves. Pulling a calming breath as inconspicuously as possible, he was left wishing that the cocksucker talking would just get to the fucking point already and quit wasting time.

Joe paused, digging into his pocket for his can of chewing tobacco, ''Now, it goes without saying that the daily grind of doing that gets real tedious after a while… day in and day out… the same ol' shit everyday. Scrounging for food and supplies… keeping the ranks in the house strong so I don't have to actually do any of those things myself. Killing biters, you know what I'm talking about. For me, that all gets boring real fast. Way I reckon, it's the little things in life that make it all worth livin'. Might as well have me some fun otherwise why bother, right?''

''This supposed ta be your idea of fun?'' Daryl demanded, the words just spilling out of his mouth. ''Tha girl ain't never done a damn thing to ya an' you got her participatin' in this bullshit jus' 'cause ya bored? Tha problem ya have is with me an' me alone. She don't deserve this.''

Completely unmoved, Joe just shrugged and put a pinch of the tobacco in his mouth. ''You're right, she don't… but what can you do? I just finished telling you that I don't give a shit so it's not like I can go backtracking on my word and proving myself to be a lair. Besides, we're just pissing away precious time by standing here uselessly chit chatting about it... time that Beth doesn't necessarily have to give. You see, much like everywhere else, this area has a biter infestation. With her tied up out there like she is, I hate to say it but it's just a matter of time before a horde of 'em find her. Keeping that in mind, it's probably best that we just move along and get this party started.''

Tony gave a conspiratory-like chuckle from behind him, one that Daryl chose to purposely ignore. His hackles rose instead as he bit out incredulously, ''What tha fuck! Ya left her out there with walkers around? What tha hells tha matter with you?!''

Wagging his finger back and forth condescendingly, Joe's normally unreadable features were schooled even more so, ''Now now Daryl, I can't rightly say that I'm liking your tone of voice. I'm thinking you might be in need of a little attitude adjustment…''

Before the statement had even finished registering, Tony came around to hit him in the stomach, the blow landing squarely beneath the ribs as the big man intended. Much like it had done to Len the day before, it took him down to his knees, the air instantly vacating his lungs to leave him painfully gasping for breath. The red haze descended almost immediately and Daryl threw down the Horton, damning the consequences and everything that came with them as his need to bring the situation to a violent end took over.

As if reading his mind, Tony set the gun barrel firmly to his temple, stopping him dead in his tracks as it dug painfully into his skull. Left kneeling there with a dangerous amount of adrenaline surging in his veins, Daryl could only listen as Joe said pragmatically, ''She's a beautiful girl, I can see why you like her. A little young though, don't you think? But hey, who am I to judge… whatever cranks your tractor, right?''

''Stop fuckin' around an' jus' say what ya need ta say!'' Daryl wheezed out through his teeth, feeling nauseous and at his goddamn wits end with the unnecessary banter.

Joe reached over to grab him by the vest collar, pulling him in close to sneer derisively, "You're as much of a pain in the ass as she is, y'know that? I can see now where she gets it from.''

He released him with a shove before backing Tony off as well, doing so with a casual wave of his hand.

''But since you're so hell bent upon knowing, I'll tell you... even though you're probably gonna regret the fact that you even had the balls enough to ask. I told both you and Len yesterday that I had a job opening 'round here but unfortunately there's been a slight change of plans." Joe asserted, circling his way around the man he was addressing while Tony looked on with a gleam in his eye.

"You see Daryl, both of you boys have managed to piss me off in one way or another... enough to where I don't think either one of y'all is qualified for the position. So I find myself now stuck in a bit of a quandary. As we all know, everyone here has to earn their keep and there ain't no exceptions to that rule. Your brother earned his by beating the shit out of Len yesterday. Luckily for him, that just means that he gets to eat today. You an' Len? You two ain't nothing but dead meat walking to me. I can't have useless pieces of shit like either one of you lying to my face and draining my resources… I ain't the fucking salvation army here!''

From where he was still on his knees, Daryl scowled up at him. ''We goin' somewhere with this or are we jus' shootin' tha shit here?''

''Well, _you're_ going somewhere...'' Joe assured, hocking a wad of discarded tobacco spit onto the cement. ''That's kind of a given, especially considering that I'm looking to resolve myself of the very issue I just told you about. Now, me getting to have some fun at the same time? Well, that's just a bonus. This whole thing will ease the burden you two fuckers have created around here, all while providing a little entertainment value. This is where you come in Daryl so listen up. You still get to go out there and look for your girlfriend or whatever, that part ain't changed… only difference now is that the rest of us will all be getting to go out there with you… see who finds who first.''

Daryl just glared at him sullenly, not being told a damn thing he didn't already know. Still, he couldn't help but feel as though there was something more yet to be said… an unknown factor of some kind that was about to make itself known. Not having a clue what it could be, his depleted system braced itself to hear it, doing so as Tony roughly pulled him up by his arm to situate him back on his feet.

Jerking himself free, Daryl cautiously picked up the Horton from where it lay, feeling somewhat better for having its weight back in his hand despite its regrettable uselessness. His grip on the empty weapon tightened when Joe pulled his gun from the waistband of his pants, ejecting the clip to check it before snapping it back firmly into the weapon's handle. He looked up to see Daryl watching him dubiously through the damp hair that still hung limply in his face.

''Oh don't worry…'' He chuckled, shoving the gun back from where he got it, ''I'm not going to send you out there unarmed. That wouldn't be fair now would it. You have your crossbow and just so there's no hard feelings, I'll even give you a bolt to go along with it. At least that way, the rest of us don't feel like we're all just shooting at a fish in a barrel.''

With it now confirmed that he was truly engaging in a hunt to the death, Daryl swallowed in dismay as his heart rate quickened substantially in his chest. A convoluted haze began to instantly cloud his vision as he struggled to process such a thing. Christ, could this thing be any more of a goddamn sadistic clusterfuck? Seriously, what the hell kind of chance did a single bolt have against a slew of loaded guns? Standing there attempting to wrap his brain around the twisted senselessness of it all, he quickly found that he couldn't… the situation and everything it entailed just couldn't be any more surreally unbelievable if it tried.

With the only person he cared about tied up alone in the woods somewhere, he pulled himself together enough to resign himself to participating... as if there was much of a fucking choice in the matter. Tony produced the bolt in question and held it out to him, doing so much like one would a greasy bone to a mangy dog. Daryl snatched it from his hand resentfully, not much giving a shit when the fat man's gaze sharpened at the unnecessary gesture.

With the one bolt still being one more than he had expected to get, he turned back around to Joe and asked, ''What about Len?''

''He's been extended the same courtesy as you, a single bolt – no more, no less.'' Joe muttered in response, his tone deceptively calm. ''Billy's got him just past that there tree line. Now whether or not he's cut him lose already, who can say. So you might want to get a move on… you know, for Beth's sake.''

The survival skills that Daryl was depending on immediately kicked into gear, sending familiar bursts of energy firing under the surface of his skin. With a renewed sense of determination, he swung the Horton onto his back, purposely choosing not to load the thing just yet. He couldn't trust himself to not try to take out one of the two bastards standing in front of him only to prompt the other to quickly do the same to him.

With the crossbow situated where it belonged, he paused. ''How do I know that ya won't jus' put a bullet in my back the moment I turn around?''

''You don't," Joe shrugged, "though I can see why you wouldn't want to necessarily want to take my word on it. I'll tell you one thing though, you really can't call something a hunt when the thing being hunted just stands there asking a bunch of stupid fucking questions and allowing itself to get shot, now can you? I'm thinking it would need… oh I don't know, a five minute head start perhaps… just to make things interesting. That sound about right to you, Tony?''

Having listened to the entire exchange silently up to that point, Tony just sighed… doing so as though he thought the time allowance to be completely unnecessary. Cocking back the hammer on his gun, he finally mustered the effort to drawl, ''Yeah, I reckon that should just about do it.''

Daryl's stomach clenched in a way that had nothing to do with the hit it had just taken. Jesus, five minutes? That's all? Five fuckin' _hours_ wasn't enough time to get as far away from these two assholes as he wanted to be!

Stunned by the realization, he just stared at them both in disbelief. ''Five minutes?! Startin' when?''

Joe was back to grinning, the sight of it unsettling enough to where Daryl couldn't drag his eyes away.

''Starting… oh, I don't know… about ten seconds ago.''

…..

**Thank you so much for reading. As always comments, reviews or musings in general are always welcome.**

**Author's note:**

**One of the things that I really loved about Daryl and Beth's story arc in the show was Daryl's determined quest to find Beth after she was kidnapped from the cemetery home. He was so resolved, the two of them having just made this special connection only to have her snatched right out from under him once they did. I remember just wanting him to find her... wanting her to be ok… only to be as heartbroken as he was at Grady Memorial Hospital.**

**This is my take on that quest. Daryl will have to be just as determined, just as resolved… only the stakes will be higher for everyone involved. I hope you stick with me to find out what happens!**


	48. Chapter 48

…. Chapter 48 …..

Out of breath and completely disorientated, Beth slowed her momentum until she ground to a disparaging halt. She had been running for what felt like forever... through trees, bushes and all manner of rain soaked storm debris. It had her ankle throbbing something fierce, to the point where it felt as though it was about to give out on her. Panting heavily, she slumped against a fallen log, wincing in pain as she gingerly pressed upon it despite her better judgement.

Shoving her damp hair from her face, she glanced up only to see the same intricate rock formation that she had already encountered twice before. Her shoulders slumped in dismay for looking at it. The damn thing all but confirmed what she was already beginning to suspect. She was doing nothing but run around in useless circles.

Panic descended almost immediately, shrouding all other thoughts in its way. How was that even possible? She'd been so sure she had picked the right path this time!

Forcing herself to draw a calming breath, she took time that she didn't necessarily have to give in order to weigh the few options available to her. The forest itself was immense and sprawling, so much so that everything within it had begun looking the same. Noted landmarks had started to repeat themselves, making her question if they were indeed the same thing she had seen before or something entirely new. With so much riding on the line, it went without saying that she found it all disheartenly frustrating.

She had left the ramshackle campsite feeling so sure that she could find her way back. After all, how difficult could it be? She had left a trail of clues for Daryl to follow... how hard was it to just follow it herself? It didn't take long before the overwhelming scope of the endeavor had quickly dissuaded her of that foolish notion. Between the pouring rain and the sheer magnitude of trees, she was lost long before she had even stepped foot out of the clearing.

The rain eventually abated to leave behind a thin layer of foggy precipitation that wasn't helping matters any. The hazy mist blanketed the forest floor, distorting the terrain while giving it a surreally ghost like appearance. It obscured the few tracks she was able to find while making everything else she was doing that much more difficult. Refusing to let it deter her, Beth pulled herself together and pressed on, disappearing back into the woods again in what she could only hope was the right direction this time.

Finding herself in the same confounded predicament an hour or so later, she was about to slump down in the mud and cry when somewhere in the distance, she heard a succession of gun shots render sharply into the air. The sound they made reverberated throughout the forest, echoing between the trees to ring noisily in her ears. Her nerves instantly jumped on point as her stomach bottomed out. Who was that shooting and more importantly, at what?

Needing an answer, she decided to head towards the area where the shots were fired rather than away from it. What other choice did she have? Despite the obvious danger she knew they represented, she was desperate enough at this point to take that chance. She had started to believe that she had been left out there alone to die... at least now she knew that someone else was out there with her. Besides, maybe Daryl had heard them too and was thinking the same thing...

Spurred on by the prospect, Beth rushed blindly into the nearby foliage only to be grabbed from behind as soon as she emerged from the other side. A large hand immediately clapped over her mouth, effectively silencing any sound she could've possibly made. Immediately regretting having lowered her guard, she flailed against the unknown assailant for all she was worth, clawing at anything she could dig her nails into. Her inattentiveness had allowed someone to creep up on her unexpectedly and she was now about to pay the price...

Fighting like a wildcat, she made her mark… tearing into the fleshy part of an arm until she was released with a vindictive shove.

A sharp expletive was spat out from behind her, its distinctive drawl telling her that it was neither Daryl or Len she was about to turn around and face. Bracing herself accordingly, Beth spun around to face her attacker anyway, her shoulders locked and set in a combative position.

''Damn girl! Why'd you go an' do that for?'' Billy spat derisively, cradling his bleeding arm as if doing so could erase the sting her nails had left behind.

He seemed genuinely put out, like it was her fault that he chose to assault her. The belligerent look on his face sent Beth on the immediate offensive, sick to death of being manhandled by these people and ready to tell someone so. ''_What?!_ _You_ attacked _me!''_

Frowning, Billy took a moment to process the accusation, seemingly confused by both it and the meaning behind its connotations. Beth watched him cautiously as he did so, making sure to stay well out of arms reach. The minimal interactions they'd had at the house had never let her get a good look at him before and doing so now, she could see why he had been so forgettable. He was young… probably about the same age as her… with sandy brown hair and painfully nondescript features. The combination made him as colorless and unreadable as he was plain and ordinary. It was no surprise that he had all but faded into the background to become practically invisible amongst the more dominant personalities around him.

''Attacked?'' He repeated stupidly, wiping the blood on his arm away on the leg of his pants, ''Whaddya mean 'attacked'?! If anything I was just trying to keep you quiet! A handful of biters came through this way not but a few minutes ago, last thing I need is you drawing 'em back by screamin' your head off like a dumb girl!''

Even though he was a teenager much like herself, he still towered over her by a good ten inches. It gave him a daunting advantage that she chose not to focus on. Instead, the disgustingly crude comments he had made to her the night before came searing back to the forefront of her memory, reminding her yet again that despite how young he was, he was still undoubtedly a threat.

She had woken up at some point during the night to find him lurking in her bedroom, a tray full of food in one hand and the pilfered key in the other. What had started out as somewhat friendly banter had quickly digressed into something else… something that had her skin crawling like she had been physically assailed. Luckily for her, Merle had appeared from out of nowhere to grab the kid by the back of his neck, forcibly removing him from her presence to send him packing back downstairs.

When the elder Dixon had lingered in her doorway, she had stubbornly crossed her arms and turned away, refusing to thank him for his timely intervention. He had given her a look to indicate that he hadn't really expected her to and then had left the room himself, relocking the door firmly behind him.

Finding Billy's implied innuendos as repulsive now as she did then, Beth said with a much bravado as she could muster, ''I couldn't care less about whatever it is you think you need! Get the hell out of my way!''

''Look... the two of us? We don't need to be hostile to each other,'' He implied creepily, gesturing between them like it was a given, ''All I wanted was just a chance to get to know you. Maybe I went about it the wrong way before and I'm real sorry 'bout that. I mean... look at us… we're about the same age, right? What's wrong with the two of us gettin' a lil' better acquainted?''

She stared at him in disbelief. _Was he for real?_ ''I can think of a million things wrong with it.''

He smirked at the testily spoken response, using the time she had taken to give it to start slowly circling around her. ''You know… I can't remember the last time I saw someone 'round here my age. Shit, I was starting to believe that I was the youngest person left walking the face of the planet… that was at least until you showed up.''

Refusing to allow him access to her back again, Beth turned on her heel to follow the path he was taking, the wet leaves under her boots digging into the terrain as she shifted around.

''What are you talking about? All the girls in the pool are our age.'' She accused.

Billy shrugged for knowing it, caught in a lie of his own making. ''What can I say… you got me there. Difference between you and them though is that they all came here used goods, only to get run through even further by everyone else in the house. Being the lowest man on the totem pole... well, I was always last in line. Hell, you don't wanna know what kind of state those girls were in by the time they got to me. By then they were practically beggin' to jump in that damn pool…''

As he spoke, he either didn't know or didn't care that _this_ girl in particular was watching him warily, doing so now in state of pure unmitigated disgust.

''...but you? Well, you're different. It's like you're... I dunno... fresh meat.'' His cold gaze came back over to collide with hers. ''Ain't no one had a chance to get a crack at you yet. If Joe hadn't promised me that I'd get just as much of a chance as anyone else, shit… the two of us wouldn't even be talking right now. I reckon it was just meant to be that we would find each other first.''

Beth was barely listening to him at this point, using the time he was taking instead to try and desperately think of some kind of deterrent that wouldn't lead to her getting killed or worse. Unable to do so past her fear, she was left standing there with her stomach full of rocks and a tangible lump of dread lodged in her throat.

An annoyingly smug look came over his face, one that caused her resolve to harden instantly. Her eyes narrowed pointedly for it. No matter how things played out, there was no way in hell that she was going down without a fight… not now… not ever again! She was done with being the pawn in this game, so sick of it she could scream! Daryl could be out there shot somewhere, laying injured or dead with no one to know. This guy and the hinderance he created was just preventing her from finding him and she was ready to be finished with both it and him right now!

''So what are you gonna do, huh? Shoot me?'' She sneered, ''If that's your plan, you best just do it now and be done with it... because I swear to god, you try and touch me again, it'll be the last damn thing you touch.''

''Whoa, whoa, whoa... slow your roll there sweetheart… relax. It ain't gonna come to that,'' He placatingly held up one hand while easing his gun from its holster with the other, holding it up by its handle unthreateningly, ''I already said that I just want a chance to get to know you… and here... I'll prove it.''

For reasons beyond comprehension, he casually tossed the gun away, doing so as though it wasn't necessary in order for him to achieve his objective. Confused by the tactic, Beth watched in a trance as it flew through the air, her gaze following the weapons trajectory until it landed with a lead plated thud in the foggy precipitation at their feet. It immediately disappeared within the haze, removing itself from the harrowing equation and everything that came with it.

She blinked to bring herself back to the moment, forcing her gaze to meet his. Her heartbeat was racing in her ears so loudly that it all but drowned out the ambient noises coming from the forest around them. Feeling much like a rabbit caught in a bear trap, she briefly wondered what he could possibly gain from doing such a stupid thing. It didn't take long for her to decide that she didn't want to know.

Breathing heavily, Billy just stood there and watched as the connotations of that decision flickered across her face. His features were shadowed as he bided his time, patiently waiting for her to take the opportunity he had just provided to run.

Not one to disappoint, Beth spun around and took off, knowing deep down inside that the desperate measure was going to fail miserably. He was on her almost immediately, seeming to have wanted the chase. The sheer weight of his body knocked her roughly down to the ground. Now shoved in the dirt, she tried to finagle her way out from under him, her legs kicking at him frantically as she cried out in pure indignation. Billy wrestled her onto her back, straddling her resistive body with a grunt to pin her hands above her head…

Using his size and strength against her in the worst possible way, he buried his face into the dampness at her neck, inhaling at her deeply to say, ''Damn, you smell so good…''

Beth fought against him with every fiber of her being, wanting nothing more than for him to get the hell off of her. Flashbacks from the store incident began inundating her mind almost immediately, blooming within her subconscious to bring with them a level of panic she didn't necessarily need right now. With the memory trying its best to overwhelm her she stood her ground, refusing to succumb to it or to any damn thing that would force her back into that scared hopeless mentality she had before.

Using that resolved determination, she brought a knee up to sharply kick him where it counted, Daryl's training and the anger held dormant inside of her urging her on. Billy wheezed in pain when she made direct contact, falling heavily off to her side to cup himself in the fetal position.

Relieved of his weight, Beth scrambled to reach into her boot, pulling out the bolt she had kept there this whole time like it meant the difference between life and death. She had been holding onto the thing since the auto parts store with the full intention of giving it back to Daryl but between then and the kidnapping she had never gotten the chance. Now, as her fingers tightened around its thin shaft, she was never more grateful that she had kept it with her for safe keeping.

Billy groaned from next to her, the guttural sound of it intensifying until it became an angry roar. The throbbing agony in his groin subsided enough for him to surge back onto her, the veins under his skin ticking into infuriated overdrive as he wrapped his hands around her neck. He began to choke her like the bastard he was, staring down at her in a blind rage while she pushed in desperation at his chest...

''Goddamn bitch!'' He seethed, tightening his grip, ''You've got some fuckin' nerve! You think you're so fuckin' special but you're just like the rest, nothin' but a goddamn cock tease! Here I was trying to be nice to you but I guess that ain't what you wanted! I hope you're ready for what you're gonna get instead!''

Feeling herself falter from where she was beneath him, Beth scraped together what was left of her fortitude and her courage to gasp out, _''Are you?''_

She brought the sharp end of the bolt up to stab him in the neck with it, gouging it in as deep as she could until his blood gushed down her arm. For a heart stopping moment, nothing changed… his hands remained like an iron locked vice around her throat. He glared down at her resentfully, the two of them now locked in a battle of wills. It was just a matter of time to see who would succumb first.

Still pinned under him, Beth fought to stay above the darkened cloud of unconsciousness that was beginning to obscure her vision. Deprived of oxygen for what now seemed like an eternity, she could feel herself begin to drift…

_Don't ya even think about it..._

Daryl's voice cut through the enveloping darkness to reach her, just as it always did when her life was disparagingly on the line. She found herself resisting its pull, the guilt that came with possibly failing almost too much for her to bear.

_C'mon now goddamn it, keep fightin'__… __see it through__…_

She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as though he was asking the impossible. What was there left to see through? She was losing and that was it, end of story.

_Nah, you're wrong an' ya know it. You're strong an' ya know what needs ta be done. Remember, everyone's allowed ta get scared__… __we all do now an' then. It's how ya handle it after tha fact that counts__…_

With that he was gone and Beth could've cried for not having the comfort of his presence in her thoughts anymore.

She was scared, that much was true… but she also knew that she couldn't give in to that fear, not when she had fought so damn hard to make it this far. If Daryl was still alive out there, he'd be fighting to find her for all he was worth. Was she going to just lay there and let him do so without giving anywhere close to the same?

From the vindictive haze that had consumed him, Billy watched as her eyes opened decisively. His blood gurgled noisily in his throat as he gritted his teeth in frustration, applying more pressure in his last ditch effort to see the matter done. Yanking the bolt free, Beth brought it up to shove it forcibly under his chin, piercing the roof of his mouth to send it straight into his brain. Her gaze remained unyieldingly and cold as his own had snuffed out, the lock of his grip easing immediately as he released her.

With his body now a dead weight, Beth crawled out from under him, swallowing hard as she coughed desperately for the air that she needed.

Collapsing in a heap nearby, the tears came almost immediately and curling up on her side, she let them... not much caring about anyone or anything else for the brief moment while she took it. She had never killed a person before... not anyone who had been alive and breathing… and was now left reeling in the severity of its wake. She had consciously taken a life of another human being and in doing so, had passed a detrimental turning point of which there was no going back. Born and raised a Christian, she found it a heavy burden to bear. Would her parents ever forgive her? Until she met them again she may never know…

Pulling herself together enough to let her head lilt over, her teary gaze fell on the young man laying there dead amongst the leaves. The puddle he was in did its best to wash away the blood that was pooling steadily under his head, cleansing his face free of it to leave him looking even more youthful than he had before. In another lifetime the two of them may have been friends. They might have seen each other at a high school football game or had known other teenagers in the same social circles. There was no way to know what paths their lives might have taken before the turn. She only knew that the ones they had taken after had lead them to this.

With the feel of his hands still ghosting eerily at her neck, Beth wiped away the tears. It could've easily been her that was laying there dead instead of him… very easily. The fight between them could've gone either way. She had fought tooth and nail for her life and through no fault of her own, had been forced to do what was necessary to ensure her own survival. The guilt of it may never leave her but she could find a way to live with it. Accepting it as such, she let go of her remorse, having been given little choice in the matter and not wanting to dwell on it.

A walker groan noisily in the distance, the discordant sound it made bringing her back to her predicament. She vaguely remembered Billy telling her that there were more somewhere in the area, that a horde had just come through. Not wanting to be caught unawares by them, she pushed herself to her feet, sweeping the dead leaves from her jeans before looking down at the dead body once more.

In a fight to the death she had done what she needed to do… she had survived… she had seen it through.

Now all she had to do was find Daryl to make sure that he did the same.

…..

**Well, our girl came through at least one of the challenges she'll face in this ****endeavor, managing to pull from her own inner strength and survive what probably seemed for a moment there to be an almost near unsurvivable situation. Beth has really grown into her own over the course of this story and I hope I've been able to show that. She still gets scared and will sometimes doubt herself but she is showing herself to be a true match for Daryl in every way. I really enjoy writing her journey for you and would love to hear your thoughts.**

**Thank you for readings as always!**


	49. Chapter 49

…. Chapter 49 ….

Daryl crouched down behind a large cluster of boulders and pulled the Horton from his back, figuring that he better load the damn thing while he had a chance. Setting the bolt he'd been given on its frame, he looked down to see that his fingers were trembling. Not having the time or fortitude needed to read into it, he clenched them into a tight fist before attempting the simple task again... struggling to pull the cable taunt until it finally snapped into place. Hefting the weapon up, he took the moment while he had it to try and reign himself in, needing the inherent survival skills that would've normally kicked into gear by now to get with the fucking program and do so.

He had taken off running as soon as Joe had given the word, figuring it best not to doubt the man or the seriousness of his intentions. Barreling into the nearby tree line, he had disappeared into the thick of the woods, not much giving a shit about the low hanging branches that had whipped unforgivingly at his face and neck. He ran until his lungs ached, traversing any obstacle in his way until the effort had him lightheaded. Doing nothing but waste through what was left of his stamina, he knew he needed to stop and formulate some sort of coherent game plan if his goal was to get through this thing alive.

With his chest heaving, Daryl cautiously peered out from behind the boulder. The pressure he was under made coming up with something feasible damn near impossible. The way he figured, he had about a minute or so before the other two men came in after him… that was of course assuming that they chose to abide by their own rules in the first place. Quickly realizing the unlikelihood of such a thing, he felt himself begin to falter, the intensity of the situation and everything that came with it descending down upon him like a harrowing black cloud. He slumped back against the rock, struggling to hold onto what remained of his bearings as the panic threatened to overwhelm him.

From somewhere within the murkiness, a faint recollection of Beth came to him. She was sitting at his side, the soft glow she gave off somehow managing to penetrate the stifling fog...

It was the night they had found the mortuary, just after one of his nightmares. The damn thing had woken him up with a start to leave him laying there in a sheen of his own sweat, completely out of breath with his heart pounding in his chest almost as frantically as it was doing right now. Having heard him call her name, she had cautiously come into his room, her loose hair shining in the candlelight as she encouraged him to talk about it. Begrudgingly doing so, he unknowingly open himself up to her and to the prospect of something further happening between them. Even now… after all this time... he could still recall how his pulse had slowed in the calming warmth of her presence.

_''Was I a walker in your nightmare?'' She had whispered, her soft gaze reassuring, ''You said my name.''_

_''Nah__… __but you were there.'' He had responded in turn, doing so just as quietly for fear of somehow ruining the moment, ''Instead of comin' after me like they usually do, they went after you 'an I couldn't get to ya in time. I don't know__… __it's tha first time you've ever really shown up in one an' I reckon I didn't like it.''_

_The admission had been a hell of a lot more than he had expected to say and it hung on the charged air between them. As it did so, he wondered yet again what it was about the girl that drew him to her. Much like a stray dog that had been left out too long in the cold, he couldn't get enough. Everything about her was warm and inviting, so much so that the impenetrable defenses he usually wore like an ironclad shield had gradually eased for knowing it. Having been a part of himself for so long, he barely knew how to function without them. It had left him feeling exposed and unguarded and had basically scared the shit out of him._

_She looked at him for a moment and then gave him a shy smile, ''It's probably a good thing that it was only a dream then. Besides, you always get to me on time. Of course, you're not always happy about it, but I always trust that you'll come for me.''_

_He had shrugged with a forced indifference before purposely dropping his gaze from hers, not wanting her to see what he'd spend the rest of their time together trying so damn hard to hide. _

_''Yeah, well__… __Guessin' I ain't got much choice in tha matter,'' He had admitted almost inaudibly, more so to himself than to her, ''...I'm kinda used ta havin' ya around.''_

From there he had kissed the hell out of her, pulling her to him despite all his previous reticence and his declarations to the contrary. It hadn't been his intention but he hadn't been able to help himself. She had responded just as he hoped she would and it had changed the entire dynamic of their relationship, setting them firmly on the path to where they were today. He didn't regret it… or anything that came after it for that matter. He just wished that he had been more honest with himself and with her from that point on.

Pulling a calming breath, Daryl emerged from the darkness… coming back to the moment to know she was right. He would always come for her… no matter what. Be it hell or high water, one bolt or a thousand... it didn't make a damn bit of difference. Finding her safe and getting her out of here was the only thing that mattered. His jaw tightened into a hard line as he pushed himself away from the rock, feeling a hell of a lot more grounded than he had just a few scant moments ago. His heartbeat slowed beneath his ribs to give him back the focused determination that had been previously missing. Relieved more than he could say for it, he took off again into the trees, the game plan that had been so goddamn elusive now formulating consciously in his mind.

In an effort to throw off the two men that were following him, he veered off of the straight and narrow to follow the tree line that marked the forests perimeter. Making his way around it, he strategically chose to circle his way back in, hoping to come up from the rear with neither one of them being any the wiser. His gaze constantly swept the terrain for tracks as he went, not wanting anyone else in the area to make themselves known without his knowledge. With all of his senses now tuned on point, Daryl couldn't help but feel as though every hunt he had ever participated in had all led him to this very moment.

About an hour or so in, he hadn't seen a the slightest trace of a human but he had managed to avoid a fair amount of walkers. The forest was inundated with them, their unwanted presence just adding another harrowing aspect to an already stressful situation. Clearing a cluster of trees, he came across two flailing away in the distance. Curious despite his better judgment, he made his way closer to see that they were partially submerged in a muddy bog, a knee deep one left behind by the previous storm. Unable to free themselves and decidedly unhappy about it, the disconcerting noise they made rendered sharply into the air, grating across his senses as he looked down at them in disgust. Not having the bolts needed to silence them, he backed off the way he came, disappearing into the trees again before they could spot him and became even more vocally agitated.

Rounding a large rock formation, Daryl heard a rumble of thunder overhead and he glanced up through the tree boughs to see the grey clouds there churning ominously. Finding Beth's tracks was proving to be difficult enough without the impending rain only making matters worse. With the pressure on, his gaze methodically swept over the uneven terrain once more, looking for anything that might have disrupted the natural lay of the land. He inherently knew that she'd leave a trail of some kind for him to find... a mark or trace… something for him and him alone. That she would think to do so just meant that she knew him, just the same way as he knew her… and that gave him a distinct advantage over every other person out there.

It took about an hour but Daryl finally found what he was searching for...

There... pressed deliberately into the mud… was the distinct imprint left behind by a well worn boot. He dropped to his haunches and inspected it more closely, relieved more than he could possibly say for finding it. Ghosting over it with his fingers, he quickly determined the direction she had taken before heading out of the area himself, following the subsequent footprints as if they were a trail of breadcrumbs that only he had the foresight to see.

Completely engrossed in the endeavor, Daryl almost didn't hear the succession of gunshots until they tore into the air to echo noisily all around him. Diving for cover behind a fallen tree, he lay there with his heart racing and a cold sweat accumulating at the base of his throat. He had been so caught up in the moment that he had all but forgotten that he wasn't out there alone. Holding his breath, he listened intently as the shots aftermath resounded through the trees, trying his damndest to determine where they had come from without having to go so far as to actually blow his cover to find out.

It was then that he heard a voice in the distance yelling desperately for help.

High pitched and panicked, Daryl had heard it before… more times than he cared to recall since the turn. Starting with walkers, it usually finished with death and was the soundtrack to a never ending cycle of hell that they had all learned to live with.

Pushing himself to his feet, he tentatively left the log behind to traverse his way up the nearby embankment, following the hysterical cries until he finally found their source. Reaching the top of the hill, he looked down the other side to see Tony stuck in a mud pit of his own, his corpulent weight sinking him in it to his belt. There were walkers down in the thing with him, some of them dead… others not so much. The ones that he hadn't managed to kill were now clawing their way at the mud, diligently doing their best to try and reach him. Three more stood on the other side of the sinkhole, all of them watching in profound interest as the fat man below fumbled clumsily with his gun. He attempted to reload it, his slippery fingers making the task difficult, and he cursed in frustration when the replacement clip dropped into the muck only to quickly disappear beneath its murky surface.

Daryl looked up to see that the three walkers across the way were now staring at him intently, the new incentive he provided causing them to gnash their teeth and groan that much louder. Tony glanced up and followed their line of sight to see him as well, his eyes widening in dismay as if his circumstance wasn't shitty enough.

''Well, well, well…" Daryl sneered, not feeling the need to raise the Horton, "Don't you look like a pig in shit.''

The man below held up his hands, conceding that his gun posed no kind of threat. ''C'mon partner… ain't no need for that. Here… tell you what, you give me a hand and I'll tell you where your girl's at, ok? I know exactly where Joe dumped her… hell, she's probably there now, waiting for ya safe an' sound. No hard feelings and we can help each other out… whaddya say?''

''After that beatin' ya laid down? There ain't a fuckin' thing in this whole damn world that could compel me ta wanna help you." Daryl bit out, vindictively meaning it with every fiber in his being.

''Man, I swear that shit weren't personal!" Tony yelled up, doing so over the piteous moans being made by the walkers submerged in the pit with him._ ''I swear it!_ I was just doing what I was told! That was all Joe! C'mon man, I'll tell ya where she's at!_ Just get me outta here!_ I'll help ya find her, I promise! _Please_ man!''

Daryl began circling his way around the sinkhole, barely bothering to listen as he slung the Horton back over his shoulder. His gaze was full of derision as he regarded the man pleading in the mud, knowing him to be the worst kind of low life as far as turn was concerned. A pathetic lop of shit, he had no regard for the lives of others if it meant keeping food in his gut and a roof over his head. He was a follower... a parasite… a two bit bootlicker that only showed his true colors when the boots in charge weren't there to back him up.

Upon noticing that he was purposely heading their way, the three walkers on the other side of the ledge shuffled off to meet him, eager to get their teeth into the fresh meat that obviously seemed so willing to sacrifice itself. Tony watched them do so with a look of tentative hope plastered on his face. Daryl kept an eye on them as they made their way closer, making sure to avoid the slippery edge of the hole himself. With the anger churning inside him an almost palpable force, he waited until the walkers were almost upon him...

''That shit weren't personal?" He growled derisively, "… felt fuckin' personal ta me.''

He shoved each walker into the pit, doing so one at a time as they each reached out to grab him. Too slow to counteract it, they landed on the man below as intended, their teeth honing in on the bare expanses of his skin to latch on immediately.

Tony flailed against them, huffing in desperation until his jugular was torn violently from his throat. The rest of the walkers that were caught in the pit with him immediately surged into the fray as well, incited into action by the scent of blood in the air and equally as ferocious. Their added weight only caused Tony's body to sink even further down into the mud. They all piled on top of him to push him beneath the surface, the most determined of them going down with him. The rest lingered there in confusion as they looked around for the food source that had just been there. A trail of red swirled in the mud around them, leaving behind the only trace evidence that the man had even been there to begin with.

Daryl stared down at the remaining walkers, the strangely disturbing sight they presented only making what had just happened that much more surreal. He was completely devoid of remorse, having always known there was a reckoning to be had between him and the man who had beaten him mercilessly while his hands were tied behind his back. Now that the bastard was dead though, it didn't change a damn thing. Beth was still out there somewhere and he had still yet to find her. Tony's death just meant that he could do so with one less person on the playing field standing in his way.

Pulling the crossbow from over his shoulder, Daryl carefully traversed his way back down the embankment, stepping past the fallen tree limbs and storm debris in his path. It had started to rain in earnest but he found he didn't care. Taking out Tony had given him the boost of confidence that he desperately needed, strengthening his resolve while pointedly reminding him of just who it was these bastards were fucking with.

Finding Beth's trail again, he picked back up where he had left off... disappearing into the rain to be enveloped by the trees. He left what had happened behind him, doing so like the fleeting memory it was always destined to be.

The way he figured, the bastard had gotten what was coming to him and paybacks a bitch.

….

From where he was hiding, Len watched as Daryl headed off into the rain, a thin scowl etched harshly on his face. He had been observing his opponent for a while now, doing so from the safety of the bushes… impatiently waiting for him to dispatch of Tony as planned.

He was the one that had led the fat bastard to the sinkhole in the first place, needing some kind of bait to lure out whoever it was that was lurking around nearby. Like a moth to the flame he had drawn Tony in, using the man's own fear of being out there alone against him in the worst possible way. Stupid motherfucker that he was, he hadn't even realized he was in trouble until it had been too late. He had stood on the edge of the pit looking down at it in confusion when a hefty shove from behind had sent him careening in, sinking him in to his gut.

With the bait in place and the trap set, the horde of walkers that had shown up afterwards had just been the cherry on the cake. Stuck in the hole, Tony immediately got to shooting at them, blowing pointlessly through all of his bullets while inflicting minimal damage. That was exactly what Len had hoped he'd do. When the gun was useless and empty, he resorted to yelling like an idiot… making it just a matter of time until someone came across him. When they did, Len would finally know just who it was that was still loitering in the area with him. He hadn't seen another human for hours and was frankly sick to death of waiting. He had one measly bolt at his disposal and he wasn't going to waste it on someone unworthy. If he was going to use it, he wanted it to count.

The sound of Tony's gunshots had barely dissipated through the trees when he looked over to see Daryl traversing his way up the sinkholes embankment. That it was him of all people was almost more than Len could've possibly wished for. The cocky son of a bitch had probably walked through the forest like he owned it, doing so like he was the fucking king of the world. After wrestling with the decision not to put his only bolt through his neck, Len had ducked out of sight, curious enough to see how the situation played out. He had gone to all the trouble of setting the trap after all, it would be a shame at this point not to see what happened.

After putting Tony out of his abject misery, Daryl descended back down and took off again into the woods, the newly determined set of his shoulders making it clear that he knew exactly where the girl might be. That he had managed to pick up on her trail wasn't necessarily surprising, not considering how long he had spent with her. It just meant that he knew her better than most. Len could've found her tracks too if he had cared enough to look. Right now though, his own personal survival was all that mattered. Hell, if he was being honest with himself, the girl had barely crossed his mind. The bullshit reality of the situation had decisively seen to that, making what had previously been an obsessive way to pass the days suddenly not seem so important. Oh he still wanted her… he wanted her more than anything… but he wasn't willing to risk his own fucking life in a last ditch effort to prove it.

Choosing to follow behind Daryl at a reasonably safe distance, Len utilized the rain and any other cover he could find to stay safely hidden from sight. While finding the girl's tracks gave his opponent an distinct advantage, it also gave him one as well… and it was an opportunity that he simply couldn't squander.

With Daryl up front and center, he could handle any issues that came their way… including killing the rest of the men and dealing with any lingering biters in the area. All Len had to do was stay secluded in the background and just let him, damn near guaranteeing that he wouldn't have to do any of that shit himself. Just like a good dog Daryl would lead him straight to the girl, all while conveniently eliminating every other obstacles in their path. If he happened to get his ass killed while doing it? Oh fucking well. That was the price to be paid for taking all of the risk for none of the reward.

Keeping pace with the unsuspecting man trudging through the foliage ahead of him, Len quietly chuckled to himself, unable to help it. He pulled the Stryker up closer to his chest, a gut feeling coming over him that he'd be getting to use it soon. He darted behind trees and bushes, blending silently into the rain soaked background to remain undetected. He could barely wait for Daryl to suss the girl out from her hiding spot if only to see how this all played out. The moment he had her in his sights, Len would use his one and only bolt and take him out from behind... quick and easy-like which was a hell of a lot more than the fucker deserved. Either way, he planned on finishing what had been started between them once and for all and doing so right there in front of her.

That was important, he wanted the girl to watch. Daryl would bleed out in the dirt at her feet and when his inevitable demise had fully sunk in, Len would step over his opponents dead rotting corpse to finally claim what belonged to him.

….

**What?! Another chapter so soon? **

**This is for all of my faithful readers! Over 500 reviews is an awesome milestone and I can't think of a better way to recognize it than with another chapter. I usually wouldn't post for another two weeks but I appreciate you all so much and wanted to say thank you!  
**

**Please continue to drop me a line! I love reading all of your comments and theories and musings in general!**


	50. Chapter 50

…... Chapter 50 ….

Beyond exhausted, Beth went to push aside a sagging tree limb hanging in her way when it suddenly and unexpectedly snapped in her hand. The broken branch came down immediately, missing her by inches as it landed in the mud at her feet with a waterlogged thud. She gritted her teeth in remorse as the sharp cracking sound it made reverberated unnervingly through the air, bypassing the rain to reach the small herd of walkers she was tentatively following. Just as she feared, a lone straggler bringing up the rear came to a halt and turned around, its dead-eyed gaze attempting to peer past the torrential downpour.

Hiding quickly behind the closest tree, she held her breath and waited, doing so despite knowing that the chances of it seeing her were slim. A few heart stopping moments later and the curious walker went back to what it was doing, shuffling away with the rest of the horde to become hazily obscured by the rain.

She expelled a faint breath of relief, taking the moment to reassess her situation. This wasn't the best idea she'd ever come up with by any means but desperate times had called for desperate measures. She had been silently following the rag tag group of walkers for a while now, figuring that if there were any humans to be found in the area they'd most likely be the first ones to know it. Using them all like a pack of flea bitten dogs with an intuitive nose for such a thing, she let them lead her through the forest, unable to think of a better option after getting herself lost more times than she cared to admit.

The horde had stumbled across her right after the fight with Billy, the scent of death drawing them in like a magnet. They had converged on his body almost immediately, not much caring that the rigored flesh was a lot less pliable than what they were used to. Tearing it from the bones in a frenzy of teeth and nails as was their nature, they had gorged themselves until only a wilted bloody carcass remained.

She had kept herself hidden safely from view while they ate their fill, the guilt she was feeling not lessened much for having to witness such a gruesome thing. She had to keep reminding herself that Billy deserved it, that he had probably watched countless other girls fight for their lives much like she did before tossing them into that pool like they were nothing but disposable garbage. Trying her best to convince herself of it, she had waited them out, her empty stomach rolling nauseously under her belt the whole entire time.

With their business finished and their bellies full, the walkers had all wandered away none the wiser to her presence. Any post feeding residue adhered to their clothes was quickly washed away by the rain that was inundating the area. The paleness of their skin stood out in stark contrast to the gloominess of their surroundings, making them all look like ghostly apparitions moving through the forest. Thinking as quick as her overwrought emotions would allow, she chose to follow them... her conscious feeling like a lead plated weight around her neck as she left both the bolt and the body behind to be nothing but a horrible memory she'd rather soon forget.

The trek itself quickly proved to be far more tedious than she anticipated. The soil beneath the horde rapidly turned to mud, making the path in their wake that much more grueling. Using the rain for cover, she had struggled to keep up with them, fighting the soggy terrain every step of the way despite the fact that she was cold, wet and undoubtedly tired. Thunder rumbled across the sky but the walkers remained impervious to it. Completely unaware of the elements raging all around them, they had meandered on as if intuitively honed in on a beacon that only they had the power to see...

A loud discordant groan in the distance brought her back to the moment and shaking off the recollection, Beth glanced around only to see the herd she'd been following was nowhere in sight. Jumping over the fallen branch in her way, she raced to catch up with them in a panic, berating herself mentally for lagging behind and allowing such a thing to happen.

She plowed through the nearby bushes only to find that they hadn't actually gone very far. They had all come to an awkward stop up ahead for some reason and confused as to why, she peered through their legs to see that there was a huge ditch in their way, one that was filled to the brim with mud, leaves and all manner of chaotic storm debris. Without the mental capacity or fortitude to know to walk around it, they were all stuck lingering hesitantly at its ledge, a few of them even being pushed in by the more animated ones in their midst.

Her shoulders immediately slumped in disappointment, now completely at a loss. The plan hadn't been the best of ideas to begin with so it wasn't like she had something else better tucked up her sleeve. Having no choice but to leave the confused horde behind, she rounded the thing herself, doing so with the hopes that the general direction they'd been taking would be enough.

The rain had abated somewhat and she continued on in what was now a heavy drizzle. Fighting her way through the tangled foliage and twisted roots, the gray haze seemed to distort everything in sight, playing tricks on her mind as it drained her of her stamina. It had been so long since she had heard the gunshots that she was beginning to wonder if she had even heard them at all. Who knows, maybe she was actually out here all alone… maybe that had been the point all along…

Out of the corner of her eye Beth saw a darkened figure move stealthily amongst the trees and she instantly went for cover. Her nerves were now stretched so thin she was somewhat amazed she could even function at all. The path the silhouette was taking was obscured by the gloom and she pushed her damp hair from her eyes if only to be able to see it better and determine if it belonged to a walker or not. Straining her vision past the murkiness, it wasn't until it stepped free of the shadows that she saw that it wasn't.

It was Len.

Even from where she was hiding, Beth would've recognized his distinctively lanky frame anywhere. With her pulse racing a mile a minute, she gave a quick thanks that he hadn't seen her, noting instead that the hard line of his gaze was fixated upon something else… something in front of him that he was obviously making a determined effort to track. Whatever it was had his complete and undivided attention so, with the light rain between them acting as a protective shield, she carefully looked over to see what it could possibly be.

There... down on one knee in the mud… was Daryl.

The overwhelming flood of emotions she felt for seeing him quickly turned into the worst kind of incapacitating fear. Preoccupied in tracking something himself, he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to be ambushed. Beth found herself frozen in place as the world she knew and everything within it dropped out from beneath her feet. It stole her breath away, turning her blood to ice in a way that had nothing to do with the frigid temperature of the rain that had now soaked her to the bone.

Rooted to the floor, she felt like she was caught in a nightmare that there was no waking up from. She watched as Daryl ghosted his hand over the soggy terrain, his fingers tracing over what was left of the trail she had purposely left there for him. The rain had washed most evidence of it away but he was still trying his best to determine the direction it had taken. With his wet hair was hanging limply in his face, he was entirely focused on the endeavor and either didn't know or didn't see that his enemy was skulking up on him like the coward he was.

Len slowly raise the Stryker and set it against the scraggily beard at his cheek, his hardened gaze narrowing down the weapons sights as he geared himself up to tighten his finger on the trigger. Even from a distance she could see a dark expression of glee cross his face, making it clear that he was about to enjoy this moment that for him had been a long time coming. Just past the trees that obscured the two men from one another, Daryl stood up none the wiser, inadvertently exposing himself to make an even easier target.

With her heart wedged caustically in her throat Beth took off running, not hesitating for a moment as she threw all caution to the wind. Only one thing mattered as everything else in existence faded into a void of obscurity, doing so until even the rain itself decelerated into a surreal state of slow motion. Desperately closing the space between them, she glanced over to see Len taking aim, honing the crossbow in on its mark now that it was standing up in the clear and making it all too simple to do.

Spurred on, she cried out Daryl's name in a panic, unable to help herself as the anguished sound of it cut through the air. He somehow managed to hear it above the ambient noise of the storm overhead and looked over to see her heading right towards him...

Without even a moment to lose, she launched herself into his arms, reaching him at the same moment the bolt did. Beth could only gasp as it tore excruciatingly into the curve of her shoulder, searing past the flesh in its way to come out clear through the other side. The sheer force of its impact slammed her against him, stealing away what little breath she had left. The bolt remained completely undeterred by the impediment her slim body created as it continued on in its effort to reach its original objective. Beth's sacrifice had slowed its momentum though, enough to where it only pierced Daryl's jacket, his shirt and the fragile skin over his heart before stopping dead in its tracks.

Burying her face into the dampness at his neck, she hugged him tightly to her, reveling in his nearness despite the fact that he was cursing up a very Daryl-like storm at her ear. Her body sagged heavily against him as the pain caused darkness to descend almost immediately. With the agony of it feeling like nothing she had ever experienced before, she went there willingly… having nothing left to give now that all was said and done.

He was going to be mad as hell at her but she didn't care… he was alive and that was all that mattered.

If what had been done ensured he stayed that way then as far as she was concerned, it was worth it.

…..

_What the fuck?_

Daryl barely had time to brace himself before the impact of her body almost knocked him off his feet. Dropping the Horton into the mud, he reeled back as she slammed into him, completely at a loss for words for seeing her again so unexpectedly. Where the hell had she come from? Not even a moment ago, his anger with the situation had him dangerously close to throwing his fist through the nearest available surface and now here she was, practicality materializing out of thin air like she had somehow known it!

The collision of her slight frame against his own brought with it a sharp stabbing pain at his chest, indicating immediately that something was wrong. Daryl's brows drew as he glanced down past the tangle of pale wet hair to see the bolts bright yellow fletching protruding from just under the girls left shoulder blade. Realizing what such a thing meant, he felt the blood drain from the rain soaked contours of his face...

_''Beth!_ Nah… nah, this ain't fuckin' happenin'!… Beth!''

The girl slumped limply against him as the connotations of her actions hit him like a ten ton hammer, taking him down to his knees for the second time that day. Cradling her slight body in his arms, the anger and confusion he felt gave way to something far more tangible… a deep rooted fear that detonated within him to completely eclipse all other emotions. Daryl gingerly peeled her from him, dreading to see the damage done. The bolt that pinned them together tore free from his jacket and went with her, the grey metal tip of it jutting starkly from her chest. He winced in remorse and set her carefully on the ground, being sure to avoid laying her directly on her back. Faint traces of blood instantly began to pool at the base of her slender throat, swirling within the rain water that was determined to wash away the evidence of its existence away.

''Beth…'' He swept her wet hair from her face, completely confounded as to why she would've chosen to do such a stupid thing. ''Please… Christ, don't do this…''

As if she had heard him, the girls eyes slowly fluttered open. She blinked against the rain before staring up at him lucidly, ensnaring them both in a poignant moment that was not of their making. Finding themselves surreally caught up in it, the harsh reality of the situation soon returned to the forefront to drag them both back in its wake. Beth's gaze immediately widened for it and she gasped out in pain, her breathing becoming shallow and listless as it struggled to bypass the bolt lodged in her chest. Swallowing hard in an effort to counteract it, she pulled him down to her to whisper out a single syllable at his ear.

''...Len.''

As if he'd been summoned by God himself, Len appeared in the distance to storm his way over with the empty Stryker gripped tightly in his hand. Upon seeing him, Daryl felt an all encompassing rage overtake him… a blinding fury that had burned within him from his very first encounter with the bastard to this, undoubtedly and unequivocally his last. The inherently violent tendencies that came with it converged with the other raw emotions churning within him to make him a damn near unstoppable force. Every physical encounter he'd ever had… every bolt he ever fired… all seemed to bring him to this very moment, and there was no way in hell he wasn't going to see it through.

_''Motherfucker!''_ Daryl snarled, surging over Beth's prone body to meet the man coming at him head on.

The anger inside of him fueling the fire, it matriculated within his blood to become a singular and vengeful objective. To him, Len was nothing more than a dead man walking, the catalyst behind everything that was about to get taken out like the piece of shit that he was. There was a black look on Len's face that Daryl knew matched the intensity of his own but he honestly didn't care, now beyond fucking ready to be done with the infuriating son of a bitch and everything he had come to represent.

The two men collided in a hail of fists, the stormy elements surrounding them matching the ferocity of their hatred for one another. Every blow given inflicted the damage it intended, each of them going at the other with the tenacity of a rabid dog that had a grudge to settle. It didn't take long before they ended up in the mud, both of them pummeling through what was left of their testosterone fueled adrenaline as they swung at each other wildly. Bloodied and bruised, Len was able to get in some solid hits but was no match the sheer magnitude and scale of Daryl's amassed fury.

Pushed beyond reason, Daryl surged on top of his opponent with a grunt to straddle him in the mud. The will of his seething anger alone made each and every strike count and he kept at it, doing so despite the fact that the slippery son of a bitch was fighting him hard the whole goddamn time. Blinded by the fiery red haze that had overtaken him, he rained down blow after blow, each one coming down harder than the last to drain him of his energy as his bloodlust ran amuck.

Daryl vaguely recalled feeling such a thing before… back at the country club when he had decimated that pack of walkers in the locker room. Much like then, the intensity of his rage needed an outlet and the bloodied man writhing beneath him had become the epitome of everything in his life that had caused it. Even when Len's face became mangled beyond recognition, Daryl found he still couldn't stop… continuing to beat down on him mercilessly until his knuckles were raw and the sinew under his skin was shaking.

He heaved for breath before sagging over from the violent effort expended, barely able to see straight now that he was bottoming out on fumes. Len gurgled noisily from where he was beneath him, coughing up blood before spitting it out indignantly into the puddle they fought in.

That was then that Daryl chanced a fleeting glance over at Beth, finding a small part left of himself that was still somewhat cognizant enough to do so. Curled up on her side, she was looking right at him... her gaze empathetic and calm despite the severe pain she was in. He paused as the sound of her voice seemed to echo in his head. It was telling him to stop… that he was on the verge of losing himself. With his fist hovering mid-strike, she managed to pull him out of the blood fueled frenzy he hadn't even known he was participating in.

Daryl heaved himself from Len's prone body and dragged himself to his feet, going over to pick up the Horton from where it lay by her side. Slumping down on a knee to grab it, he took the moment to graze his fingers over the dampened curve of her cheek, thanking her without words while letting her know that the ordeal they had both been wrung through was almost over. Her breath was stilted as she subconsciously leaned into his hand, nodding encouragingly for him to hurry and finish what had been started.

Len glared up from where he lay, either not seeing or not caring that the Horton was now being honed in on him determinedly. Daryl's gaze narrowed as he came back over, the sights on the weapon lining up perfectly despite the cold and the fact that his hands were slick with blood.

''What… the fuck you… waiting on?'' The man sprawled on the ground croaked out, the hatred in his eyes burning that much brighter for having been beaten in every sense of the word.

''Ya know this was never gonna work out well for you...'' Daryl growled, not dropping his guard even for a second. ''… tha dumbass shit you pulled? There weren't no fuckin' way...''

''What the hell ever man!'' Len spat, coughing up blood again for the effort it took. ''Look at me! Does it… look like I really fucking care? It… it weren't never about that. The girl? She weren't nothing but a goal to me… a goddamn objective an' that's it…''

Reality descended down upon him and he struggled to pull an even breath as it hitched destructively in his throat. The light in his eyes fading for it, he managed to look up at Daryl and say, ''Going after her just gave me a reason… a reason to keep livin' and breathin' in this shit show we now call a life…''

Daryl's resolve was completely unmoved. Regarding Len as such, he sneered down through his teeth, ''That reason don't exist for you no more, asshole. What ya failed ta take into account is that she's _my_ reason ta do tha same. For me, there's her an' nothin' else.''

Len opened his mouth like he had something more to say only to have the unwanted sentiment cut off by the bolt that tore through his temple.

Feeling nothing for seeing the matter done, Daryl stepped back, releasing the death grip he had on the Horton's trigger as he dropped the weapon heavily to his side. As far as he was concerned, the man laying there had gotten everything he deserved and more. If there was a price to be paid by all of them in the end, then the bastard earned his the moment he chose to make Beth his only incentive in life. From that point on, it had been a done deal… the fact that he had followed through with it only sealing his fate.

With thoughts of the girl pulling him back to the present, Daryl ran back over to where she lay. Skidding down next to her in the mud, he placed the empty crossbow at his knee before gingerly pulling her up into his arms. He winced as her head languished heavily onto his shoulder. Her eyes were closed almost as though she were sleeping and she was a hell of a lot paler than he expected. Looking down to see the blood infused puddle that had collected steadily under her body, he felt his heart lurch in his chest. That wasn't good.

''Beth…'' He whispered, completely at a loss of what else to do. ''Beth… c'mon baby… wake up for me…''

The drizzle that had been a constant was now nothing more than a mist and she flinched from under it as she struggled to do as he asked. Daryl swallowed hard at his emotions, taking the moment to peel away a lock of pale hair that was plastered to her face. His hand hovered uselessly over the bolt protruding from her chest. He was afraid to pull it out, especially while she was somewhat conscious enough to feel it. Being as deep in the sticks as they were with no medical supplies for miles, he didn't dare risk it. At least the damn thing hadn't hit any major organs though, of that much he was certain. Coming in through her shoulder, a few inches down and to the right and it would've been a much more devastating story.

He looked on as she slowly came to, completely overwhelmed with varying degrees of guilt and regret. That she had put herself in harms way was one thing, but that she had done so for him of all people was almost more than he could possibly bear.

Weak from blood loss, she regarded him knowingly for a moment. Mustering as much of a breath as the pain would allow, she whispered, ''You… came for me.''

''Yeah, well… what else am I gonna do,'' He managed to say, keeping it purposely light. Being careful not to jostle her too much, he settled her weight against him. ''I already done told ya that I'm used ta having ya around. Who else would put up with me? Besides… if anythin', I'm thinkin' it's more you who came for me. Gotta feelin' I'd be tha one layin' there dead right now if ya hadn't…''

From where she was in his arms, Beth let her head lilt over... seemingly not surprised in the slightest to see Len sprawled nearby with a bolt lodged in his head.

She expelled a faint sigh of relief, one she had earned just as much as he had. With the sound of it echoing hollowly under the fragile cage of her ribs, Daryl pulled her against him to hug her as tightly as he dared. He pressed his mouth to the curve by her ear and whispered the one question that had been on his mind the whole time, the anguish within it ghosting over the dampness of her skin...

''Damn stubborn girl... what tha hell were ya thinkin'?''

Beth nestled herself more fully against him, drawing from his warmth as a shiver ran down her back. Doing her best to stay conscious, she breathed softly, ''I was thinking that I love you… that I'll always love you...''

Her eyes closed... but not before she managed to say, ''… and since you wanted to know, _that's_ what I was thinking.''

…..

**Thank you for reading as always. It is almost unbelievable to think that I am now 50 chapters into this! What had started out as just a little story based on one episode has turned into so much more and that's amazing on so many levels. I know I usually post on Mondays but I'm on vacation and finished this chapter early so I decided not to wait. I hope it is a nice surprise to anyone who might have been waiting for it.**


	51. Chapter 51

…. Chapter 51 ….

Daryl closed his eyes, not trusting himself to say a thing as the significance of her words eased the storm that was raging inside of him. Not one to usually submit to blatantly raw emotions, he allowed himself to bask in it, having never been told such a thing with any degree of sincerity before. He wanted to tell her the same... that she meant all of that to him and more... but found that his limited emotional capacity had the sentiment faltering in his throat. He was spared the quandary when she proceeded to pass out again, her body slumping limply against him to bring him back to the present and the urgent moment at hand.

He carefully laid her back down on the ground before running over to pluck the expelled bolt from Len's battered head. Wiping it quickly down his pant leg, Daryl reloaded the Horton and swung the weapon onto his back, tightening the strap securely around his chest. As far as he knew, both Billy and Joe were still out there looking for them and he wasn't about to take any chances with either Beth's safety or his own, not now that they had found each other again against all odds and despite the daunting amount of obstacles laid purposely in their way.

Coming back, Daryl gingerly lifted Beth into his arms and headed off into the woods, holding her limp body against himself as though she were made of glass. The two of them were much more conspicuous now that it had stopped raining and he made sure to stay pointedly aware of it, constantly scanning the surrounding area for anything out of the ordinary be it living or dead. He had to get her back to the house as quietly as possible, without those in the woods being any the wiser for it. Merle would know what to do and while his brother took care of business, he could come back out and finish what had been started once and for all.

It wasn't what he wanted to do by any means but what choice did he have. The way he figured, the two of them had this one shot… this one moment in time to eliminate any threat that could return to haunt them. For Beth's peace of mind as well as his own, he had to take it. He had warned these bastards that he hadn't come here looking to fight, but now that it had been started he was sure as hell intended to finish it. The girl had suffered enough, she didn't deserve to spend the rest of her life looking constantly over her shoulder and he was going to make damn sure she'd never have to.

Daryl made his way through the woods for several more miles, the sense of direction that came to him naturally serving him better than expected. Keeping to the straight and narrow, he cut right through the trees, bypassing the twists and turns that had led the way the first time around. His wounds were killing him but he pulled from his depleted reserve and bore it, wanting nothing more than to get Beth out of the cold and back to somewhere safe.

Hefting her back up against him, his gaze dropped apprehensively to where she was in his arms. His decision to leave the bolt in place had served its harrowing purpose, stemming the bleeding just enough to give him the time that he needed to get her back to the house. It went without saying that it was of little to no consolation. With all that she had become to him edging right at the surface, he found it close to impossible not succumb to the flood of emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him. The last fucking thing he needed was to think about was what it would mean to him if he failed and lost her now.

Beth suddenly winced and inhaled sharply against his shoulder, the shock of her injury having fully set in. With no other option, Daryl stopped for a moment to make sure that she was alright. Taking time they didn't necessarily have, he laid her down to check her pulse and the condition of the bolt, doing so as quickly as possible by manipulating his way around her as gently as he dared.

The bolt protruding abnormally from her back stood in jarring disposition to the translucently pale skin it was sitting in. The sweater she was wearing was tattered and torn around it, the wet material providing no protection at all as it had rendered out of the way. Daryl worried at his lower lip for seeing it, still somewhat amazed that it hadn't hit something a lot more substantial. Pulling his bandana from his pocket, he flicked it open and used its dampness to dab gingerly around the inflamed area. Christ, the damn thing had left behind one hell of a mess though…

He glanced down to see that her eyes were still closed. Despite the fact, he said to her quietly, ''Hold on for me, ya hear? We're almost done. I'm gonna get ya out of here, I promise…''

''That's funny...'' A gruff voice said from somewhere deep the shadows, "I thought I made it clear that there weren't no getting out."

Daryl's skin tightened as his heart plummeted to his stomach, finding it almost inconceivable that someone had managed to get the jump on him when he had been nothing but excessively cautious. With a panicked huff of dismay he went to go reach for the Horton only to be dissuaded from pulling the weapon from his back by the gun barrel that was now pointing at him dead square at the chest.

Joe emerged from the misty cover of the trees, doing so like he was some kind of vengeful apparition hell bent on destruction. The Beretta in his hand was unwavering, the black look on his face indicating that he was itching at the urge to use it.

''… guessing I failed to mention that meant for both you _and_ for her.''

With the crossbow left hanging behind him uselessly, Daryl was forced into a quandary that was not of his choosing. Standing up slowly, his gaze narrowed as he waited to see just how this was all going to play out. He raised his hands in the air and stepped in front of Beth as inconspicuously as possible, doing whatever was necessary to keep Joe's attention focused on him and him alone. The man seemed to hone in on the slight movement immediately, missing nothing as he noticed that the girl on the ground wasn't moving.

''Well, well… will you look at that…'' Joe tsked as he looked on coldly, ''Damn, that's really too bad. Guessin' this thing of mine backfired spectacularly for the both of us, didn't it friend?''

Daryl regarded him with a barely contained level of disdain, managing to scrape together what was left of his fortitude to say, ''It's over now either way. It ain't too late for us all ta walk away an' be done with it.''

Joe gave a wry smile, one that was devoid of all emotion. ''Oh, one of us will be and I think we both know who that is. You see Daryl, all of my men are dead… so what started out here as a fun little undertaking has now digressed into a goddamn clusterfuck of epic proportions. Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we both know that's all your fault… hell, hers too if that makes you feel any better.''

He pointed towards Beth with the gun in his hand, a look of stunned disbelief flittering briefly across his face. ''That little girl right there killed Billy as sure as I'm standing here wasting my time talking to you… killed him like he weren't nothin' more than a goddamn inconvenience standing in her way. Hell, I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't found her tracks leaving the body. Luckily for me, that's what led me here to you. The girl's tenacious, there's no doubting that… more fucking tenacious than I guess I gave her credit for…''

The man's eyes had glazed over as he pondered the huge miscalculation on his part… a miscalculation that was beyond rectifying and had played an unwitting part in the downfall of this whole fiasco. Either way, Daryl was done listening to him.

''So whaddya want?'' He demanded, needing to know just where all this was all going.

''Well, I'm glad you asked.'' Joe said, coming back to the moment and the business at hand. ''What I really want is for both of you to die. Thanks to you two assholes, I have to start all over again. That means recruiting and scavenging and doing all kinds of stupid shit that I already told you I really fuckin' hate having to do! You know what? I can't _begin_ to tell you how much I wish Len had never seen _either one of you!_ If you hadn't killed that dumb son of a bitch back there, I swear to_ God _I'd be doing it_ myself!''_

With his stomach rolling nervously, Daryl looked on as the gun pointing in his general direction flailed about in the air. The bastard holding it had worked himself up to the point where he was red faced and breathless, every word he said being spat out agitatedly. It was clear that the situation was starting to spiral dangerously out of control. The instability of it clawed at the surface of his skin and Daryl knew without a doubt that the vehemence being projected his way didn't bode well for anyone involved.

With his nerves frayed to a thin red line, the anger that came to him inherently seemed to stonewall any attempt he made at thinking straight. For all he knew, Beth could be laying there dying and this motherfucker wanted to stand there and bitch about all the wrongs done to him and the inconveniences that came from rectifying them? _Was he fuckin' serious right now?!_

''Ya keep sayin' all that like it's our damn fault any of us are out here!" Daryl sneered, unable to help himself as it all became too much, "In case ya forgot, we didn't ask ya to play this bullshit game 'a yours! What did ya think we were gonna do, jus' bend over an' take it? Ya don't know tha first thing 'bout me and ya _sure as shit don't know a damn thing 'bout her!''_

The sentiment echoed through the trees as the two men glared at each other heatedly. Daryl was immediately left berating himself for it, realizing almost instantly that he hadn't done himself or Beth any favors by throwing a barrage of verbal fuel on the fire. Struggling to get a grip on the situation, the nerve racking tension had caused the words to just aggressively spill out of his mouth, doing so without his knowledge and damn sure without his consent.

''That just may be true but luckily for me, I don't have to.'' Joe muttered, the demented smile on his face indicating that he was more than willing to play along, ''You see, both of you are completely dispensable to me, much like everyone else I know. I'm in this for me and me alone. I make it a personal habit not to trust anyone. That includes your brother Merle, just in case you were wondering. He was kind enough to remind me of why I prefer it that way with his little trip down to to see you in the basement. I know what he told you. Hell, there ain't a damn thing that happens in that house that I ain't aware of. With a price to be paid by everyone in the end, he'll be paying his when I get back. I reckon the two of you will be seeing each other soon enough, probably not in this world but definitely in the next. Who knows, maybe all of this was just what I needed to start off again with a clean slate… out with the old and in with the new so to speak..."

Through the residual haze left behind by the rain, Joe raised the gun and cocked the hammer back decisively, "All that being said, your participation is no longer required…''

Daryl tensed and braced himself the best he could, inanely wondering if he could survive such a thing. He had never taken a bullet before... despite the many guns that had been pulled on him over the course of the turn. Fuck it, if it was his turn to pay the piper he was as ready as he was gonna be… anything for the girl laying wounded behind him. For her, it was worth it. Standing between her and the threat presenting itself was exactly where he was supposed to be.

As he waited for the searing pain and the black stillness of death to overtake him, every fear Daryl had ever known... every shitty nightmare he'd ever had, all raced though his mind at once. He could feel the damp condensation at his neck trickle down under the collar of his vest, could hear the ambient sounds of the forest roaring in his ears…

And then… nothing.

Christ sakes, what the fuck was Joe waiting on, a goddamn written invitation? The gunshot should've been reverberating through the forest by now! Standing there with his heart pounding, Daryl almost wished it was... better that than to continue what was now an excruciating wait for it.

Thinking about Beth and all the things he wished he could've said, Daryl pried open his eyes... having not even realized that he had closed them in the first place.

Joe was still standing there with the Beretta held at the ready, a strangely vacant look plastered on his face. He blinked in confusion before looking down at his own chest, causing Daryl to do the same from where he was standing a few yards away. A patch of red bloomed at his shirt, spreading that much faster for the rain water that was already soaked there. His eyes widened in shock as the tense set of his body released and he fell face down into the dirt, landing with a heavy weighted thud to leave Merle standing there with the bayonette of his prosthetic dripping in blood.

''Motherfucker never did know when ta shut tha fuck up.'' He said nonchalantly, flicking the residue away with a sharp swing of his arm. He looked over to see Daryl staring at him slack jawed, ''What say you, Darylina? You 'bout done playin' hide an' seek out here or what?''

Completely at a loss for words, Daryl could only nod, never so glad to see his brother than he was at that very moment. He had a million questions, so many he didn't know where to begin... but asking them came secondary to what was important.

''Help me with her, will ya?'' He rushed to say instead, turning back around to Beth now that he could. ''She's hurt real bad an' there ain't much time…''

Sensing the urgency without having the need for it to be stated further, Merle came over and quickly assessed the girl for himself. Daryl could only watch as he carefully sat Beth up, taking in the bolt and the damage done by it. She hung limply on his arm while he did so, looking even paler for the time spent wasted with Joe and the hindrance he had provided.

''Jesus…'' Merle muttered, more so to himself than to his younger brother who was hovering anxiously nearby. ''What in hells name did she do? Jump in front of this fuckin' thing like it was comin' over ta say hello?''

The pallid look Daryl was giving him must have been answer enough. Reading it as such, Merle stood up with Beth in his arms, the minimal weight she added not giving him much pause. After telling Daryl to grab Joe's gun and the keys from his pocket, the elder Dixon had him stomp the man's head in for good measure before the two of them then headed off into the woods, leaving the decimated body behind them. With Merle leading the way, they discussed the situation minimally… each of them filling the other in with as few words as possible. They trudged through the remnants of the storm debris until they finally cleared the tree line to see the house sitting alone in the distance.

With everyone who had lived there now deader than shit, Daryl never thought he'd be as relieved as he was to see the place again. Despite everything that had transpired there before his time and during, it would still have the medical supplies they'd need to take care of the girl. It would also provide the safe haven for them to do so, making it the best of the few options available. For his part Merle seemed unphased as he approached it, booting the door open to carry Beth upstairs straight to her room.

He went in and laid her carefully on her bed, being sure to keep her on her side so not to put pressure on the bolt or the shoulder it was lodged in.

''Go downstairs and boil up some of the water that's kept stored in the pantry. There's a propane stove in tha kitchen, grab ya self a pot and bring it up ta me when ya done.''

''Nah, fuck that! I ain't leavin'…'' Daryl bristled.

''You'll do what I say when I fuckin' say it if what ya want is for her ta live.'' Merle bit out, his tone not brokering any further argument on the matter, ''Ya bring that hot water ta me along with all tha clean towels ya can find! Antibiotics… needle an' thread… bandages… anythin'! Ya got that?''

Swallowing at his reticence, Daryl took off to see it done, feeling much like that seven year old punk kid that had just been put firmly in his place. Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, he set the water to boiling while he scavenged through the rest of the house to find what was needed. Shoving things aside, he cursed the world and everything in it under his breath. The place was a fucking mess with trash and empty liquor bottles everywhere. When no clean towels presented themselves, he resorted to rolls of paper towels. Everything else was found easily enough in the upstairs master bathroom.

With his hands full, he carried everything back to her room, the intensity of the moment threatening to overtake him now that the crucial moment had come. His brother was sitting next to the girl on the edge of the narrow bed, having settled her down on a clean set of sheets. Daryl rounded the bed himself to see that she was surprisingly awake, her eyes lucid and clear despite the worry that was there in their depths as well. Braced carefully on her stomach with her fists curled up tightly under her chin, her back was completely bare of any potential impediment that could possibly get in the way.

Prepped for the bolt's removal, the remnants of her shirt lay in scattered pieces on the floor, having been forcibly cut from her body while he was downstairs and wasn't around to object.

''What tha fuck?'' Daryl started, sure as hell objecting now as he practically dumped the shit he was carrying onto the side table, ''Why'd ya go an' do that for?''

The gamete of hell he'd been run through in the last few hours had the question being asked before he even realized he had opened his mouth to ask it. Of course her shirt would need to go, especially if what needed to be done was going to be done right. If his head was on straight about it, he would've been the first to realize that. He hadn't expected it to be so hard seeing the girl laid out battered and bruised like she was. Just because stripping her down was a necessity didn't mean he had to fucking like it.

To his credit, Merle pointedly ignored him as he began opening the package of bandages, laying them out at the ready without saying a word. Fighting back the wave of possessiveness sweeping through him, Daryl hunched down at her side, his fingers finding a way to thread into her damp hair to tuck it gently behind her ear.

''Hey baby…'' Was all he could think to say, the worry in his voice resonating low on the air between them.

She regarded him thoughtfully as Merle used the hot water to cleanse the expanse of her back of the blood trails that stained it. His methodical actions seemed to confirm that she had obviously consented to him doing what needed to done for the bolt to come out.

''Hey…'' She whispered back, fear causing her lower lip to catch between her teeth.

''Ya know what needs ta happen here, don't ya?'' He asked quietly, doing his best to stay calm for her sake. ''It's gonna hurt somethin' fierce but there ain't nothin' for it.''

She nodded slightly. ''I know… it's ok. I can handle it''

''Pfft, damn straight ya can.'' Merle assured from behind her, his tone practically daring either one of them to say anything otherwise. ''We already talked about it, ain't that right girly? So if ya don't mind now Darylina, I'm gonna need ya ta step outside.''

Daryl quickly glanced up, his gaze hard and unyielding as it narrowed in on his brother through his hair. ''Yeah? Well too damn bad, I ain't goin' nowhere.''

''It's ok…'' Beth whispered, probably looking to avoid the holy hell that was about to be unleashed at the unexpected request. ''Really, it's alright. I… I want you to leave…''

Figuring that she couldn't possibly mean it, Daryl pulled her hand against his chest, not much giving a shit that his brother was sitting there watching. ''Nah, fuck that. I'm stayin' right here.''

Her eyes misted over at his adamance as her fingers threaded with his, ''No, you… you don't understand. I don't want you to stay. Please, I… I don't want you to see this. If you've ever had any feelings for me… I'm asking you to leave… please?''

Despite everything inside of him that wanted to stand his ground, Daryl was no match for tearful look she was giving him. The imploringly heartfelt plea lingered between them, doing so until his jaw clenched into a hard line of forced compliance.

''I'll do it but only 'cause ya askin' me to,'' He managed to say, ''… not 'cause it's what I want.''

Releasing her hand with a reassuring squeeze, he pushed himself to his feet… completely overwhelmed with the guilt that came from knowing that he had put her there as surely as if he had fired the bolt himself. It was because of him that she'd been out in the woods to begin with, because of him that Len had been able to come back around again to torment her like the piece of shit that he was. The pain she was about to go through was all his fault and was something he was going to have a hard time living with for the rest of his life.

Merle was sitting on the side of the bed silently listening to the very personal exchange, using the time it had taken for them to have it to soak the paper towels in hot water and thread the needle to the best of his limited capability. Upon seeing him struggle with the simple task, Daryl almost changed his mind, ready to damn the consequences and the dissenting protests that would come from both of them. A hardened look from his older brother was quick to dissuade him of the notion, the elder Dixon managing to remind him without a single word that he had managed to get along just fine before Daryl had stepped back into the picture and he'd do so long after he left it as well.

Almost to the door, Daryl paused for a moment and turned around to regard his brother solemnly.

''Don't think this needs ta be said but ya best be careful with her." He imparted, feeling the need to say it anyway. "I'm dead serious.''

Merle looked over at him, at his wits end with the unnecessary delay, ''Boy, ya best jus' get tha hell on outta here. Tha sooner ya do so, tha faster I can get on with this an' be done with it!''

Daryl bit down hard on any urge he had to say something else, knowing it would only be asking for trouble. After all, what good could come from telling Merle that he was now solely responsible for the only thing in this godforsaken world that was even remotely important to him? Already more intuitive than he had a right to be, the shrewd son of a bitch had probably already surmised as much from the interaction he had just witnessed. What Daryl was choosing not to say was that he best do everything in his power to make sure she survived it if he knew what was good for him… that if he didn't, hell and everything that could be rained down with it would be waiting for him downstairs. No good could come of it... not when so much was on the line, so with the sentiment lodged in this throat Daryl turned back around to leave.

His hand was on the doorknob when his brothers voice reached him from the other side of the room. Daryl looked over to see both Merle and Beth staring after him, the rigid bolt lodged in her back the only thing separating the two of them from one another. Dragging his gaze forcibly from hers, he waited to hear what his brother had to say, the connotations hitting home for him immediately as he made himself clear.

''Ya want dead serious? I'll give ya dead fuckin' serious. Don't ya open that door again for nothin', no matter what, ya understand? Ya gonna hear shit in here that ya ain't gonna like… ya ain't gonna like it one bit… but ya best jus' suck it up an' fuckin' deal with it. You come back in here an' you're puttin' her life at risk. Lock that door behind ya an' slide tha key under it when ya done. Ya leave us be an' I'll come find ya when I'm finished.''

…..

**Thank you so much for reading "What Still Lies Ahead". Please be so kind as to leave a review, I love to read each and every one of them! **


	52. Chapter 52

... Chapter 52 ...

Shoving the key grudgingly under the door, Daryl was left standing outside of the bedroom now completely locked out by his own doing. Lingering there awkwardly, he knew he should just leave it at that... he should just walk away and go downstairs so not to purposely torture himself further. For some damn reason his legs refused to cooperate.

If he listened hard enough he could hear the two of them talking even though the conversation itself was too quiet for him to make out what was being said. Beth began crying softly, the sound of it unmistakable. It was like a knife to the gut that he couldn't evade no matter how much he wanted to or how hard he tried.

Stuck in the narrow hallway and having no choice but to hear it, he started anxiously pacing the small space allotted to him. Every slight noise had his stomach clenching to the point where it was starting to become annoying. Christ sakes, what the hell was taking so long? What was Merle doing with her, discussing the goddamn weather? His brother kept the cadence of his voice soothing and calm despite the tears, doing so until an eerie silence gradually came over the room. The palpable energy of it seemed to radiate through the door and Daryl found himself subconsciously holding his breath, if only to quell the noise his own heart was making in his ears…

An sharp cry tore painfully through the air, the anguished sound of it hitting him like a hammer. Muffled sobs soon followed and it was then that Daryl knew that the bolt was finally out.

When the tears continued unrestrained, he found himself reaching for the doorknob, unable to help himself as it all became too much for him to bear. His brother's stern warning rung insistently in his ear and it stopped him dead in his tracks. With the proverbial rock on side of him and a hard place on the other, he slowly backed away. Without the key to get in, what good could come of it anyways? It was either that or just boot the damn door down and he reckoned that he'd had about enough.

Needing to clear his fucking head somewhat, Daryl went downstairs, avoiding the mess of the kitchen to go straight outside. He breathed heavily at the damp air, doing so as if it could somehow stop him from dwelling on what was happening. His fingers were gripping the strap of the Horton so tightly that his palm was sweating and his knuckles ached. Christ, what he wouldn't give for a cigarette right now. The stress had him jonesing hard and he just wanted nothing more than for this day to be over.

How the fuck had it come to this? On the outside looking in, he had been relegated to the sidelines while his brother got to stay and take care of business. Feeling temperamental and grudgy as shit about it, Daryl stewed on it for longer than he wanted, realizing deep down that he already knew the reason why.

It was because Merle wasn't as emotionally invested in the girl as he was, allowing him to have a much steadier hand and a far more level head if for some reason something went wrong. As grateful as Daryl knew he should be, he still found it hard to reconcile with. Merle was Merle after all. He didn't do a damn thing for another human unless there was something substantial in it for him. If Beth survived the ordeal, then Daryl would try and be grateful but until then, his guarded mentality about it was about as far as he was willing to go.

Pissed off and out of sorts, he did a sweep of the property's perimeter for lack of anything else better to do. When he returned to see that his brother still hadn't emerged, he did it again, this time checking the pool area he had purposely gone out his way to avoid the first time. The damn thing was still chock to the brim with walkers, most of them sluggish and slow for the weather being as wet as it was. Only a few looked up as he approached, their dead eyes eerily following his every move despite having lost the capacity to see a thing.

Wanting to take his pent up aggression out on something that could handle it, Daryl pulled his knife and unlocked the gate to the enclosure. The scent the walkers gave off was overwhelming but it provided an invisible shield that protected the house and prevented others from approaching. Still needing it to do so for the time being, he reckoned that killing off a few wouldn't make too much of a difference. Besides, the pool was right under Beth's bedroom and he was having a hard time knowing that she'd wake up to see such a grotesquely disparaging thing.

An hour or so later and he had managed to clear at least half of the walkers, the fact that they were starved beyond measure helping significantly. It made them weak and easier to manage, which suited him fine because his injured arm was throbbing like a son of a bitch. Stabbing each one, he pulled the corpse from the rest to drag it into the woods, leaving it there to continue rotting in a makeshift pile.

Completely engrossed with the task, Daryl didn't even care that it had started to rain again. The stormy weather just matched the turmoil in his mind. Worrying about the girl and the hell she was going through only served to remind him of why he had chosen not to get emotionally involved with her in the first place. It hurt as much as a physical blow… either to the heart or the gut, he couldn't even fucking tell anymore… and it went without saying that he found it confusing and about as damn unsettling as it could possibly be.

He emerged from the trees to see Merle stepping out onto the porch in the distance, an expression on his face that had him looking ten years older than he actually was. He had fresh blood stains on his shirt that stood in glaring contrast to the gloominess that hung heavily on the air between them. Daryl swiped his dirty hands down his pants and headed straight towards him, dreading what he was about to hear but needing to hear it none the less.

He flew up the stairs two steps at a time and rounded the corner of the house. ''Well?'' He said without preamble, not much caring that his brother looked exhausted.

In the process of stretching out the kinks in his back, Merle spared him a brief glance and muttered, ''Well what?''

Daryl just glared at him, his patience and fortitude already stretched beyond capacity. ''Don't fuckin' test me Merle, ya know good an' well what!''

''Put ya fire out, Darylina…'' His brother drawled in response, sitting himself down on the porch rail to make himself comfortable. ''I'm jus' poking some fun at ya expense. Can't rightly say that I've ever seen ya this worked up over a girl before. Ya makin' it almost too damn easy ta do.''

He flicked a rag from his pocket and began cleaning the blade attachment to his prosthetic, doing so like he didn't have the slightest care in the world. Daryl gritted his teeth in barely contained fury, having participated in this game more times than he cared to remember. This was so like his brother… every goddamn time… managing to make matters worse only to somehow prove his point. Finding the ruse as irritating now as he did back then, Daryl's fists tightened up on themselves, leaving his nails digging painfully into his palms.

''Is she gonna be a'right or what?!'' He demanded, _this_ close flying off the handle, ''I've been stuck out here waitin' like a fuckin' asshole while you've been in there doin' whatever it was ya were doin' with her, an' now ya gonna come out here ta try an' play this bullshit game with me?! _Fuck you!''_

Merle looked up from what he was doing, his gaze narrowing pointedly for it. Easily reading between his younger brother's lines, the elder Dixon amended himself accordingly, ''Jesus, ya best calm tha fuck down or I ain't tellin' ya jack shit.

Beyond done, Daryl stormed away to go find out for himself, his hand snatching for the screen door handle when he heard Merle say from behind him, ''She's banged up an' bruised but she's gonna be a'right, is that what ya wanna hear?''

The words managed to cut through the anger induced haze Daryl was in and he ground to a halt for hearing them, his heart hammering away at his ribs. Pulling a calming breath, he grudgingly turned back around…

''Damn bolt was stuck in her like it had a score ta settle,'' Merle finished, going back to cleaning the blade now that he had his younger brothers undivided attention again, ''...but it came out clean with some good ol' fashioned gumption an' a lil' elbow grease. The girl buckled down an' took it, I'll give her that much. She's got more spunk than most people I know.''

Daryl slowly made his way back over, the wave of relief he felt instantly quelling the fire raging within him. Having stewed on his own caustic thoughts for hours, the ill tempered tendencies that came to him naturally had all but snapped under the pressure, doing so without thought or reason. Now that he knew that Beth was going to be alright, he couldn't help but regret it… if only because it made his personal feelings that much more obvious. If his brother was looking for confirmation that he had them to begin with, the unintentional outburst more than likely just provided it.

''Yeah, well… I done told ya she was tougher than she looks.'' Daryl grumbled as he slumped back against the adjacent wall. The calloused skin around his thumb nail found its way habitually between his teeth, much as it always did when he felt uncomfortable. He watched as Merle worked the rag into the contraptions nooks and crevasses, removing the last traces of Joe's blood and anything else he felt the need to eradicate.

''I weren't doubtin' it,'' Merle shrugged in response, ''Still, best that she stays her ass in that bed, at least for a while. She's stitched up but she's gonna be sore in tha morning. I gave her some pills so she's crashed out sleepin' it off.''

Daryl regarded him for a moment before asking cautiously, ''How long do ya reckon she'll need before… ya know… she can travel again?''

His brother's gaze flew over to where he was standing. ''Why? Ya in an all fire rush ta get somewhere?''

''We ain't stayin' here, that's for damn sure.'' Daryl imparted, having figured it was a given.

Merle stood up, his full height giving him an imposing advantage that he wasn't even aware that he had. He shoved the rag back into his pocket before moving in closer to say, ''So what? Ya just gonna up an' take off like a fuckin' ghost in tha wind? An' what, drag her in ya wake even if she ain't up ta it?''

''What tha fuck does it matter ta you what I do?'' Daryl bit out, unknowingly pushing away from the wall himself to meet his brother head on, ''Ya already said ya weren't stickin' 'round these parts anyways, feel free ta take off! It's what ya good at! Way I figure, any debt ya had with Joe got cancelled tha moment ya snuffed his lights out so I reckon there ain't a damn thing keepin' ya here.''

With the tight line in his jaw ticking into overdrive, Merle's steely gaze narrowed. ''One of these days ya gonna have'ta get over that guilt trip ya insist on takin' me on lil' brother, shit's gettin' old. Everythin' ya sayin' ain't nothin' but water under my bridge so I ain't feelin' to damn poorly about it. Don't see what ya got ta complain about anyways. Ya obviously done alright for ya self.''

Daryl backed away, not even sure now himself why he was suddenly feeling so antagonistic and resentful. Maybe Merle wasn't the only one that had unresolved issues to hash out. With so much of his life spent feeling sore at his brother, it was like he was purposely trying to instigate a reason to continue doing so, despite everything Merle had done for Beth and for him as well. Pushing the underlying issues he had with him now was only fueling his own misgivings, blowing any chance he might have for a reconciliation by not leaving the past in the past where it belonged.

''I guess,'' Daryl conceded grudgingly, not sure where to begin now the opportunity had presented itself, ''...but it ain't like I had much choice in tha matter… ya weren't around. You're tha only damn family I have left.''

Merle sniffed regrettably and shook his head. ''Looks ta me like ya got a new family now Darylina an' I reckon there ain't nothin' wrong with that. I always knew you'd be alright, ya always were tha sweet one after all. Now look at ya self… damn near a settled man… with a woman an' obligations that go far beyond ya time with me.''

Daryl just shrugged uncomfortably, finding it strange to hear about himself in such a way. He wasn't going to deny it though, realizing that by doing so he would just be undermining everything he had worked so hard to achieve for himself over the last year or so. He had battled, fought and bled his way to where he was now… for himself and for the people around him. If his brother was looking for him to apologize for it, he was going to be waiting a long damn time.

Seeming to realize it for himself, Merle gave a resigned smile. ''Guessin' it don't much matter in tha long run. We were never meant ta walk tha same path, lil' brother. Turn or no turn, it weren't in tha cards. We should jus' consider ourselves fortunate that we came across each other now an' let bygones be bygones, whaddya say?''

Daryl took a moment to gaze out over the yard as he thought about it, years of bitter feelings requiring it. The rain had finally stopped, doing so completely for the first time that day. Glimmers of sunlight could be seen just past the ridge that lined the horizon, the faint glow they gave off struggling to break through the heavy cloud cover that blanketed the area. With the gloom that had accompanied the storm alleviating, he felt the emotional weight he'd been carrying ease up for seeing it, leaving him nodding soberly in agreeance for something that was long overdue.

Considering the matter settled, Merle cleared himself of any residual feelings he might have about it as well to ask, ''Where ya plan on goin' anyways?''

''Don't know. We'll figure it out. Her sisters still out there somewhere an' I reckon we're still gonna go look for her.''

Merle's perceptive gaze sharpened. ''Ya mean look for Rick.''

''Yeah, him too.'' Daryl muttered unapologetically, ''Much like tha two of us, he ain't tha same person that he was in Atlanta. He's done alright by everyone in tha group an' he proved himself ta me.''

''Like I said… always tha sweet one.'' His older brother smirked in response, sniffing knowingly to himself.

Daryl pulled a deep breath, realizing immediately just how risky what he was about to say was going to be. ''Ya could… I don't know… always come with us. Tha prison Beth told ya about ain't around no more but I'm sure Rick found somewhere else suitable. Tha man always does, no matter how damn long it takes.''

With his normally unreadable features drawing into a thin line, Merle frowned and said quietly, ''I don't know 'bout that, lil brother… maybe not this time.''

''Whats that supposed ta mean?''

Sighing, he ran his hand down his face and looked over. ''Tha day before I came across Joe an' tha other fuckers that lived here, they had just finished stumbling across another group themselves… a bunch'a assholes from a place called Terminus.''

Shrugging indifferently, Daryl just said, ''Yeah, I've heard of it… so?''

''So, Joe an' them were searchin' for someone… a fella that had killed one of their own right here in this house. They'd been out there for weeks lookin' for this bastard only ta finally catch up with him jus' as them Termites were takin' him there...''

Daryl couldn't help but wonder just where the hell his brother was going with all this. Wherever it was, he wished he would just hurry the fuck up and get there.

''Him… some punk kid in a sheriffs hat… an' a black chick carryin' a samurai sword…''

With his eyes widening, Daryl could only stare at Merle incredulously, barely believing what he was hearing. ''_What_? An' ya jus' feelin' tha need ta tell me this _now!?''_

Merle looked indignant. ''How was I supposed ta know? Ya forget that I only had one run in with the man an' it wasn't under tha best of circumstances. Tha only thing that put two an' two together for me was tha hat so ya lucky ta even know at all. Besides, be it now or later… it ain't gonna make a lick'a difference. Ain't a single person who's ever gone ta Terminus that has left it ta tell tha tale. Tha whole damn thing's a fortress, one that'll make ya prison look like afternoon walk in tha park. I don't know what goes down in it but I'm thinkin' Officer Howdy is in tha process of findin' out.''

Daryl was too shocked to be pissed. Rick's version of his brief interaction with his brother came searing back to the forefront of his memory, doing so now with his need to recall it. The two of them must have made an indelible mark on each other if Merle was able to piece together that it was Rick being spoken of based on a loose description of a hat.

''Ya should'a told me earlier.'' He groused, still feeling the need to do so despite it not helping matters any.

''Yeah well, what can I say… what's done is done.'' The elder Dixon muttered, the defensive set of his shoulders backing him up on it. ''I ain't gonna beat myself up about it. Besides, I had my reasons. I guess I was hoping that ya might wanna come down south with me… both you an' tha girl. Some of our ol' friends from Fayetteville are holed up near Tallahassee, at an abandoned army base jus' off the 319. It's fortified an' they got food an' weapons, most of it stockpiled since tha turn. It's a solid option an' as good as it gets these days… anyways, whaddya say?''

The faint glimmer of hope apparent in his brothers eyes was extinguished when Daryl said regretfully, ''Man, I can't. If Rick, Carl an' Michonne are there, then maybe her sister an' tha others are there as well. Can't jus' up an' leave without knowin', especially considerin' that they wouldn't do the same without knowin' about me. I already told Beth we'd be checkin' tha place out once tha weather clears up… what ya tellin' me jus' gives us more of a reason ta do so, is all.''

''Well... I reckon ya gonna do what ya need ta do.'' Merle said, his gaze dropping, ''Can't say I ain't disappointed.''

His usual mask of indifference quickly locked back down into place, effectively dispelling the disappointment of which he spoke of. Daryl watched as his brothers defensive mechanisms reassembled, feeling guilty as all hell but unable to do a damn thing about it. If there was the slightest possibility that Rick was alive then he owed it to his friend to find out. He could only hope that it wasn't too late, especially with Beth laid up like she was and him refusing to leave without her.

''Ya should probably take care of that arm.'' Merle said as he pointed over, ''She's gonna be laid up at least for tha rest of tha night, don't need her gettin' all pissed at me when she wakes up ta find that ya ain't been takin' care of ya self.''

Daryl looked down as though suddenly remembering that he was in pretty bad shape. Len's bolt had torn through the upper tendon of bicep, rendering clean out the other side to leave a deep gash running its width. He had used a strip of his shirt to bind it, the makeshift bandage sufficing for a while… but now the damn thing was back to bleeding and making him painfully aware of its presence by throbbing angrily.

''Yeah... _Christ_…'' Daryl hissed, peeling his jacket away to see the wound bleeding more profusely than he thought. ''Shit hurts like a son of a bitch! Always wondered what it would feel like ta take a bolt. Guessin' this is what I get for puttin' tha thought out there..''

Merle sniffed back a smirk, obviously harboring no ill will. Maybe they were both just ready to move on, having now cleared the air enough to remind each other of who they were and what they stood for. Just because they weren't together didn't mean that they were any less brothers. For his part, Daryl felt as though he was now at a place where he could appreciate that, rather than look upon it regretfully. It was just a testament of how far he had come under Rick's leadership and was something that he knew Beth would approve of.

''Bandages an' everything else ya need are still up in her room.'' Merle said, walking away to head towards the kitchen's screen door, ''Ya should go upstairs an' grab 'em… see for ya self how she's doin'. When ya done, meet me down here in tha kitchen an' I'll stitch ya up over a couple 'a beers an' a cheap cigar. I can't wait ta hear tha surely fascinatin' story of how my lil' baby brother came about ta find himself a woman that'll put up with his bullshit. Guessin' tha suns gotta shine on a dogs ass every now an' then after all! Besides, inquirin' minds wanna know an' I reckon ya owe me... seein' that I jus' saved ya life an' all!''

He chuckled to himself and disappeared into the house, the sound of his own humor trailing along behind him.

Daryl shook his head in disbelief as he watched him go, not sure if this new facet of their relationship could withstand such a tale.

He went inside himself and headed upstairs just the same, making his way quietly down the hallway to her room. Even though he was beat up to shit, he felt better than he had days. With things on the mend with his brother, he could now focus all of his attention on Beth, which was fine by him because taking care of her was the only thing he wanted to do. When she was better, the two of them could leave this place together, having somehow managed to survive against the insurmountable odds stacked against them. They had fought their way through to come out the other side, bloodied and bruised but definitely not broken.

Plus she had told him she loved him… and for Daryl, that was enough.

…..

**I know it's been a little longer than usual since I posted a chapter but I having been trying to focus only on writing for a while. This story consists of two ongoing things for me - writing of new chapters while revising the old ones. It is always easier to do the latter so I needed to take some time to do the former! I am currently starting on Chapter 57 and am very happy where it is going. Writing something like this is hard so I give credit to any writers out there who do this all the time and for multiple stories. With WSLA being my only one, I don't know how y'all do it!**

**Thank you for taking time to read "What Still Lies Ahead" as always. Please take a moment to drop a comment or review!**


	53. Chapter 53

….. Chapter 53 …..

Beth winced as Merle pressed a finger lightly to her wound, unable to help herself as the tenderness that was lingering there instantly made itself known. It had been five days since the incident in the woods and although her back was healing up nicely, there was still an ache in the upper part of her chest that refused to go away. Upon hearing the slight hiss of pain, the elder Dixon's hand froze mid air, hovering there until she gave him the go ahead to continue what he was doing.

''That still hurt there girly?'' He asked, smirking knowingly when her eyes narrowed at the now familiar nickname.

''If I say yes, are you just going to poke at it some more?'' She sassed back in return, trying not to smile herself as they fell into the familiar pattern that had now become the norm.

Merle grinned widely as he unrolled the new bandage in his hand, seeming to appreciate the disgruntled humor hidden in her tone. ''Maybe. Ya know how I love ta watch ya squirm. Gonna miss it… even if it does sometimes come with tears.''

Upon being reminded again that he was packed to leave, Beth felt her heart lurch sadly. It was hard to believe that the man had managed to finagle his way onto her good side in such a short amount of time, especially considering that she had all but set in stone the preconceived notions she'd had about him. Free of the confines of his debt and the unyielding rules of the house, Merle was like a different person… one that was still guarded but undoubtedly much easier to get along with. Thinking on it, she was sure that it was his shifting relationship with Daryl that had ultimately allowed that to happen. Despite all they had been through, the two brothers had somehow been able to reconnect again as equals, reforging the kind of bond they should've had long before their time spent here had called for it.

She would love to say that the they got along great but that just wasn't the case. There was a lifelong level of contention that still simmered between them that no amount of reconciliation was ever going to change. Both of them were stubborn... ridiculously so... and headstrong to the point of being exasperating. Beth would often listen to them downstairs, squabbling about the smallest thing one minute before joking around about it the next. They seemed to go out of their way to argue with each other, doing so until one of them either relented or just gave up for sanity's sake. She would sit there and shake her head at the complex nature of their relationship, all while being thankful that her sister was so much more easygoing.

Despite their obvious differences, they had both grudgingly found a common middle ground when it came to taking care of her. Merle had been diligent about it, to the point where Beth couldn't even sit up without his say so. Her stitches were checked and her dressings changed twice daily like clockwork until he was satisfied that she wasn't going to get an infection. It was only then that he finally allowed his younger brother to help out. Up until that point, she had barely seen Daryl and had started to believe that he hadn't wanted to see her, so it had been a complete surprise when he had been the one to open her bedroom door with clean bandages and a bowl of hot water in hand.

Tucking her hair awkwardly behind her ear, she had just sat there and stared unseeingly down at the blanket, her heart throbbing noisily in her chest. So much had happened since they were last alone together that she hadn't know what to say or how to begin saying it. She had asked Merle earlier why he hadn't come to see her and he had just shrugged it away, explaining it impassively as Daryl being Daryl. While that just might've been the case, it hadn't helped the constant heartache she had felt for missing him so much.

Daryl came over and placed everything he was carrying on her side table, setting each item down without a word. His extended silence had only made her more nervous and even now, Beth remembered sadly thinking that he hadn't wanted to come.

With her stomach in knots, she hadn't dared to look at him to verify it, even when he sat down purposely on the edge of her bed. He regarded her for a moment before quietly asking, ''Have I grown two heads or somethin' since tha last time ya seen me?''

Confused, her eyes flew up to meet his.

''Have _I?_'' She had questioned in return, completely at a loss of why he would go out of his way to avoid her.

Daryl shook his head as if fully expecting to hear such a thing. ''Nah… if anythin', ya still as beautiful as tha first damn day I met ya… standin' there on ya daddy's porch with tha sun shining through ya hair.''

Too upset with him to be placated, she had slumped back against her pillow and crossed her arms, ignoring the pain the haughty reaction had immediately caused her injured shoulder. Sweet talking her wasn't going to work, not this time.

''Oh, you remember that day,'' She had sniffed indignantly, ''I was starting to wonder if you remembered me at all.''

For some reason, the corner of his mouth notched up for hearing the sulkily spoken response.

''I'm guessin' I deserve that.'' He said as he bent down to try and catch the stubbornness of her gaze with his own, ''Trust me when I say that weren't tha case. Merle's been guarding ya door with all tha tenacity of a junkyard dog hell bent on a power trip. Any time I got close, he'd turn my ass right on back around, warning me 'bout possible infection and tha need for ya ta get some rest. Son of a bitch was adamant so I reckoned I best take his word on it. That's on me an' I know it ain't much of an excuse but… well, I'm sorry if it made ya feel like… I dunno… that I didn't wanna see ya.''

Appeased somewhat, her eyes widened, ''Wait… did you just say you're sorry? I don't think I've ever heard you apologize before, _despite_ all the things you do that warrant it.''

As if realizing that he wasn't getting off the hook for his absence that easily, Daryl just smirked and took the pointed comment in stride. ''Yeah... well, you know me. If given a choice, I'll always prefer ta jus' beat 'round tha bush an' hope that ya understand what I'm tryin' my damndest ta say. Anyway, don't see why I'm tha one havin' ta apologize. If anyone should be sayin' sorry round here, I reckon it's you. I done told ya a million times I can't deal with tha fuckin' heart attacks ya giving me an' then ya go an' give me the biggest one of 'em all.''

With that said, he had reached over and purposely dropped a washcloth into the bowl of hot water, doing so before tearing open a fresh package of bandages with his teeth.

Unable to help herself, she had just stared at him longingly, her heart subconsciously entreating to him for the personal connection she knew they still had. It wasn't so fragile that something like this could fracture it, was it? She had done what she needed to do for a reason and that reason was still there for her.

''I'm not sorry.'' She had whispered, meaning it.

Serious again himself, Daryl had looked back over at her and pulled a deep breath, unknowingly worrying his lower lip between his teeth. Realizing that he had a tendency to do that when he was about to say something that she didn't want to hear, she swallowed at her trepidation and had braced herself to hear it, her fingers knotting tightly into the blanket in her lap.

''I know ya ain't,'' He had responded just as quietly, ''… but I am. It's my damn fault that ya were out there ta begin with. All this right here? All 'a this could'a been avoided if I had jus' killed that mangy bastard when I had tha chance. God knows I've regretted it, to tha point where I can barely live with my fuckin' self. I made ya a promise that he would never hurt ya again, only ta have it come back an' bite me in tha ass an' put you square in that bed. All this happened 'cause of me and I ain't gonna lie, tha guilt of it's layin' me low.''

Her sore shoulder had slumped in relief, if only for knowing that it wasn't just his brother that had kept him away after all. Why it was important, she couldn't say… she just knew that it was. While it was so like Daryl to unmercifully beat himself up about such a thing, the situation in question and everything that came with it was not his to do so. Not when she was the one that had made the choice… a choice she would make again without a second thought.

''First of all, I didn't get hurt because of you. Len would've hurt me a lot more back at that store if given the chance, him and Harley both… you stopped them.'' She tentatively reached over and took his hand in hers, pulling it into the cradle of her lap. ''I told you before that there are still good people in the world… that you were one of them, I still believe that… just like when I said that I loved you, I meant it. You didn't do this to me, I did this to myself because I didn't want anything to happen to you.''

Still seeming to be unconvinced, he had eyed her skeptically before muttering, ''If ya love me so damn much, gettin' ya self shot is a strange way of showin' it.''

''Sometimes these things take a grand gesture.'' She had shrugged, struggling to keep her composure as his fingers threaded through hers to send a jolt of electricity running down her arm. ''As I said, I'm not sorry for what I did. I don't feel bad about it and I don't want you to feel bad about it either. I'd do it again… no matter how mad I know you'd be at me.''

As if suddenly being reminded of his point all along, Daryl released her hand and stood up, pressing his palms to his brow in frustration as her words had hit home.

''I _am_ mad at ya… I'm mad as hell… but I'm gonna have'ta wait until you're up an' movin' before I give ya tha spanking that ya know you deserve.'' He looked over at her, clearly still struggling to come to terms with her decision. ''It should never have come ta that! An inch or so ta the right an' it would've been game over for you _and_ for me! That's an inch that I'm havin' one hell of a hard time livin' with so you bet ya ass I'm mad. It's exactly what you said ta me tha night that horde came rollin' through tha cemetery. Ya risked ya life an' for nothin'…''

''Not for nothing! For you! No more and no less than what you would do for me!''

At his wits end, Daryl turned around. ''Nah, that's where ya wrong. There's a difference. You're worth it, I ain't!''

She sat up against her pillow and put an ardent hand to her chest, ''You're worth it to_ me! _You can stand there and say that to me all you want if it makes you feel better but it's not going to change a thing! I'm not the same timid girl you met that day at my daddy's farm Daryl, I'm allowed to put as much on the line as anyone else for the people that I care about!''

''I ain't tryin' ta stand here an' say that ya can't,'' He argued, ''I jus' don't want ya doin' it for me. Ya don't get it. I couldn't live with myself if somethin' bad happened to ya an' without ya with me… well, I wouldn't fuckin' want to!''

The unexpected declaration proceeded to hang on the air between them, leaving them both staring at each other. Daryl had immediately looked uncomfortable for expressing it, as he always tended to do when he unknowingly bared his true feelings. For her part, she had just taken the adamantly spoken sentiment for how it had been meant, the intended significance and the reason behind it reminding her yet again of why she loved him so damn much.

''Oh… so can I take that to mean that you _do_ care for me then?'' She had asked, looking for a lighthearted way to break the sudden tension. Elated beyond measure, she had been unable to help herself. ''…because for a moment there I thought you were just purposely trying to be stubborn, hard headed and stuck in your ways.''

When his gaze narrowed at her poor attempt, she added quickly, ''Seriously, what's done is done and I don't want to talk about it anymore. I've missed you. Do you think that maybe we can just move past all this and get back to how we were before?''

Somewhat placated, Daryl resignedly sat back down on the bed. ''Is that what ya want?''

She had just nodded, meaning it sincerely and hoping that it came across that way.

''Guessin' that's what we'll do then.'' He conceded, clearly relieved himself despite his inherent need to hide it. ''Way I figure, after all this you'll be lucky if I let ya outta my sight anyways. Right now though, I'm jus' gonna kiss ya an' then change these bandages. My brother's probably gonna come bustin' in any time now, wonderin' what tha hell's takin' so long. I'd hate ta have'ta kick his ass for no damn good reason.''

She had just sat there and waited for him to follow though with his promise, instantly breathless and with her pulse throbbing appealingly under her skin. He didn't disappoint, closing the small space between them to slide his hand purposely into the loose length of her hair. Fisting it between his fingers, his mouth had found hers… insistent and warm as he had nudged the softness of her lips apart. Unable to remember the last time he had well and truly done so, she had achingly lost herself in the moment… everything that had happened to that point fading away as his tongue had swept possessively into her mouth.

He followed up the lengthy kiss with a smaller gentler one before pulling away, grinning knowingly as she was left panting for air. Assured once more and feeling deliriously euphoric for it, she had smiled in return as they both reached the mutual connection she had been looking for to begin with.

Daryl had just finished changing her dressings when Merle burst through the door, looking none to pleased for the very reasons she had been warned about. After that, they had all fallen into a routine that had allowed for an easy camaraderie, both brothers taking care of her in self designated shifts. Any free time had was spent in the garage fixing up the Triumph. Daryl had retrieved the motorcycle from where he had dumped it almost immediately, wanting to take advantage of his brother's help while he was hanging around long enough to give it.

She had been told about Rick and the others potentially being at Terminus just last night, over a sparsely lit dinner of squirrel meat and hot soup. Daryl had justified keeping the information from her by saying that he wanted her to focus only on getting better first, so that way she could go with him to check the place out. He was quick to add that his first inclination had been to leave her behind so she wasn't allowed to be upset. It was then that Merle had informed them both of his decision to finally leave.

Although she knew it was coming, she couldn't help but to be a little sad about it. Behind the elder Dixon's orneriness was a good man, one that she had grown to appreciate. Much like his younger brother, a lot of his bluster was due to a shitty childhood that he had barely managed to escape. While Daryl's feelings about it were carried around in the form of the scars on his back, Merle's were much more internalized, held unyieldingly close to the chest to be used as a shield that made him damn near unapproachable to anyone or anything that would even care to try. It had taken her one hell of an injury but she had somehow managed to do it and was now left wishing that he didn't have to go.

''You could just stay you know.'' She said, putting it out there quietly as she returned to the moment.

Merle tsked and put the cap back on the tube of antiseptic. ''Pfft, already stayed longer than I planned. Only reason I did was ta see ya injury through an' ta help Darylina with that piece a' shit bike of his. With both officially on tha mend, I reckon I've done my part.''

He paused before regarding her seriously, ''Besides, ain't no room for a third wheel where ya goin' an' even if there was, I wouldn't wanna be it. Terminus ain't no joke an' ya best believe it. When ya get there, ya make sure my brother don't go barreling in through tha front door like he owns tha fuckin' place, ya hear? Ya go in quiet an' stay under tha radar. Don't ya go riskin' ya life again jus' 'cause Daryl's got some misguided loyalty to an ex deputy sheriff who's most likely dead by now.''

''It's not just him.'' Beth felt the need to emphasize, ''Rick's done a lot for both of us… and you don't know, maybe my sister and Glenn are there as well. Don't you see? We have to at least try.''

Merle sighed, having realized a while ago that she was just as damn stubborn as both him and his brother combined. ''I ain't sayin' that ya shouldn't, I'm jus' tellin' ya ta be careful is all. I hate ta think all tha work I put into fixin' ya up was all jus' for nothin'.''

She smiled at his disgruntled tone. ''I'll be careful, I promise.''

He stood up and went over to the window, pushing the curtain aside to look down and see Daryl waiting for him in the driveway below. ''That's all I need ta hear. Jus' so ya know, I'm taking the truck an' leaving the LTD here ta burn along with tha rest of this place. It'll get me to where I'm going an' tha damn thing's big enough ta run over anythin' that tries ta stop me from gettin' there."

Turning around, he looked over to find her staring at him pallidly. ''I'm glad ya stopped yellin' at me enough for me ta get a chance ta know ya.'' He muttered begrudgingly, ''Ya been a pain in my ass but I know ya wouldn't have it any other way.''

Beth pulled a ragged breath to ask, ''Will we ever see you again?''

Merle's gaze dropped to the floor, both of them already knowing the answer. Instead he shrugged and said with a forced air of confidence, ''In this day an' age, who can say. Never say never, right? I wouldn't put it past myself to hit up these parts again at some point in tha future, bein' tha travellin' man that I am an' all. If I do, I'll look ya up in tha phone book an' give ya a call.''

Grinning, he headed for the door to open it, lingering there for a moment before turning back around. ''Whatever tha hell happens, it's enough for me ta know my brother's alive an' well. Tha both of ya are set an' there's nothin' much else I would want for him… or for you for that matter.''

When the door went to close behind him, Beth rushed to call out his name. Upon hearing it, he reappeared to look at her questioningly.

''Thank you,'' She imparted sincerely, her eyes misting over. ''… for everything.''

He gave her a wink. ''Ya ain't gotta thank me girly, an' ya know what? Ya never will.''

With that he was gone, shutting the door with a finality that was overwhelming. On the verge of tears, Beth pushed herself from the bed and went over to the window he had just vacated, the one that overlooked the driveway. There, she watched as he spoke meaningfully to Daryl, their voices too low to be heard through the thick glass of the window pane. Both of them seemed to be at peace with the decisions they had made and they embraced briefly, patting each other awkwardly on the back.

Merle climbed into the drivers seat of the F250 without another word being said. The engine shook at the rafters as he peeled out of the driveway, likely ignoring the cabs rearview mirror as he headed out for the interstate that would take him to Tallahassee.

Beth swallowed hard at her emotions as Daryl just stood there for a moment staring forlornly at the ground. He kicked a rock out from under his boot, obviously struggling hard to come to terms with what had just happened. She didn't have to guess what he was thinking... right now she was thinking it too. His brother was leaving him yet again and this time there was going to be no coming back from it.

She let the curtain fall back into place, her heart aching for him. Crawling back into bed, she waited for him to come to her… only wiping the tears away when she heard his footsteps on the stairs.

…..

**Another chapter so soon? This is a thank you! I now have over 300 followers, a milestone for me! I can't think of a better way to celebrate so I hope you enjoyed this bonus chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**Please leave a comment or a review and let me know what you think!**


	54. Chapter 54

….. Chapter 54 …..

Beth looked on as Daryl finally picked an exit, relieved more than she could say. They had been traveling the highway for what felt like forever, a distance that would've normally taken an hour stretching into half a day. The sheer amount of abandoned vehicles in their way had made it so, most of them rusted, ruined and strewn all over the road. They were an unnerving testament to what the turn had left behind and became a potential risk that Daryl chose to bypass carefully so not to draw unwanted attention to themselves.

They had left the house in Butler earlier that day, right after Daryl had set fire to it as promised. Using what little gasoline that could be siphoned from the tank of the LTD, he had doused both the home and the pool with it before tossing what was left onto the car itself. A couple of lit matches later and it had all had gone up in flames, the early morning breeze not providing much of a hindrance as the fire caught on. The two of them hadn't said a word as they watched it do so from next to the motorcycle. Unlike the moonshine house, there was no feeling of catharsis … no tentative hope for the future… just a mutual need to leave the whole damn place behind like the unfortunate memory it was destined to be.

The bike had been packed with anything that had been salvageable, most of it shoved into a backpack that Beth had found in the spare bedroom closet. In it went clothes and what little food had been left, along with some toiletries and a few medical supplies. Daryl found where Joe had hidden the rest of his bolts so they were all locked back on the Horton where they belonged. With the weapon being so much a part of himself, he probably felt incomplete and bereft without them. What was left of the gasoline went into the Triumph and they had taken off soon after, the crossbow safely attached to a mount Merle had fabricated on the bikes handlebars.

It had been two days since his brother had left and Daryl still hadn't really talked about it. He had come up to her room just as she knew he would... laying down beside her to draw deep within himself as was his nature. She had chosen not to push the issue, realizing how unfair it would be. Instead, she had just moved over to make room for his much larger frame and had curled herself protectively around him, falling asleep that way to wake up the next morning alone.

Without the enormity of Merle's presence around, the house itself had felt like even more of an empty shell. If Daryl was still struggling to come to terms with his absence, he went out of his way to make sure she'd be the last one to know it. On one hand he had reconciled with his brother, which considering that he never expected to see him again was probably more than he'd ever expected. On the other was the sheer amount of pride swallowing effort it had taken for him to get to that point, effort that had likely lodged in his throat like a bitter pill when Merle had taken off again without so much as even a backwards glance.

Despite his somber mood, Daryl had insisted on staying at the house for a couple more days. He had wanted to give her the time she needed to recover while they were still in a somewhat safe enough place for her to do so. While the sentiment had been appreciated, Beth had personally wished they were leaving. Stuck in bed for days on end, it went without saying that she was sick of it. Lacking anything else better to do, her mind kept dwelling on what had happened with Billy in the forest, the recollection coming back to haunt her far too often than it should. With the guilt that came with it trying its damndest to take root, it had made her feel like a prisoner... the four walls of the room trapping the horrible memory in around her like a cage there was no escaping from.

As observant as Daryl had a tendency to be, he had hesitantly broached the subject of it with her just last night while he had been changing her bandages. Out of the blue, he had told her that he knew what she had done… that Joe had inexplicably felt the need to tell him of it before he died… and he wanted to see how she was feeling about it now that the incident was over and it was just the two of them alone.

Sitting there stunned, she had quickly shut him down… decidedly not ready to talk about it and preferring to take the whole sordid ordeal to the grave rather than to have him worry about her for a moment more than he was already doing. Soothing it over with him as much as she could, she had blamed her muted demeanor on her injury. By then, Daryl had been so uncomfortable with the conversation that he hadn't known what to think. His gaze had narrowed skeptically but for some reason he chose not to push her on the issue. She had been beyond grateful for it, kissing him for caring before saying that she was tired.

That had been the end of it... or so she had thought. After a fitful nights sleep, she had been woken up this morning to him telling her that they were leaving. With the sun rising in the distance and the rain holding off for a few days now, he reckoned the house and everything that came with it was now dry enough to torch. Feeling nothing but an overwhelming sense of relief, she couldn't say what had caused him to change his mind. She just knew that she had been on the verge of drastic measures for being cooped up in the room for so long, feeling so hemmed in by it she could scream.

Daryl gruffly told her to get together what she needed and to meet him downstairs in ten, making it clear that he intended them to be on the road soon after. Pushing herself eagerly from the bed, she got fully dressed for the first time in days and took the last few moments to brush her teeth and sweep her hair from her face. She had paused to look at herself in the mirror while she did so. Other than the paleness in her cheeks and the dark circles under her eyes, she showed no outward appearance of the injury that was still doing its best to heal itself. That suited her just fine. Barely able to feel the wound anymore, she was done with dealing with it.

Leaving the bathroom, she had excitedly thrown the few items she had collected in the bag and had ran down the stairs, stepping outside just as he was pushing the bike out from around the side of the house.

''Where are we going?'' She rushed to ask, reveling in the cool morning breeze. ''Are we going to Terminus?''

Daryl stopped to regard her for a moment, the sharp intuitiveness of his gaze missing nothing. He heeled down the bikes kick stand and let it tilt over on its own weight.

''Nah, not yet.'' He said carefully, ''Way I figure, it ain't going nowhere so I reckon it can wait for one more day. We're gonna make a pit stop first.''

Confused, her brows drew. ''A pit stop?''

''Nothin' dangerous,'' He assured, ''… jus' somewhere other than here. We're both in strung out shape. Whatever it is we're walkin' into tomorrow, I want us ta be ready for it an' I ain't much carin' what kind'a sanctuary it's sayin' it is. Ya need ta get a good nights rest an' this place ain't cuttin' it anymore. Got somewhere else in mind. That a'right with you?''

She had just smiled and nodded... so happy to be going anywhere else that she honestly didn't care where it was.

Climbing onto the back of the bike, she waited as he took care of his business, setting everything on fire as he seemed hell bent and determined to do. She didn't think to ask him why it had been so important, knowing that once he set his mind to doing something there was little that could be said or done to dissuade him of it. Instead, she had watched the house burn from a safe distance and hadn't felt the slightest bit sorry to see it go.

With the roof falling in on itself, Daryl had come back over to strap a roll of blankets and some other provisions to the back of the Triumph before getting on himself and starting the engine. She had wrapped her arms around him, holding onto his waist as he had sped out of the cul-de-sac in a hail of gravel. Of the two of them, only she had the fortitude to take a look back… sparing the place a second glance as the fire could somehow purge her of all the nightmares she had acquired there.

They had gotten back on the highway to ride it for miles, leading them to where they were now. Daryl had managed to avoid not only the clusters of cars in their way but also the multiple walkers that were trapped between them as well. The trek itself was harrowing but he seemed completely unphased by it, weaving the bike around the chaos like the experienced rider she knew him to be.

Very tired and with her shoulder aching something fierce, she laid her head against his back. He would sometimes let his hand rest upon her thigh, the fleeting touches letting her know without words that he was thinking of her.

In the heat of the moment, she had told him that she loved him and she was determined not find it within herself to regret it. An openhearted person by nature, her love for him burned within her like a beacon and had only gained traction over time. For his part, Daryl had chosen not to acknowledge it despite there being several occasions over the last week where he could've easily done so. Focused solely on recovering, she had ultimately decided to accept his silence rather than to have hurt feelings about it. Daryl was Daryl after all and he kept his emotions hidden under the best of circumstances. Not one for grand declarations, she realized that she wouldn't want him to be. She loved him for who he was and as far as she was concerned, his actions spoke louder than words.

With her feelings for him somehow managing to prevail over the more disparaging ones she was desperate to leave behind, Beth had fallen asleep at his back like she had never slept before. Waking up a short time later, she saw that he was finally pulling off of the highway. She wanted to ask him where they were going but didn't dare take the chance, not wanting to distract him in case they ran into any kind of trouble. They eventually ended up on a heavily wooded back road of some kind, one that was clear of any impediments that could make things difficult. It indicated that it was nowhere near anything of importance even though the exit they had taken to reach it had no sign to say so one way or the other.

The long stretch of asphalt looked vaguely familiar for some reason and it was only when they cleared the dense tree line that she was finally able to figure out why. Acres upon acres of untilled farmlands came into view, all of them sprawling for as far as the eye could see. She looked around in surprise, barely believing that they were back on the road to Piedmont. Did he purposely mean to bring them here?

The last time she had seen the road was the night of the store incident when Daryl and herself had been stuck walking it for miles on end. The neglected plots of land it ran between had flourished since then, the recent rain causing each one to flower into a spectrum of unhindered color that went on to the horizon. They shimmered and swayed ethereally as the afternoon breeze swept over them in waves. Beth felt her heart lighten instantly for seeing it, finding the sight to be beautiful. The depleted wastelands of that fateful night had mirrored her broken mentality but like her, they had weathered the storm to come out the other side stronger and more resilient.

Feeling better than she had in days, she pushed her hair from her face and wondered just where it was Daryl was taking her. The mortuary had been destroyed by the fire, was it possible that he knew of somewhere else in Piedmont that would suffice? Her question was soon answered when he pulled off to the side of the road, the tires of the Triumph sinking heavily into the gravel. There… sitting in the distance, was the old barn the two of them had slept in that night so long ago. Her eyes widened for looking at it, having not thought in a million years that this was where he wanted to go.

He cut the engine off and gave a cursory glance over his shoulder, probably to gage her reaction.

''The _barn?''_ She smiled in disbelief, ''_This_ is where you had in mind?''

''I said nothin' dangerous...'' He smirked, holding the bike steady between his legs so she could climb stiffly off its back, ''Don't know 'bout you but I ain't seen a walker for miles.''

Unlatching the Horton from the handlebars, he handed it over to her so he could push the bike to the barns entrance on foot. Utilizing a dirt path that led from the road, he made sure to do so as quietly as possible, looking around the whole time for anything that the two of them would need to worry about. The land the barn sat on was completely overgrown, making it look so much different than their first time here. The tall grass managed to obscure the dead animal carcasses that still lay rotting out in its midst while also hiding any other potential problems as well. As they walked, she made sure to stay alert for any movement out of the ordinary.

Beth held the crossbow at the ready and trailed behind Daryl without saying a word, feeling happier and more excited than she knew she had a right to be. What had initially stuck her as a surprising choice of destinations had quickly become a very appealing one. The barn was far away from anything important, making it secluded and private. The two of them would be all alone... cut off from the world and the harsh reality that came with it, at least for the night.

Hearing the sound of the river flowing nearby, she suddenly realized why Daryl had chosen to bring her here of all places. He had somehow known how awful she'd been feeling… known it despite everything she had done to try and hide it from him. Remembering how much the bath she had taken here had helped before, he was likely hoping that it might do so again. Beth could feel her heart swell affectionately that he would think to do such a thing, touched by it more than she could say. The allure of the river called out to her as thoughts of washing away all that had happened back at the house became almost overwhelming. She could barely wait to get in the water, if only to cleanse herself of the memory once and for all.

Daryl stopped just outside of the barns entrance and gave a glance around before letting the bike tilt over silently on its kickstand. He took the crossbow from her and went over to the door, putting his ear against it before banging on it hard with the flat of his hand. Hearing nothing amiss, he pushed it open to go inside only to pause for a moment and turn back around, his gaze narrowing in on her…

Looking as though he had a serious bone to pick, he indicated for her to come over to him with a determined crook of his finger. Confused, Beth warily did as he asked… fully expecting to be told something she didn't want to hear once she got there. As soon as she stopped in front of him, he pulled her in close... his mouth finding hers to kiss her hard.

Beth gasped against him, caught completely off guard as the excitement she was already feeling instantly bloomed into something alluringly more. It set her pulse to racing as she closed her eyes, surging up onto her toes to pull him against her by the frayed edge of his jacket. She had no idea how far he planned on taking the kiss and at this point she really didn't care, her mouth opening willingly to invite him in.

His tongue delved inside to engage with hers, probing and insistent for having received the kind of response he had come to expect. The crossbow hung forgotten at his side and it wasn't until he finally pulled away that she felt she could breathe again, the dizzying aspect of the brief interaction leaving her yearning.

She was left staring up at him, panting for air as the confusion that had been there before came rushing back in spades. ''What… was that… for?''

He reached up to graze the calloused pad of his thumb along her lower lip, having noticed that he had left the area slightly swollen. ''Ya once told me a while ago that you'd do what I asked if I jus' asked ya nicely. Well, this is me nicely askin' ya ta stay ya ass here… jus' in case ya were, I dunno… feelin' differently about it.''

She didn't even get a chance to respond before he was gone, disappearing inside the darken interior of the barn to sweep through the entire thing in less than five minutes flat. The man could clear a building faster than anyone she knew. Beth looked back out again to the lake while he was gone, feeling slightly guilty for reveling so much in the moment. With the sun glistening on the waters surface and the feel of his lips still lingering on her own, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to the rest of the night and whatever might come along with it.

Daryl came back out to say it was clear before prying the door open wider so she could slip under his arm.

''Looks like nothings changed, least not since tha last time we were here.'' He muttered, waving a hand against the floating hay particles that had been kicked up by his steps. ''Place is still dusty as shit but I reckon it'll do for whatever we're needin' it for.''

''Is that right. Hmm… and what might that be?'' She teased, her lower lip snagging on a smile when he just turned around to stare at her in disbelief.

The innuendo she was not so subtlety alluding to caused an immediate flush of color to sear across his face. The way she figured he really only had himself to blame. She hadn't asked him to kiss her but seeing that he had, it had only served to remind her of that particularly stirring aspect to their relationship. The feel of his body against hers had turned her on, despite it not being what he had probably intended. With the two of them now enticingly alone with each other, the reaction caused everything that was feminine within her to jump alluringly back on point, the long dormant awareness exciting her beyond measure.

''Stop,'' Daryl groused, not unkindly. ''I didn't bring ya here for that.''

''I know...'' She assured, quickly realizing that he might not have known she was teasing, ''but I still appreciate you bringing me here anyway, even if it's only for one night. You really have no idea how much I wanted to leave that house.''

Daryl dropped his gaze to his feet, a guilty look crossing his face.

''Yeah, well… this place ain't much ta look at but it's tha only thing I could think of that's quiet an' out of the way.'' He looked back up to regard her seriously before pulling a hesitant breath, ''Listen… since ya brought it up... I know that what happened to ya back there has been weighin' on ya hard an' ya don't need ta talk 'bout it if ya ain't feelin' inclined to. I jus' want ya ta know that it weren't my intentions ta keep you stuck in that bed dwellin' on it for days on end... I jus' wanted ta give ya some time ta recover, is all.''

Beth just stood there with her heart pounding, not quite sure that she was ready to discuss the matter further. The explanation he deserved was stuck in her throat, making her eyes water. It gradually loosened somewhat for seeing the supportive look he was giving her and she swallowed hard at it, realizing that it might be best to be truthful with him so she could move past it herself once and for all.

''I swear I'm not purposely trying to keep things from you. I… I'm just having a hard time dealing with the fact that I killed a man… a person who was living and breathing like me. Despite all the things that I've done, I've never had to go that far before and… and I guess I'm still struggling with it. The guilt is making it difficult for me to convince myself that I did the right thing and staying in that house was only making it worse. I'm trying to come to terms with it and figure it out… it's just going to take time...''

She was left staring at him apprehensively, hoping that he understood what she was trying her best to say. The last thing she'd ever want was for him to feel sorry for her… especially seeing of how far the two of them had come. This was her own burden to bear and she would rather bear it alone for all eternity than to see an ounce of pity reflected in his eyes. Beth felt her shoulders lock down upon her slim frame accordingly as she prepared herself for his response.

''Did he hurt ya?'' He asked quietly, needing to know without pushing too hard for details.

Her gaze dropped down to the scattered hay at their feet. ''No more than I hurt him. It doesn't matter now anyway, it's over. He's dead and nothings going to change that.''

Daryl came over to where she was standing, the dust in the air swirling in his wake. He swept his fingers into her hair to tuck it gently behind her ear, a gesture that was becoming more and more endearing to her each time he did it. Beth hummed against hand, unable to help herself as she looked for the kind of reassurance that only he could provide.

''We ain't gonna talk about it again, not unless ya want to,'' He said assuredly, ''Jus' remember, ya said you could handle ya self and ya did. Sometimes that has ta be consolation enough an' ya gotta learn to live with it. Ya survived an' that's what matters. Except for that whole-steppin' in front of a bolt an' scaring tha shit outta me-thing, that's all ya can do.''

She smiled against the hand that was lingering on her face, making the corner of his mouth notch up as well. The teasing reminder was a lighthearted way to ease the heavy pall that had fallen over the conversation and by the time his fingers dropped away, Beth felt a lot better for having talked to him about it. Thinking on it now, she should've known that she would.

Daryl stepped away, seemingly relieved himself for finally knowing. ''C'mon, let's go see what kind 'a state that beds in while it's still light enough ta do so. I'm gonna head out afterwards an' find somethin' ta kill for dinner… maybe another rabbit as long as they ain't all hiding out. While I'm gone, why don't ya head down ta tha river an' go swim… take a little time ta ya self.''

''I _knew_ you brought me here so I could have a bath!''

''So we both could.'' He said matter of factly, slinging the Horton over his shoulder so he could head up the ladder that led up to the loft. ''Way I reckon, I'm long overdue. Jus' because I've got an aversion ta soap an' water don't mean I wanna continue stewin' in my own filth.''

Beth laughed as she followed him up to the top level. Once there, she saw that he hadn't been lying… everything did look the same. The floor was still covered in hay, most of it blown all over the place. Without loft doors to provide any kind of protection, the winds of the storm had free reign to do as they pleased. The warm sun was the only thing streaming in now though and if Beth was being honest with herself, she found everything about it to be appealing.

''Think ya can reassemble this on ya own?'' Daryl asked, the broad set of his shoulders relaxing for the first time since getting here. ''There's only a few hours left in tha day an' if I'm huntin', it's best that I get on with it…''

When Beth nodded, he reached into the waistline of his pants and produced Joe's gun. ''Here, take this jus' in case. I ain't goin' so far where I won't hear it. There's blankets an' clean towels on tha back of tha bike, jus' leave me one down by tha river an' I'll use it when I get back.''

With that said he was gone, climbing back down the ladder to leave her standing in the empty loft by herself.

Beth looked around, more excited than she could say to get started. Her mind instantly began to prioritize the things she wanted to do in the order that she wanted to do them. First things first, she quickly made the bed... working up a sweat as she kicked and shoved the hay into a pile that would suffice. Flattening it out, the blankets went on top to make it much more comfortable than sleeping on the bare hay itself.

Next came setting up camp outside. Daryl hadn't specifically asked her to do such a thing but the way she figured, she might as well seeing that she had the time. Having a fire ready to go just meant that they could both eat that much sooner and being as hungry as she was, that was a good thing. Beth gathered sticks and twigs and anything else that would burn and put them all in the fire pit he had created from before. While she did so, she recalled doing the same thing so long ago when they had eaten the mudsnake before going to the country club. Her and Daryl's relationship had changed so much since then, it was almost unbelievable.

With the bike unpacked and everything set, Beth finally got around to doing the one thing she'd been looking forward to. Grabbing the gun, the towels and the few toiletries they had managed to bring with them, she ran down to the water to find it cloudy but calm despite the recent storms. Taking a moment to search through the nearby brush, she located the pile of old clothes she had left there from before. Buried in the sand beneath them was the travel kit she had accidentally left behind as well. Ecstatic for finding it, she opened up the water proof case to see her toothbrush, some toothpaste, a razor, a comb and what was left of the shampoo and conditioner she had used.

Taking the items down to the waters edge, she set them all on a fallen log that lay caught up on the river bed. The gun Daryl gave her was placed there as well as she stiffly got undressed.

All of the constant movement of the last hour had her shoulder throbbing painfully and it had decided to finally make itself known. Beth gingerly peeled her bra off, wincing for having to reach behind her back for the clasp. The rest of her clothes had been scavenged from the box in the closet but this was the only one she had, she wanted to wash it while she could. Left standing there in nothing but a bandage and her underwear, she shivered against the cold as the frigid temperature of the water nipped repeatedly at her toes.

In the process of trying to comb the tangles from her hair, she heard a faint noise come from behind her. Beth froze but didn't turn around, holding her breath in an effort to make sure her ears weren't playing tricks on her. The muted snapping happened once more and she instantly went for the gun, flashbacks of Billy sneaking up on her from behind searing to the forefront of her memory. She spun around... not knowing what to expect but fully prepared to rid herself of it once and for all.

The sights of the gun lined up perfectly as her finger tightened on the trigger… a dark cloud of fear, anger and guilt descending heavily as the recollection of his hands around her throat obscured her vision and choked her breathing. It was only at the very last moment that she was able to see through the stifling haze to realize that it wasn't some ghostly apparition she was about to kill at all...

It was Daryl.

….

**I apologize that this chapter is being posted a little later than usual but I have been writing non stop and wanted to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, another set back came when I had just finished writing chapter 60 and saw that my computer had erased chapter 57 for reasons unknown (actually, not so unknown… I use both a iPad and a Macbook when I write and things like that happen when you save on one device but not on the other) After throwing a mini temper tantrum where I cursed both extensively, I figured I'd better rewrite the dang thing while I still had it somewhat fresh enough in my head to do so. Sigh… these things take time.**

**To make it up to you, I promise that I will post again within the week!**

**Thank you as always for sticking with 'What Still Lies Ahead' through all these ups and downs! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and please leave a review!**


	55. Chapter 55

... Chapter 55 ….

Looking down the cold barrel of the gun, Daryl slowly held up his hands.

''S' jus' me…'' He said as calmly as possible, not wanting to chance that she might not actually realize it.

Beth was just staring at him, the gun held unnervingly steady in her hand. He had seen that look before, more times than he cared to recall… that post traumatic dead-eyed stare that was all too familiar since the turn. Detached from reality, it came from snuffing out a life and was something that never truly went away. Instead it just faded over time as it did for all of them, the accumulated horrors dulling its impact until it became like second nature.

The girl had looked at him that way before, right after the store incident when he had pulled her out from under Harley's dead fat ass. She had stared right through him, much like she was doing right now... her eyes glazed over as though trapped in a recollection that there was no escaping from. That unnervingly vacant look was partially the reason why he had brought her back here, despite the fact that it was nowhere near where they needed to be. The bath she had taken had done wonders for her then and he was hoping against all hopes that it would do the same for her now.

He had known that something was wrong back at the house, something that had nothing to do with her injury... but he just hadn't known how to confront her about it. While Merle was around, it had been easier for them both to ignore, his brother's dominant personality encompassing any conversation that could possibly be had about it. She had seemed fine… happy even, until Merle had bailed and it was just the two of them alone. It was then that he had watched her steadily decline, the deafening silence left in his brothers wake forcing the ramifications of what had happened in the woods to come back and haunt her. Even when he had tried to talk to her about it, she had resisted his efforts… to the point where he had finally decided that he'd had about enough.

The house they were in had become a problem. What he saw as a safe haven, she saw only as a prison and he was done with it, realizing that his need to protect her was just causing her to be miserable. He couldn't do it… not anymore, not with the guilt of her injury still weighing down upon him enough to keep him awake at night. He'd been struggling to come to terms with it long before his brother had left and he was still doing so now. To see her so unhappy hadn't helped at all so it was then that he had decided it was time for them to leave as well. When informed of his decision, Beth had looked relieved... so much so that he had felt like the world's biggest dick for forcing her to stay for so long. As much as he wanted to say it was for her own good, it had really been for his own and deep down he knew it.

He had packed the bike up for the trip knowing one thing and one thing only. If the two of them were to head straight to Terminus in the shit poor sorry state they were in, it would undoubtedly get them killed. Injured and exhausted, they had been wrung through a trial that had them both looking bad and feeling worse. They needed to hole up somewhere safe, at least for the night. That was when the idea of the barn had come to mind. To him it made perfect sense. He knew where it was and more importantly, that it was clear of anything dangerous. The damn thing was so far off the beaten path that it could barely be said to exist at all. She could take her bath while he pulled his shit together and hunted, leading to them both to hopefully get the good nights rest that they were long overdue.

Reckoning it to be as good of a plan as any, he had set out to see it done, choosing not to inform Beth of the destination until she could see it for herself. Initially, he had worried that she'd be disappointed but she had brightened almost immediately, confirming that he had done something right for the first time in what felt like days. Seeing that spark again in her eyes had only made him realize how much he had missed her, even though she had been barely out of his sight. To him, it just wasn't the same. On the surface she seemed fine, the two of them getting along much as they always had. But deep down something was missing and it was bothering the hell out of him that he couldn't figure it out. It was like the light that was inside of her had been extinguished.

With her laid up and him with nothing much better to do, he had been left dwelling on it for days. Was it because she had told him she loved him and he hadn't said it back? She hadn't indicated as much and had never pushed him for an answer. He reckoned it was because she knew that he'd do nothing but fuck it up by even attempting it with any degree of sincerity. Believing it of himself, all the things he wanted to say had faltered in his throat, the diminished expectations that came with such a thing keeping them lodged there like a bolt. Flowery words intended to relay his real feelings had never been his strong suit so he had ended up doing what he did best and keeping his mouth shut.

It wasn't until they got here that she had finally opened up of her own accord, doing so with minimal encouragement from him. At first, he had just been relieved to know that he hadn't been the problem. Then he got to really listening to what she was trying so hard to say. She had quietly told him how the guilt that came from killing someone had been riding her hard, that she had never taken a life before at least not with a human. What meant survival to others for her had been something else… the total loss of a part of herself that there was no coming back from. As someone who still believed in the inherent goodness of people, it had been a devastating burden to bear and she had been struggling to carry it ever since.

He had stood there trying to wrap his brain around the concept like it was some new fangled idea he had only just heard about. Since the turn, he had killed so many people that his memory could barely differentiate between the humans and the walkers anymore. So mind numbingly desensitized to it, the thought of having a guilty conscious had never even crossed his mind. She didn't have his experience so he guessed it was understandable that she'd have a tougher time with it, her father's faith probably playing a part in what she was feeling as well. All he knew was that it would get easier over time much like it did for all of them… hell, he couldn't remember shit about his own first kill other than having a vague recollection of them deserving it. Trying to relate the best that he could, he had pointed out that she had survived and that was what mattered. She had been put in that situation though no fault of her own but had lived to see its other side. That was more than any of the others involved had gotten and all that any of them could hope to do.

She had seemed happier for talking about it, much like he had been for knowing. That alone had been worth taking her out of the stifling confines of the house. He knew that she'd eventually come to terms with the guilt much as they all had, by buckling down and taking it. The girl was strong… a lot fucking stronger than she gave herself credit for. After reminding her of it, he left her to her own devices and had headed out into the fields, his only focus then to find something to hunt for dinner.

The reassuring feel of the Horton at his cheek had helped to center him immediately, proving yet again why coming here had been one of his better ideas. The hard line of tension held tight in his shoulders gradually eased off, calming his storm enough to give him back some of his endurance. He was going to need it if he planned on having his shit on point by tomorrow.

With two dead jack rabbits finally in hand, he made his way down to the waters edge, knowing that she'd most likely be there by now. He had purposely taken his time so to give her as much as she needed. Rounding the path, he had thought to make enough noise to announce his arrival but in the end it hadn't mattered. One minute she had been standing there completely lost in thought as she ran a comb through her hair and the next he had the business end of the Beretta pointing at him dead square in the chest.

His presence finally seemed to register and she suddenly snapped to, gasping in shock as the gun dropped down to her side.

''I… I swear, I don't know what just happened…''

She looked stunned, almost as though she had expected a different outcome from pointing a loaded gun at someone. Daryl reached over to take it from her grasp, figuring it best to not take any chances.

''Jesus… yeah, well… let's not do that again.'' He muttered in return, keeping it breezy as he shoved the weapon into his waistband. ''Guessin' I should've made a hell of a lot more noise comin' down here. Promise it weren't my intention, y'know... ta creep up on ya like that…''

''No, that was all my fault..." She breathed, her shoulders slumping visibly for the unexpected pressure being released, "My mind was playing tricks on me... I'm so sorry. When I was alone in the forest, Billy snuck up on me from behind, he… he grabbed me and pushed me down into the dirt… I guess I was just remembering it…''

Standing there wringing her hands together, the girl was pleading her case as if to somehow prove to him that she hadn't really intended to shoot him. She had clearly forgotten that she was doing so in nothing but a thin pair of white underwear. Daryl drew from his reserve and tried his damndest to forget it as well. Her skin was glowing in the dying sunlight, it's creamy softness not detracted from at all by the bandage still wrapped around her shoulder. The chill of the water at her toes had her breasts high and tight, the rigid nipples at their peaks parting insistently through her hair. Christ, that bullet to the chest was starting to sound fucking good right now. Had it really been that long?

The feel of his dick straining against his pants was answer enough and it forced him back to the moment and the situation at hand. ''It's jus' shellshock,'' He made himself to say, ''It makes ya edgy as shit but it'll pass.''

''I hope so. I just didn't expect… _oh my god!''_ She looked down to see what he was seeing and immediately tried to cover herself with her hands, ''I'm naked! Why in the world didn't you say something!''

Daryl shrugged with a false indifference, hoping that the gesture came across as a given.

''Thought ya knew. Ain't that what usually happens when ya take ya clothes off?'' Upon seeing the concept still fail to register, he felt the need to add with an amused smirk, ''It's a lil' late for all that...''

With her arms now somewhat sufficiently wrapped around herself, Beth pursed her lips in embarrassment.

''Aren't you supposed to be hunting or something?!" She groused, trying not to smile now herself, "… or were you just purposely trying to sneak down here and scare the hell out of me?''

Daryl couldn't help but find the bloom of color flaring across her cheeks as appealing as he always did, the natural reaction being something that was distinctly hers and hers alone.

''I done told ya it weren't my intention. Trust me when I say that I've had enough guns pointed in my direction ta last me a lifetime an' then some. I caught these...'' He held up the two all but forgotten dead animals in his hand, ''Jus' figured I come down here first an' see if ya needed some… I dunno, some help takin' ya bandage off or somethin' before I got ta skinning 'em.''

To her credit, Beth completely ignored the words tripping out of his mouth. Instead, she twirled around in the sand gracefully, moving her hair out of the way to give him unfettered access to the bandage in question. Daryl dropped the rabbits to the ground and unwrapped it from around the curve of her shoulder, cursing himself as a glutton for fucking punishment the entire time he did so. He had no one to blame but himself. He had come down to the river on purpose, be it subconsciously or not. He had wanted to see her floating without a care on the waters surface much like she had done before. The image of that moment had burned itself into his memory like a polaroid picture, one he couldn't dislodge… and it gave him peace in a lifetime worth of chaos.

Getting a view of more skin than he bargained for, he reckoned he couldn't complain. Seeing her in her half naked splendor had only served to remind him of just what it was he was painfully missing out on. While they were at the house, he had slept on the spare bed in her room on purpose, wanting to be close but not that damn close. Of course, she hadn't liked it one bit and had gone out of her way to make sure that he knew it. At the time he had thought it for the best. She was hurt and he didn't want to chance something happening between them that neither one of them was ready for. The hindrance of her injury was gone now but the quandary it left behind still remained… was she really ready to pick back up where they had left off?

With the bandage removed Daryl checked over her wound, his fingers lingering on her skin longer than needed to see the job done. After convincing himself that it was healing well, he swallowed hard and stepped away, not trusting himself to be near her much longer. He rolled up the used bandage in his hand, feeling awkward and out of sorts for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

Beth turned to face him, seeming to sense his reticence.

''You could… always get in with me.'' She said shyly.

He pulled a deep breath, the temptation of her offer damn near requiring it. ''I can't… not this time. Someone's gotta keep watch an' I wanna get these on tha fire before nightfall.''

When she looked disappointed by his answer, he notched up her chin with the crook of his finger. ''I meant what I said 'bout not bringin' ya here for that but know that I ain't taking it off tha table either. Even if it was my intention, tha way ya lookin' right now would be enough ta change my mind about it...'' He leaned down and kissed away what could possibly be seen as rejection before pulling back to say adamantly, ''I ain't takin' a chance with ya safety, not after what happened... so go on now, go take ya bath before I regret what I'm sayin' an' change it again. I'm gonna go take care of this meat…''

He spanked her lightly on the ass to get her moving, making her yelp in surprise. With the kiss and his words being enough, she turned back around to the water happily, seemingly more than content to get in for whatever reasons would make her willing to brave its frigid temperature. Daryl hung around for a moment before leaving it at that, wondering predictably if he had made the right choice.

With no way to know, he picked up the dead rabbits and tucked them into his belt. He had meant what he said about not being complacent again. Keeping that determination firmly in mind, he pulled the Horton from his back as he went back to the barn, not even daring to glance over his shoulder as he disappeared around its side.

Coming back to where the bike was parked, he found the camp was already set up so he got a fire started and wearily sat down. Visions of the girl began to consume his thoughts, much like they always did when he was trying his damndest to concentrate on anything else. From the way the sun had played over the curves of her breasts to the feel of her skin as it gave softly beneath his fingers - there wasn't a single thing about her that didn't speak to him on a sexual level and the last ten minutes of his life had only served to remind him of why.

The sight of her nakedness had set him hard on edge, filling his head with erotically charged memories that he didn't particularly need right now. It made it borderline painful to continue sitting there like he didn't have a fucking care in the world. If his game plan was for her to get a good nights rest, he seriously needed to get his shit together or else he'd be in for hours of this self induced torture.

Realizing it, Daryl skinned one of the rabbits with more force than was necessary to tear the fir from its flesh, not much caring as its blood splattered disgustingly onto his boot. To him, the effort it was taking was worth it… _anything_ to stop himself from thinking about the ardent parts of his body sinking deep into hers until he could rid himself of the ache that was waiting for her.

…..

**As promised, another chapter within a week as a thank you for your patience! I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Thank you as always for sticking with this story. It truly is a labor of love as I just recently pointed out to one of my readers. Please leave me a comment or a review or a musing in general. I really appreciate them! **


	56. Chapter 56

…. Chapter 56 ….

A low grumbling noise emanated from the pit of Beth's stomach, reminding her yet again of just how hungry she was. The last time she had eaten was early that morning, a quick but unsatisfying meal of an old granola bar and some candy. Finding both to be stale and tasteless, they had hardly been worth the effort it had taken to eat them at all. With her belly was now making its objections known, she finished putting on her boots before pausing to take a last wistful look back out over the river.

The water had been cold… breath stealingly so… but she had forced herself to acclimate to it as she had gingerly gotten in. Gritting her teeth to stop them from chattering, she had soaped herself up... running the razor over her legs and underarms before quickly washing her hair. With the hardest part done, she had then scrubbed her bra and underwear clean, taking a moment to wring out both garments so she could hang them up later to dry. The rest of the time had been spent doing as she pleased, the water easing the dull ache in her shoulder enough to allow her to swim at her leisure. It was exactly the reprieve that she needed and as she made her way back to shore, she did so feeling better than she had in days.

There was a heightened sense of awareness flaring appealingly under her skin and it didn't take long for her to realize why. It had started when Daryl had first come down to the river, his gaze sweeping over her nakedness to unintentionally and unwittingly draw her attention to it as well. The firm touch of his fingers had stirred up feelings within her that had been held dormant for far too long and they spread like wildfire in her veins, making her that much more attentive to her own body as it reacted to his nearness. Shivering in a way that had nothing to do with the cold, it had compelled her to ask him to get in the water with her, the offer tumbling out her mouth without her knowledge or consent. She didn't regret it, even when he said no. If anything, his hesitant refusal had only made her more excited for the rest of the night and the things that he said might possibly come with it.

The sun was on the verge of setting by the time Beth made her way back to the barn and she was greeted by the enticing smell of cooking meat as soon as she rounded the corner. Daryl was there tending the fire and he glanced up through his hair as she approached. He looked younger somehow for the break their time here was allowing, the chiseled lines all but etched into his features diminishing for it. Tomorrow would come soon enough but for right now he seemed content to hold off worrying about what it could bring. For her it was more than enough.

''I left you a towel and some soap down by the water,'' She said quietly, coming over to sit next to him by the fire, ''Unless of course your previous aversions still stand.''

''Nah, I'm gonna go…'' He stood up and swept his hands down his pants, ''Might as well since we're here. Think ya can handle this 'til I get back?''

When she just nodded, he paused for a moment and regarded her. ''Ya feelin' better?''

''Better than I have in a while." Beth said, her gaze dropping down pensively to the fire in front of her, "I mean, my shoulders still hurts a little but not as much as it did.''

''Merle left me some balm for it. Tell ya what, let me get this done an' I'll put some on for ya when I get back. Tha Horton's right there... I'm 'a leave it with ya and take the gun myself,'' The corner of his mouth notched up, ''… see if that works out any better for tha both of us.''

Beth rolled her eyes on a smile, taking the pointed comment in the lighthearted way that he meant it. With the reaction noted with a chuckle, Daryl headed down to the waters edge, shoving the gun and the clip it came with into his pocket as he went.

With her feelings for him constricting tightly at her chest, she watched as he disappeared into the shadows and wondered yet again at the magnetic nature of their relationship. If someone had asked her a year ago what she thought of the redneck loner who liked to keep to himself, she wouldn't have known enough about him to form an opinion. Now she'd give her life for him just as he would for her. She wasn't some kind of hopeless romantic and would never allow herself to be like one, she just knew that there was no one else she'd rather walk through this world with than him.

The sky was a golden amber by the time Daryl returned and the bite sized pieces of meat that she'd been put in charge of were done. He had them eat dinner quickly, not wanting the fire they were using to draw unwanted attention from the road. When they were done, Beth looked on forlornly as he kicked dirt over the flames, more than a little sorry to see it go. For a moment there it had almost felt like the two of them were camping and everything was how it should be.

While Daryl secured the bike downstairs, she climbed her way up to the loft to see a small bundle of wildflowers laying on the bed she had made. Her eyes widened in surprise, having never thought in a million years that he was capable of such a thing. It only made the gesture that much more special. Picking them up, she went over to the open loft doors so that she could marvel at them in what remained of the dying light.

Beth heard him come up the ladder but didn't turn around, not wanting to make the flowers a bigger deal than they were for fear of making him uncomfortable. He dumped the motorcycles saddle bags and the crossbow on the floor before coming over to where she was standing.

''Came 'cross those while I was out huntin','' He said quietly, ''I liked tha colors an'… well, they remind me of ya.''

''Do they?'' She smiled, ''Why?''

He opened his mouth to say something but then changed his mind, seeming to feel it in his own best interest to keep whatever reason he was about to give to himself. Instead, he just shrugged awkwardly and lowered his gaze to the floor, looking for all intents and purposes as if he wanted to jump out of the very open doorway they were standing next to and run off.

Upon realizing that the unspoken answer was as much of a response as she was going to get, Beth dropped her own back down to the bouquet in her hand. ''Well… it doesn't matter. Thank you anyway... they're beautiful. I don't think anyone's ever given me flowers before.''

''Yeah? I never much pegged myself as tha flower givin' type.'' He smirked, the ease of the interaction allowing him to come to terms with the uncommon gesture, ''What can I say, guessin' there's a first time for everythin'.''

Daryl went back over to the bags he brought up and hunched down next to one of them to begin digging through it. Beth could only watch him do so with her heart pounding in her chest, unable to remember the last time she felt so blood stirringly alive. Compared to the drudgery of the last week or so, the feeling was incredibly potent… to the point where she couldn't tell anymore if it was because of the bath she had taken or the sound of his voice rasping over her skin that was making it so. She just knew that there was a tension in the air that was steadily gaining traction and it was causing her pulse to race.

The residual dampness left behind by his bath had plastered the dark shirt he was wearing to the length of his back, a fact that Daryl seemed to be completely unaware of. The sight of the lean sinew shifting under the fabric definitely wasn't helping matters any. Feeling slightly breathless for staring at it, Beth went over to the bed they'd be sharing and sat down on the blanket, using the moment to take off her boots and socks. This was starting to get ridiculous! She didn't remember being like this the last time they had slept here!

Daryl turned around with several items in his hand, including a small can of salve and a fresh bandage for her shoulder. Tossing them all down on the bed next to her, he lit a candle and set it upon an old box that was propped up haphazardly against the wall. Beth looked over at the flickering light in surprise. She had been so caught up in the confusing spiral of her own thoughts that she hadn't even realized that it was now dark enough to need it!

With his lighter out and making itself useful, he held it up to the cigarette that now hung effortlessly between his lips. The scent of the cigarette smoke that instantly permeated the air was very distinctly him and did nothing to detract from the affect he was having on her.

''Where'd you get that?'' She whispered, having wondered how much longer he'd be able to go without smoking one.

''Tha garage back at tha house.'' He muttered from around it, ''Turns out tha fuckers had been hording 'em. Grabbed couple of cartons, figuring that should get me through. 'Course Merle had plenty ta say about it but whatever… for me tha shit was like hittin' pay dirt. Here, turn 'round… let's get that shoulder taken care of.''

Twirling a finger over her head to get her moving, Daryl knelt down behind her and tore the plastic from one of the roll of bandages. Not even thinking, she swiveled around on the bed to give him full access to her back.

He paused to assess the situation before pulling the Marlboro from his mouth, ''If we're doin' this right, tha shirts gotta go.'' He said, stating the obvious.

Beth raised an eyebrow and looked over the shoulder in question, ''Oh, you think that just because you brought me dinner and flowers that I'm just going to take off my shirt for you?''

''Ain't that how it works?'' He defended with a smile, flicking his ash away before cracking open the salve. ''Could 'a swore that a certain someone… ain't sayin' no names mind you… told me somethin' like that a while ago.''

Her lower lip snagging on a smile of her own, Beth knew she could say something else but intentionally chose not to, seeing the request as nothing more than a means to an alluring end. She deliberately raised her arms instead, the look in her eyes daring him to take the shirt off for her. A sudden indecisiveness flared into his own and it had him expelling a hesitant breath, the stilted sound of it almost inaudible. When he didn't make the move she was hoping for, she turned around on the bed to face him.

''Don't do that.'' She said up to him quietly.

As if being called out for something that wasn't remotely his fault, Daryl mumbled, ''Do what?''

''Treat me with kid gloves. I'm not breakable.''

He released a sigh that was much more obvious this time. ''It ain't that. Jus' don't know if… this… is somethin' we should be doin' right now.''

Beth knew exactly what he was referring to but still couldn't keep the questioning look from her face. ''Why? Because of my injury?''

''That… an' tha fact that we've both been through hell an' back since leaving the mortuary. If we plan on headin' ta Terminus tomorrow, maybe it's best that we're both not draggin' ass once we get there.'' Stubbing out his smoke, Daryl softened the brunt of his point by adding. '''Sides, there ain't no rush. No ones sayin' we need ta jump right back into what we were doin' before. Ya been laid up… there ain't nothin' wrong with takin' some time to process it. I ain't goin' nowhere.''

''I've had more than enough time to process it.'' She said up to him, meaning it. "I don't want to think about it anymore."

He was looking at her skeptically… almost as though he was hard pressed to believe her. Realizing that the point she was trying to make wasn't coming across quite the way she intended, Beth chose to explain herself a different way… needing to clear the air with him now so that the subject of what had happened and its residual effects wouldn't feel the need to be broached again.

''It's like what I told you before, Daryl… I'm not the same naive girl that I used to be. I feel like I've grown and can finally hold my own, _with_ or without your help." She squared her shoulders, the conviction she had in her own abilities finally able to come through. "Maybe… maybe what happened was what it took for me to really prove that to myself. I just know that I feel a lot stronger for it and I can't explain why. I mean, yes the whole thing was scary and I feel guilty about what happened… but as you said, I survived. I did what I needed to do and no amount of dwelling on it further is going to change that. I may have scars but those scars will fade. Besides, you've got scars and they look good on you, I don't see why they couldn't on me.''

Daryl sniffed back a remorseful smile, unable to help himself. ''I can't think of a damn single thing that wouldn't look good on ya… but I wouldn't wish them kinda scars on anyone, least of all you.''

She held him in her gaze, appreciating the sentiment but not letting it deter her. ''It doesn't change the fact that I still have them… and I meant it when I said that I don't regret it… so don't try and make me, ok? They're my scars and I fought for what I love to earn them. They don't change who I am inside or the feelings that I have for you… the feelings that I have about doing this…''

Beth slowly raised her arms again, the look in her eyes hopeful and entreating. Her point made, she had put herself out there about as far as she'd allow. What she needed now was for him to close the small space between them himself... to see the matter through by letting her know that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

The dark grey flecks in Daryl's eyes sparked responsively to life, the synapsis in his mind firing. Not one to disappoint, he grasped her shirt by its hem and pulled it up and over her head. He paused upon seeing that she wasn't wearing anything underneath and Beth couldn't help but secretly smile to herself, her feminine impulses igniting.

When her hair fell into her face, he gently swept it away, his fingers inavertedly skimming over the sensitive area behind her ear while he did so. The simple touch was all that it took to send a jolt of kinetic energy pulsing down her spine. With it triggering the arousal points already throbbing at her senses, Beth surged up from the bed to kiss him for everything she was worth. She was past the point of caring what his intentions might be, not that it mattered... not when her body needed the kind of release that only he could provide.

_''Jesus…''_ Daryl imparted, his hands gripping firmly at her hips in an attempt to stop her from moving on him, ''This is unfair as shit, y'know that? I ain't lyin'. It's been a long time an' I can't trust myself ta be as careful with ya as I should be.''

''I don't want you to be careful…'' She breathed, her hand slipping under the loose fabric of his shirt as if to prove it to him.

She grazed her fingers over the hard plain of his stomach to touch upon his belt buckle and Daryl groaned in defeat, his forehead dropping down heavily to hers. As if realizing that he had given up on the internal battle he'd been waging, Beth edged herself to him closer still… feeling sexy and empowered in a way she had never felt before.

Pulling insistently at his shirt, she let him take it from her as he yanked it over his head. It had barely hit the floor before she took charge of the situation, pushing him down onto the bed before he could even think to stop her. Determinedly straddling the sprawl of his body, Beth pinned him firmly beneath her so that she could kiss him once more, her lips already parted with the urgent need that was compelling her to do so. Daryl came up from the bed to take advantage of it… any inclination he had to do otherwise falling quickly to the wayside as he more than met her half way.

He forcefully swept his tongue inside her mouth, his fingers fisting into her hair as he let her have her way with him. What other choice did he have? The girl had climbed on top of him like she had a singular purpose in mind and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to let her see it through. So much for all that bullshit about so called good intentions and all the things they should or shouldn't be doing. Fuck it… the way he figured, he had tried to deter her… well, as much as could reasonably be expected anyways. If this was what she really wanted then he was more than goddamn willing to step up to the plate and see it done.

There was a frenzy to the moment that he couldn't quite explain, an ardent need to reconnect that had them practically mauling at each other. Daryl gave himself over to its fervor with his conscious clear. As if somehow sensing it, Beth broke away from the fiery kiss they were sharing and pulled herself upright, leaving him laying there straining from beneath her. With her eyes dark and sultry, she experimentally rolled her hips on him, her arms braced at his chest. The warm spread of her thighs teased repeatedly at his length, edging him that much closer to the cusp. Daryl's body jerked to attention as he stared up at her in surprise, wondering just where in the hell she had learned such a thing. The erection she was sitting on throbbed appreciatively at her core and he reached up to touch her, now hell bent and ready to see it through.

Beth bit her lip alluringly as his hands cupped her breasts, the calloused skin at his fingertips raking hard across her nipples. She shifted against him faster, throughly enjoying the power and freedom being on top was allowing...

"Oh my god…" She panted as the friction became unbearable, "Daryl…"

The breathy sound of his name was incentive enough for him to surge up from the bed. The girl was on the verge of getting herself off and there was no way in hell he wanted her to do that, not right now and definitely not like this. They were in this together and truth be told, he was damn near addicted to the way her body clasped at him when he was inside her. He wasn't about to deny either himself or her the pleasure of that happening while they were both still fucking half dressed.

As if to remind her of the actuality of the situation, his mouth found hers again to kiss her hard once more. Beth mewled against him as the hair at his chest raked across her bare skin, sending her already heightened senses even further into the stratosphere. She still didn't understand why he had stopped her and at this point she honestly didn't care, wrapping her arms around him to kiss him back with all the need he brought out in her. He nudged his way to his favorite spot behind her ear, torturing her there as if she deserved it. He didn't stop until she was straining against him, completely aroused for having him use the sensitive area against her.

He chuckled for knowing it as he rolled her onto her back, bracing himself over her to sweep his gaze down the length of her body. The nearby candlelight played alluringly across the naked curves of her breasts, the hardened tips at their peaks beckoning as her chest heaved in excitement. Under the captive weight of her stare, Daryl leaned down and took one between his teeth, suckling at her strongly to have her arch up against him with a moan. The sultry sound immediately inundated the air around them, setting it on fire. Dragging his tongue to the other nipple as well, he gave it the same amount of attention until the girl was digging her nails into his back. With the sexy responses calling to him, he fumbled for her belt, ready to be rid of the thin layers of denim that separated them from each other.

Raising her hips, Beth squirmed out from beneath him, wanting out of her jeans more than she could possibly say. She buried her fingers into the hay as Daryl yanked them down her legs, freeing her of their hinderance at last. The ache of anticipation returned unimpeded and she could feel herself pulsing with it, the heated blood in her veins converging back at her center to leave the area damp, swollen and ready for him.

Daryl let his fingers graze over the bare indent at her hip, not really surprised to see that she wasn't wearing underwear. Christ, how long had it been? Undoing his own belt buckle, he slumped down on the bed to kick off his pants as well, damn near close to bursting and ready to get on with it. The raging erection that had been firmly kept in check now jerked insistently against his stomach and he grabbed her hand to pull her on top of him... setting her firmly back in his lap with her knees pressed to his sides.

Beth instantly felt her pulse leap under her skin for finding herself sitting on him again, not quite sure if she was ready for what came next despite how much she wanted to be.

"Like this?" She whispered, feeling nervous about the position now that she was naked and the protective barrier of his pants were gone.

"Like this." He drawled in return, his voice low on the air. The damp heat of her body had instinctively melded her around him, marking him with a warm trail of her readiness. "Ya done had ya fun… now it's my turn."

Sliding his hand under her ass, he positioned himself right up against her and probed for the sill of her entrance. Her body subconsciously searched for him, the portal he sought now ready to grant him easy access. The determined look on his face made it clear that he knew it and finding what he was looking for, he forcefully scorched himself inside of her. Beth could only gasp in surprise, the sheer blunt force of his invasion leaving her teary eyed and breathless.

Daryl grunted in satisfaction for having her velvety softness welcome him in, unable to remember the last time he had ever been as hard. The girl writhed on his hips, searching for a degree of relief as the tight confines of her body now struggled to accommodate him. The pain and the pleasure converged until she had him fully imbedded and it was then and only then that he finally saw her draw a ragged breath.

He smirked unapologetically at the somewhat indignant look on her face, unable to help himself.

"You couldn't have warned me that you were about to do that?" She panted, not quite sure that his assertive method of entry was to her liking.

"Maybe..." He reached up to trail his fingers between the valley of her breasts, "You're tha one that said that I didn't have'ta be careful."

He pulled her down to him to nudge the warmth of her lips apart, kissing her throughly to make up for it. With no other choice, Beth sighed alluringly into his mouth as her eyes closed, the pain easing enough to let her fingers twirl into his hair. Using his hands as a guide, Daryl got her moving… letting her pick the pace that would best ease her own discomfort. It didn't take long before she intuitively got the hang of it, her body shifting on him as only someone newly in tuned with their own sexuality could. She bit at her lower lip as she tested her own range, sinking herself onto him again and again. The allure of the moment quickly took over and they immersed themselves in it as they both became one.

Daryl groaned in appreciation from where he was beneath her, the sound practically getting dragged from his throat. She had him going in so damn far that he could feel the cushiony pad deep inside of her yield to him every time her ass met his thighs. He let her ride him with the vague awareness that she was doing so without a condom but figured at this point… well, it was too fucking late to care. Having unfettered access was everything he had dreamt it would be... with absolutely no interference and no dulling of the sensation. It allowed him to glide slickly into her with no holds barred, the direct contact taking everything they were doing to the next level and then some. The girl moaned from above him as her body unfurled and it was the last thought he had about it before he thought of it no more.

Closing her eyes, Beth circled her hips on him in a desperate effort to find her own release. All of the pleasure points between her legs were exposed and she was so close she could feel it. As if somehow instinctually knowing that she still needed his help, Daryl purposely traced his fingers slowly across her nipples… down past her belly button to touch her where their bodies were stickily melded together. He stroked his thumb over her deliberately, using the pad at its edge to manipulate his way around the swollen nub of her clit…

Lingering breathlessly on the edge, it was all the trigger Beth needed for the delicious tightness to take over. Her fingers dug into his chest as it seared a path within her veins, converging repeatedly at her center to hurl her far beyond the brink. She cried out as the waves of her orgasm surged powerfully through her, doing so with the kind of intensity that left her reeling in its wake. The man she was straddled stayed with her the whole time, his dark gaze watching as he stroked at her relentlessly. He took his cues from her body as she melted around him, her inner walls milking at him tightly as she shuddered in the aftermath.

With his heart racing out of control, Daryl felt her come on him with his skin now covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He had been throbbing on the cusp for a reason and goddamn, this was it. Gripping her hips, he strained from beneath her as the snug sheath he was buried in contracted against him in spasms. Warm and wet, the rhythmic pulsing demanded his release and he gritted his teeth as he repeatedly coated the remnants of her orgasm with the fierceness of his own. It wasn't until he was completely drained that he finally let up, his body slumping back down on the bed as he panted heavily for air.

They stared at each other in the candlelight as they both tried to catch their breath, neither one of them quite believing what had just happened. With her thigh muscles starting to cramp, Beth collapsed on top of him with a groan and tried to ignore the fact that her hair was now sticking to every part of his body it could touch. She could hear his heart thumping noisily beneath her ear and she closed her eyes… feeling content and ecstatic and more than a little exhausted now that it all was said and done.

Throwing an arm over his face, Daryl sighed from above her before uttering out loud, ''Guessin' we'll both have'ta be draggin' ass tomorrow after all…''

She smiled, not feeling bad about it in the slightest. ''You're not sorry, are you?'' She asked quietly from against him, worried for a moment that he might be.

''After somethin' like that? Fuck no…'' He sniffed as the corner of his mouth smirked up. ''Hell... If I had known it was gonna be that good, I would 'a had ya sittin' on my lap a week ago, injured or not. I could probably sleep for a month right now an' then some an' not think twice about it.''

''You?'' Beth said with a laugh, ''I'm the one that did all the work!''

''Ya sayin' that like ya think I should have a problem with it.'' Daryl purposely slid out from under her so he could go over and get his smokes. He put his pants and his shirt back on in the process to leave them both loose and unbuttoned. ''... I don't. Way I figure, ya best get used ta it. I like it that way… it leaves my hands free an' clear so I can touch ya wherever I want…''

Beth was left shivering without the heat of his body against her so she sat up to get under the blankets. As soon as she moved, she felt a warm flood of liquid seep steadily down her leg, leaving her staring at it in shock.

The remembrance of what had been done came rushing to the forefront and with it, the vague realization that in she had been aware of it all along. With her body overruling her brain, she had purposely chosen to ignore the fact that they hadn't been using a condom. For some reason, it had been alarmingly easy to do. It was so simple to forget about the rules they would normally abide by when the world they lived in was so abnormal.

Pulling one of the cigarettes from the pack, Daryl came back over to see her looking down at herself and suddenly what had been so easily avoidable in the heat of the moment wasn't so much anymore. He got into bed next to her, worrying at his lower lip as he glanced down at the evidence of it as well.

''Guessin' there was another reason why we might've been holdin' off…'' He offered lamely.

Beth shrugged, seeing it as an accident and nothing more. She quickly thought about her period and the timeline before it, mentally counting past the days.

''Neither one of us was really thinking about it.'' She justified with a yawn, feeling a lot more relieved as she pulled the blankets up over herself, ''I'm not worried. According to my sex ed teacher, this isn't the right time in my cycle for me.''

Daryl regarded her skeptically in the candlelight, his brows drawn. "Wait… ya ain't just sayin' that, are ya? 'Cause I dropped outta school long before I got ta that part so I got no choice but ta take ya word on it."

Laughing, she rolled on her back. "I love how you say that like trusting me is such a god awful hard thing for you to do!"

Realizing in hindsight just how it sounded, he smirked and looked down at her as if it was a given. "Yeah, well... I ain't much for trustin' anyone. I mean… anyone _but_ you. What can I say… you're always gonna be my one exception."

Hearing what was as close to a declaration of love as she had ever gotten from him, Beth smiled and curled herself up against him. He smoked his cigarette, seemingly lost in thoughts that he didn't feel the need to expand upon. The heat generated by his body only made sleep that much more inevitable and she closed her eyes… feeling warm, comfortable and more tired than she could possibly fathom.

She was just about to drift off when he pulled her against him, his lips pressing into her hair.

''Jus' so ya know... no matter what happens from here on out, it's you an' me in it together." He whispered at her ear, "Ain't a damn thing changin' that. You an' me.''

…...

**Thank you for reading as always. This was a long chapter but one I throughly enjoyed writing. You didn't think I was done with the sex scenes, did you? lol! Of course there had to be more, they are some of my favorite things to write after all! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! **


	57. Chapter 57

…. Chapter 57 …..

A cool breeze swept in through the lofts open doorway, drawing Daryl from his thoughts as it rustled at the loose hay scattered along the floorboards.

He had been awake for a while now, smoking through the few cigarettes he had laying nearby as he watched the sun rise over the hills in the distance. The light that came with it slowly bled into the space, filtering across the blankets to tell him that he should be getting his ass up. He had shit to do after all and not a whole lot of time to do it in. The only reason he was procrastinating was because he was too damn comfortable to move. The bed was warm, the naked girl sleeping peacefully at his side ensuring that it stayed that way. Removing himself from both it and from her just seemed like a cold and unnecessary precursor to what was undoubtedly going to be a harrowing day.

Realizing that no amount of rushing around was likely going to change that, Daryl lit another smoke and shoved his free arm under his head to pull a drag from it. Terminus and all the potentially troubling aspects that could come with it had been pressing on his mind for hours now, making more sleep for himself nothing but a wishful pipe dream. As much as he wanted to find Rick and the others alive, he could honestly say that he wasn't particularly looking forward to going there. Merle had made the place sound like a damn near impenetrable fortress, one that was likely going to be a bitch to get into. With neither himself or Beth in the best of fighting shape, tackling it was going to be dangerous to say the least. He could only hope that they both had enough left within themselves to handle it.

With the tip of his cigarette burning away unheeded, he glanced down as Beth shifted in her sleep against him. Her arm was draped across his chest and she hummed in contentment before moving no more. Daryl released a troubled sigh from under his breath, unable to help himself. She was the other reason why he'd been laying there awake stewing about shit he'd been more than happy to put off thinking about. For months now the two of them had been on a path that there was no coming back from and he was finally being honest with himself enough to admit it. What was going to happen to them if Rick and the others actually were at Terminus? How was he going to handle that? What would they think about the two of them being together? Why the fuck did he care?

With his mind firing away on all cylinders about it, Daryl carefully eased himself out from under the tangle of her limbs, reckoning that he had lain there long enough in an effort to postpone the inevitable. He pushed himself from the bed, taking a moment to stretch out the kinks before getting himself dressed. Slinging the Horton over his shoulder, he looked back over to where Beth was still curled up asleep under the covers. If his game plan was for her to make it through the day in one piece, she was probably going to need all the rest he could give her. Besides, there was no reason why they should both be up and worrying about everything, not when he was doing a fine job of it all on his own.

Daryl swung himself down the barn ladder and determinedly went outside. Breathing deeply at the cool morning air, he couldn't help but feel a hell of a lot better for being removed from his own stagnant mentality.

Fuck it… any problems that could come up at Terminus were going to happen one way or the other… with or without him pointlessly giving himself an ulcer about them. He could try and anticipate the outcome all he wanted, but he knew better than anyone that the unnecessary stress he was putting himself under wasn't likely to change a goddamn thing. Him and Beth were just going to have to get it done, preferably as quickly and as quietly as possible. They'd scope the place out, go in by the numbers and hope that it wasn't remotely as bad as his brother made it out to be.

If the others were there… well, he'd just have to cross that troubling bridge when he came to it. He had never been one to give much credence to other peoples opinions anyway so why start now. What he had with Beth was his business and he owed it to both himself and to her to hold true to it as such. Yeah, Rick was going to have plenty to say about it, Maggie even more so… but the way he figured, that was their problem to deal with, not his. Beth belonged to him and anyone who tried to tell him differently was going to have a fucking issue on their hands.

Feeling more resolved about it than he had all morning, Daryl instantly felt the gut instincts he needed to rely upon fire up under his skin. They eased the turmoil of his thoughts while giving him back his determination to see these matters through. The natural tendencies were quick to remind him of just who it was that all these people were about to be fucking with. He just may be beat up, but that didn't mean that he didn't know what the hell he was doing. Having been through the worst kind of scenarios since leaving the prison, he reckoned that nothing waiting for him at Terminus could possibly be any worse.

The broad set of his shoulders locked down on his frame accordingly and he pulled the crossbow from his back to head out into the nearest field. With all of his senses recalibrating back on point, he decided to take advantage of it by hunting something down for breakfast. Helping immensely was the fact that he had slept like the dead, at least for the few hours he had managed to get in. The sex he'd had with Beth had depleted what was left of his reserve enough to demand it, physically draining him to the point where he could barely move. His body needing the release, it went without saying that he didn't regret a single damn thing about it. If anything, the events of the night had only served to remind him of just what it was he was willing to try and fight for - a slim chance at happiness that he had never deemed himself worthy of.

Daryl thought back on their time together as he traipsed across the terrain, able to actually do so now that he had cleared his own mind enough to allow such a thing to happen.

It hadn't been his plan to make love to her a second time but the allure she had presented had put the matter beyond his control. The naked expanses of her skin had seared against his own and he had woken up with his body on fire, the insistent need to be inside her again spurring him on like a damn near tangible force. Figuring that it might be the last time the two of them would be alone together for a while, he had been quick to take advantage of it... purposely dragging his tongue between her shoulder blades until it induced the breathtaking reaction that he was looking for.

Beth had responded just as he knew she would, waking up to not question his motives as she pressed herself to him eagerly. Taking the time that the fervency of their initial encounter hadn't allowed for, he had stroked her all over… his mouth purposely following his fingers as both trailed a heated path down her body. He had explored every curve until it was all but etched into his memory, using the light of the moon to guide his way. Whispering his intentions against her skin, it wasn't until she was writhing beneath him that he finally locked himself snugly to her, marveling yet again that it was him of all people that actually got to do so.

The notion being far more than he had ever dared to dream for himself, he had found himself faltering accordingly. He distinctly remembered feeling equal parts amazed and somewhat terrified as his heart had lurched painfully in his chest. By this point the girl should've realized what she had gotten herself into and had concluded that he wasn't worth the effort... God knows less inclined people had done so with a hell of a lot more incentive from him to work with. An emotionally stunted asshole with the social skills to match, why she would want to be with the likes of him was suddenly beyond comprehension. It just didn't make sense…

Lost in a depreciating sea of self doubt, he had looked down to see her staring up at him unwaveringly, the soft hold of her gaze lucid and clear. As if knowing his mind, she had surged up against him… whispering words of love at his ear that had reassuringly drawn him back to her shore.

Grateful more than he could begin to say to hear them, he had pressed her into the blankets, doing so as if somehow needing her to prove it. With her legs wrapping tightly around his waist, he had ridden her hard… immersing himself deep within her in more ways than just physically. She had panted heavily from beneath him but hadn't held back, urging him on until she reached her cusp all by herself. With all that was left of it still clenching at him in spasms, he had quickly pulled out… grunting in determination as he finished himself all over the flat plain of her belly. The indent of her hip had collected the remnants as he had collapsed down at her side, dizzy and out of breath yet again from the intrinsic effort the endeavor required.

After a quick clean up they had both fallen back asleep, nothing more being said between them for fear of breaking the quiet moment. It was almost like they both knew that their time here was coming to an end and they wanted to extract as much from it as they could. He had settled himself behind her to bury his face in her hair, his arm tucking itself around her like it was its sole purpose in life. She had sighed contentedly against him and that had been the end of it... at least until he woken up this morning with his mind spinning out of control for no damn good reason.

A rabbit suddenly darted across Daryl's path to bring him back to the moment and he set the Horton against his cheek to take it down easily enough. Skinning it right then and there, he took it back to the barn, the grumbling of his belly reminding him that he hadn't actually eaten much last night. He restarted the fire and put the meat on the spit, letting it cook there while he prepped the bike and the few weapons that they had between them for the trip ahead. His mind clear about it, he did so methodically, ready to get on with the endeavor so he could see just what the hell it was the two of them were dealing with and if it would be worth the risk they'd need to take in the end.

The barn door creaked open and he glanced up to see Beth venturing outside. Stifling a yawn, she squinted against the morning sun before holding a hand up to her eyes so she could look around for him. Even from the other side of camp he could see that she was dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans that fit her like a glove and a long sleeved grey t-shirt. The contrast of the dark fabric to the wispy pale length of her hair caught his attention and wouldn't let go, even when she dropped her gaze self consciously under the intense weight of his regard. Upon realizing the he was staring like a fucking idiot, Daryl got back to dutifully turning the meat, not daring to look up again even when she purposely sat down next to him. Christ sakes, this ain't high school… get ya shit together.

''I think I have hay stuck in places I don't want to think about.'' She said shyly, completely aware of the awkwardness of the brief interaction due to his own inherent inability to hide it.

Daryl found himself mumbling something unintelligible for lack of anything else better to say and he pressed a finger to the fattest piece of meat to check if it was done. As the grease sizzled into the flames beneath it Beth sniffed back a laugh, seemingly unable to help herself. He looked over at the sound of it, feeling exposed enough for his frame to lock down defensively on itself for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

''What?'' He asked, his brows drawn.

''You, that's what.'' She smiled. ''Do you think at some point we could maybe wake up the next day and not have it feel like we just disappointed our parents? Seriously Daryl, you can barely look at me sideways!''

Coming to the resigned conclusion that he might not be so hard to decipher after all, Daryl just pulled a piece of the rabbit from the fire and blew on it before holding it out to her. ''Only thing I've been doin' since I got here is look at ya, jus' tryin' not ta make it so damn obvious, is all. 'Sides, don't see why it matters much anyways… ain't like neither one of us has got parents left ta disappoint. Hell, even if we did, fairly sure mine wouldn't give much of a shit. Ya dad on tha other hand...''

He let the connotation linger on the air, not wanting to speculate on what Hershel would think. If the man had been in a grave somewhere, he'd likely be rolling in it knowing what the two of them were up to.

''You'd think that but who can really say. You wouldn't know it but my daddy changed a lot after the farm fell… I think it opened his eyes to how life outside our fences really was.'' With the meat between her fingertips still too hot to handle, she blew on it herself, seemingly unphased by the heavy topic of the conversation. ''After my mom died, he had blinders on to the world. I don't fault him for that. He probably would've preferred to stay that way, at least until you and the rest of the group came along.''

''Yeah… well, that's us," Daryl sniffed regrettably, "… a walkin' dose of reality that no one fuckin' asks for. Everywhere we go, shit happens an' it ain't never a matter of 'if', it's more like 'when'. Tha camp in Atlanta, ya farm... tha prison… hell, probably this Terminus place if we hang 'round it long enough. It never takes long before shit blows up in our faces an' we're left barely makin' it out alive. Maybe us showing up on ya doorstep was jus' tha start of that, who knows... maybe ya dad would still be alive right now if we hadn't come traipsing up ya driveway.''

Daryl glanced over to see her staring down at the fire lost in thought about it, kind of wishing in hindsight that he hadn't gotten so uncharacteristically speculative. It wasn't usually in his nature to wax on such things, mostly because the people around him tended to do plenty of that all by themselves. It was the uneasy feeling he still had about Terminus that had compelled him to say it, if only because its potential for disaster was still weighing upon him more so than he personally wanted to admit.

Beth pulled an introspective breath and wrapped her arms around her knees. "You know what? I don't regret any of you coming to our farm that day… even after everything thats happened since. My dad wouldn't either. He was on a downward spiral and something needed to pull him out of it. Rick… Lori… Andrea… all of you became like family to us… a family we hadn't even known that we needed. We wouldn't have made it off the farm without you."

Daryl just shrugged as though what was being said was of little consolation. Upon realizing how dour the action seemed, he schooled his features and sighed. "Don't mind me. Ever since tha prison, it's jus' easier ta assume tha worst. Least that way when it happens, ya not disappointed."

With an understanding smile, she held him softly in her gaze. "I wouldn't be disappointed either way, even with things as uncertain as they are. You can only do what you can do and hope for the best. I'm saying that as someone who had to learn that lesson the hard way. If anything, I'm proud of how far I've come since the prison fell… I have you to thank for that."

"… and Rick." Daryl amended gruffly, the unexpected gratitude causing him to shift around in his seat uncomfortably.

"No… just you. You could have left me behind when the prison got overrun but you stayed despite the fact that you probably didn't want to. You taught me everything I know. Believe me, it hasn't always easy… with you nothing is… but I wouldn't change a single thing about it." She looked back over at him to add sincerely, "Because of you I know more about myself now than I ever thought I could. That's why I don't regret your group coming to our farm that day… because you came with them."

Left staring at her, Daryl swallowed hard at his own uncertainty as he wondered yet again how it was possible that she always knew the right thing to say. His chest tightened accordingly, bringing him back to the moment as it constricted against his ribs. It was then that he realized that he could handle Terminus and any other damn thing that came his way, just as long as she was right there facing it with him. Finding a safe haven so long ago hadn't been the only thing that had made going to the Greene farm that day worthwhile for him.

He leaned in to kiss her, his mouth finding hers before he even knew he intended it on doing so. Beth sighed appreciatively against him as her lips molded themselves softly to his. Lingering there for a moment, he drew away to leave the girl staring at him wide-eyed. He smirked in recognition of it, reckoning that the impromptu gesture had probably just shocked the hell out of her.

"What?" It was her turn to ask in confusion.

"Nothin'," He chuckled, standing up so he could kick some dirt over the fire in front of them. "Jus' nice ta see that I'm not tha only one that can get thrown off 'round here. Maybe If I kissed ya more often, ya wouldn't always look so damn stunned by it."

A stain of color flushed her cheeks. "You can kiss me whenever you want. Just don't be surprised if you get the same reaction because I think I'm starting to like it way too much."

Smiling, Daryl let the subject drop and went over to where the bike was parked nearby. He pulled a small bundle from the saddlebag strapped to its rear, unwrapping it carefully before coming back over to hand its content to her.

Beth gasped as she reached up to take her knife from him. "Oh my god! I thought it was lost forever! Where'd you find it?"

"In Len's room while I was digging 'round lookin' for my bolts." He said, shoving the rag into his pocket, "Bastard left it sitting on his side table. Forgot I had it until right now. Anyways, figured ya might want it… ya know… before we head out today."

Upon being reminded of the dangerous aspect of the endeavor ahead of them, Beth nodded resignedly in recognition of it. It hadn't been his intention to bring the reality of the situation back so abruptly but it couldn't be helped. They had already stayed here longer than he planned. As if sensing that their time here was coming to a close, she stood up to situate the knife holster firmly at her hip.

"How are we doing this?" She asked determinedly.

Daryl looked over, appreciating her willful tenacity. The girl never ceased to surprise him.

Reaching down to where the Horton was still propped against the bale of hay they had just vacated, he picked it up and situated it over his shoulder. "Not sure… least not yet anyways. We'll scope tha place out an' figure it out from there. If we're lucky, we'll get a clear view of jus' what it is we're dealin' with so we know what to expect. I ain't planning on takin' a chance with ya safety or my own jus' because tha sign on tha door says it's a sanctuary an' we should knock for a warm reception. Goin' in under tha radar is tha only way we're goin' in."

Beth glanced over at him, "What if Rick and the others are there?"

"We give 'em what they need to bust out an' then help 'em do so… _if_ they're there that is." He shrugged, his tone unwittingly dubious.

She put her hand reassuringly on his arm. "They are. You just gotta have a little faith."

Daryl just nodded solemnly before saying that it was time to go. He was all about having faith but he reckoned that the chances of them finding anyone at Terminus alive were practically slim to none. It had been months after all and Merle made the place sound like it was a death trap that lured people to its front gates under the ruse of being a haven of some kind only to never have them be seen again. Truth be told he almost hoped that Rick and the others weren't there, if only so he could continue believing that they were hunkered down somewhere else a hell of a lot safer. It also went without saying that not finding anyone there would also mean that neither him or Beth would have to risk their lives unnecessarily. There'd be no reason for them to break into Terminus if there wasn't a damn single person there even remotely worth rescuing.

After packing away the blankets and the last of the things they used back on the bike, both of them sat themselves upon it and looked back over at the barn.

"Is it wrong that I wish we could stay here?" Beth said wistfully, laying her cheek against the embroidered wings on his vest. "Just you and me…"

Worrying at his lower lip, Daryl didn't respond. He knew no good could come from such wishful thinking. As much as their time here meant something to him, it also made him realize that they both deserved more… a life more substantial than the threadbare one they were living. It was only at this moment that he was daring to acknowledge it. The two of them couldn't go on like this, not indefinitely anyways… barely scraping by… always on the run. If they were going to have a chance, he needed to find them a safer place to live, somewhere they could actually do so rather than to just continue on with this mindless surviving.

Giving the hand she had at his waist a reassuring squeeze, Daryl started the Triumph up… revving the engine a few times to get it warmed up. As far as he was concerned, the situation at Terminus was a last shot deal for them. If Rick and the others weren't there, he was going to try and convince Beth to come away with him, somewhere up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The high altitude was enough to keep the walkers at bay and at least there he could carve a life out for the two of them far away from all of this madness. It would mean leaving thoughts of her sister behind but to him it was worth it.

They couldn't continue doing this anymore.

…..

**Thank you for your ongoing support of this story, as always I appreciate it more than I can say. **

**I had a great response for Chapter 56 so thanks to all that dropped me a note about it. Writing a sex scene that's intimate but still stays true to the characters is fairly hard so I'm fortunate that I really like the challenge of doing it and my readers seem to really love them. It's all been worth it! I am currently working on Chapter 61 and am (don't freak out!) steadily working towards what may be the end of this story. I still have a lot to do before that point so no need to worry about it just yet. "What Still Lies Ahead" still has a lot left to offer and I have yet to figure out all the things that I want to resolve first (trust me, I know what they are!). I'm hoping to hit a lot more ****reviews before all that happens so keep them coming and thanks again for reading!**


	58. Chapter 58

…. Chapter 58 ….

Daryl slowed down and kicked the Triumphs gears into neutral, purposely stalling the engine out so he could coast the motorcycle silently to the side of the road. Its tires ground to a halt and sunk heavily into the dirt, leaving behind only the incessant clicking of the exhaust system cooling off and not much else. From where she was behind him, Beth heaved a sigh of relief… happier than she could begin to say to finally be able to get off the thing. While the trip itself hadn't been bad, she was just glad it was over and that they had finally reached their objective.

With the remnants of the wind still ringing in her ears, she took a moment to look around only to see trees and nothing else, making her doubt yet again that this Terminus place even existed. The few hours it had taken them to get to here had provided more than enough time for her mind to run away with itself, much like it always did when she was on the verge of doing something scary. Her thoughts had fluctuated wildly, running a gamete of every possible emotion while still daring to hope that the place wasn't as bad as she feared. Everything about it had been exhaustive and now that they were here, she was ready to see what they were dealing with at so they could finally get in and be done with it.

They'd been riding nonstop since leaving the barn earlier that morning and had luckily only gotten into trouble once. Daryl had inadvertently run them into a massive group of walkers just outside of Lizella, a small rural town about ten miles from Macon. The horde itself had been too large to bypass, even with most of them ensnared in the military grade barbed wire coils that had been left on the highway for such a purpose. Without the mental capacity to know how to untangle themselves, they had created the worst kind of roadblock… one he hadn't anticipated as he had sped determinedly around the corner.

Slamming on the brakes, he had peeled out the tires from under them but not before the Triumph was both seen and heard by all in their way. More walkers appeared from the woods that lined the highway to see what the commotion was about and their added presence had only made the situation that much more harrowing. With barely a moment to lose, Daryl had spun them around to get them out of there, leaving the hungry mass behind them in a cloud of exhaust fumes and burnt out rubber. She had looked back with her heart pounding, more thankful than she could begin to say that he had the fortitude and presence of mind to react to the situation as calmly as he did. A few more yards and they would've been over run.

With the highway no longer an option, they had resorted to taking the back roads in an effort to avoid running into any more problems. Daryl had navigated them all completely unphased by the prospect, doing so despite only viewing a map of the area once to her knowledge. He rode each one instinctively... almost like he had an ingrained sense of where they went to already implanted in his head. She had sat behind him silently marveling at his ability to do so. To her, it all but confirmed her belief that the man could find anything as long as he had the drive, the will and the determination to get himself there.

Beth's thoughts were pulled back to the present when Daryl balanced the bikes weight between his legs and took the keys out of the ignition. The silence around them was deafening and they both sat there for a moment as they each tried to catch their bearings. She made a conscious point not to say a word as he purposefully glanced around, his gaze darting into the trees so to assess the situation. Were they lost? Maybe this Terminus place was a lot smaller than she thought. Her overactive imagination had kicked into overdrive hours ago, convincing her that they were about to face an impenetrable sky high fortress surrounded by armed guards and attack dogs… maybe it was nothing like that... maybe she had worried for no reason.

Seeming to find nothing amiss, Daryl finally gave a cursory nod over his shoulder to indicate that it was safe enough for her to get off from behind him. Expelling the breath she hadn't even known she was holding, Beth stiffly did so and waited nervously at his side as he pulled the Horton from the handlebars. She had a thousand questions, so many that she barely knew where to begin… but knowing his proclivity to get irritated when she asked them, she just bided her time and watched as he took the moment necessary to get off the bike himself and situate the weapon securely on his back.

_''What are we doing?''_ She whispered, unable to help herself as the pressure became too much.

The anxious question cut through the air between them and Daryl glanced over to see her standing there twisting her fingers together.

''Was wonderin' how long it was gonna take ya ta ask.'' He mustered, the corner of his mouth smirking up despite himself. ''Ya practically chompin' at the bit over there.''

Beth just glared at him, not much appreciating the underlying humor in his tone. ''I can't help it! I'm nervous and you're not helping! Where are we? I don't see it anywhere! Are we close? Is this where you saw it on the map? _Why aren't you saying anything?!_''

Taking pity on her, Daryl reached over and pulled her towards him, untangling the tense knot she had made of her fingers to hold her hand loosely within his own. ''Calm ya storm, princess. I'm jus' takin' a moment ta listen to tha area, that's all. It's a old hunting trick an' one that comes in handy when visibility is limited an' ya can't see anythin' around ya for shit. Even tha most camouflaged of prey will give its position away by making a noise of some kind an' most times it's just a matter of waitin' for it. I jus' wanted ta know if there was anything here we should be worryin' about.''

''Well… is there?'' She unwittingly strained her hearing into the distance for herself.

He worried at his lower lip. ''It's hard ta say… if anythin' I'm thinkin' it's a little too quiet.''

''If that's the case, maybe Terminus isn't here at all," She volunteered, "Maybe the map is wrong.''

"Nah, it's here alright... 'bout half a mile that way… through them trees."

Beth could feel herself getting testy as her nerves immediately ratcheted back into high gear. When he didn't feel the need to elaborate further, she gritted her teeth and wondered if the man got some kind of twisted enjoyment from playing this game of twenty questions with her all the time. Lords sake, if he could be just a bit more forthcoming with his information, she wouldn't always need to ply it out of him so ridiculously!

"Then why is being a little too quiet a bad thing?" She was quick to ask, unintentionally exposing herself. "Isn't that what we want? Seriously Daryl, what part of me not being able to read your mind is so difficult for you to understand?"

Seeing that the stress had gotten the better of her, Daryl took the fuel out of her fire by taking a moment to explain himself more fully.

''It's bad 'cause tha place we're walkin' into is probably armed to tha nines. Hell, we've seen proof of that ourselves. Remember back in Piedmont, tha armed men an' the armored truck? There ain't a need ta have such things unless you're hidin' somethin' or protectin' somethin'. All that bein' said, tha fact that they ain't got no one patrolling tha area doesn't sit well with me.'' Pausing for a moment, he chewed pensively at the calloused skin next to his thumb nail before surprising her by asking, ''I dunno… what d'ya think?''

The steady cadence of his voice had calmed her much as it always did and Beth was able to think about the question as seriously as he meant it. ''Umm, maybe it's just part of their ruse… you know, the front they put up to draw unsuspecting people in. It would be really hard to maintain something like that if there were armed guards stomping all over the place.''

Daryl just nodded, letting her know without words that he agreed with her reasoning. With the conversation about it over, he heeled the kickstand up on the motorcycle and wheeled it carefully into the brush, covering it up to the best of his ability with an array of broken branches. When he reemerged from the shadows he was holding a handgun that Beth had never seen before.

''Here… this is for you.'' He said, passing it over. ''It's only got four bullets in it but it's better than nothin'. Merle wanted ya ta have it. He said he put so much work in ta fixin' ya up that he'd hate ta see it all go ta waste.'' When she gave a knowing smile, he did did the same, ''Yeah… that's how my brother lets ya know he cares. Anyways, ya know how ta use it?''

Beth easily ejected the clip to check the bullets inside it before reloading the gun and pulling back the slide. As she did so, she happened to glance up to see Daryl staring at her pointedly, his questioning gaze narrowing.

''You don't live on a farm your entire life and not know how to use a gun, Daryl.'' Was all she could think to say for herself, ''I've always known. Everyone just assumes I can't because… well… it's me, I guess.''

''Christ sakes, if knew how ta shoot this whole time, why tha hell didn't ya jus' say so at the prison?''

''If I did, would you've listened?'' Beth asked, not upset at all by the preconceived notion she had long learned to live with. If anything, she had always found it understandable to be overlooked, especially with someone a lot more capable like Maggie around. Relegated to the background, she had been left there ever since by never speaking up for herself.

The look that crossed Daryl's face was answer enough and Beth gave a self depreciating shrug in recognition of it. ''I'm not trying to say that to make you feel bad... it's just a fact. I was constantly surrounded by strong people… people like you and Michonne who had adapted much faster than me. How was I supposed to compete with that? Then Lori died and Judith came along, I was left to take care of her while you all went out on runs. Even if I wanted to go, it's not like anyone would've let me. At that point I… I didn't even mind… at that point I had convinced myself that babysitting was all anyone thought I was good for.''

Feeling bad about something he himself had been guilty of, Daryl pulled her to him with a resigned sigh, seemingly unable to help himself. Beth sniffled noisily into his jacket as the memories of feeling very much alone and unappreciated came rushing back unintentionally. The fact that she'd felt that way had been nobody's fault but her own. She had just found it much easier to accept everyones assumptions about her rather than to try and put in the effort needed to refute them. After everything that she had been through since then, she was determined not to cry about it though. She had come to far to warrant that meek and lonely girl a single solitary tear.

Daryl pressed his lips into her hair and pulled away, doing so as if he had suddenly realized the amount of time they were wasting. ''As much as I'd love for us ta stand here all day like we ain't got a care in tha world, we got shit ta do an' not a whole lot 'a light left ta do it in. We gotta get a move on.''

Nodding that she understood, Beth drew a deep breath and stepped away from his warmth, shaking off the residual feelings she had about the moment. She hadn't intended for it to get so emotional but there was nothing she could do about it now. Her thoughts about the past were hers and hers alone. They weren't anyone else's problem to deal with and they definitely weren't Daryl's. He obviously didn't feel the way he had about her now and to her, that was all that mattered.

Daryl pulled the Horton from his back and had them cross over the road they'd been standing next to to reach the trees on its other side. As he set the weapon against himself, he glanced over to see her shove the gun he had given her into the waistband of her jeans so she could pull her knife from its holster. If the game plan was to do this quietly, Beth figured it was much more suited for the job.

"Ya ready ta do this?" He asked, seeming to need more reassurance.

She gave a small smile, feeling a lot better now that her air had been cleared. "Contrary to popular belief, I was born ready."

Daryl smirked in response, appreciating the unexpected levity. ''Jus' remember who said that first.''

With that he disappeared into the thick of the woods, trusting that she'd know to follow in behind him. Beth did so as silently as she could, trying her best to match the sureness of his steps. As confident as she was in her new found abilities, this was definitely his area of expertise so she consciously deferred to him whenever possible, letting him lead the way. She watched him closely the whole time, heeding his instructions as he let her know what he wanted her to do with a succession of silent hand gestures. It wasn't long before he got them close enough to Terminus to where they could see the fence that surrounded its perimeter. As soon as it came into view Daryl ducked out of sight, causing her to quickly do the same behind the tree she was crouched down next to.

Beth peered around its trunk so she could get a better view of just what it was the two of them were looking at. The six foot tall fence seemed to go on forever, indicating the massive size of the compound that lay hidden behind it. Slain walkers bodies were strewn at it's base… most of them dead, others not so much. The occupants of Terminus were obviously defending it much like they had done at the prison, by stabbing any threats directly through the chain link. Large sheets of corrugated metal fortified the panels from there, making it impossible for them to see anything past that. They provided an extra layer of protection while giving no indication of what the place looked like beyond each one.

With no distinct activity to be either seen or heard, Beth suspected that they were at the rear of the compound. Her theory was confirmed when Daryl motioned for her to keep going towards where he clearly thought the entrance would be.

Flanking the fence line, she made her way silently through the trees, using the overgrowth for cover as she purposely tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible. There was a span of open terrain laying up ahead and proceeding cautiously, she stepped free of the brush to be astounded by what she saw.

Multiple train tracks all came into view, miles upon mile of them running adjacent to each other for as far as the eye could see. All of them lay directly in their path and were something they wouldn't be able to easily get around, not without being detected. On them sat hundreds of decrepit box cars that were all in various states of disrepair. Left rusted and ruined in the weather, the ones closest to her were marked with graffiti. Beth held a hand up to her eyes so she could read what it said.

_Welcome… Arrivals… Safety In Numbers_. All of the short messages were sprayed on their sides in silver metallic paint. Daryl suddenly came up behind her to grab her arm and pull her behind the closest one. With both of them safely hidden from sight, he slumped back against the wheel of the carriage and took the moment to catch his breath.

''Yeah, well… this ain't good.'' Was all he offered, saying out loud what they both already knew.

''What do you think it is?'' She found herself whispering in return, ''A train station or something?''

''Out in tha sticks like this? I doubt it." He purposely took another look around, "I'm thinkin' it's more of a maintenance yard… y'know, tha kinda place where trains go ta die. With people inclined ta stick to tha tracks once they found 'em, they'd likely end up here. That was probably tha point tha whole fuckin' time. These bastards used tha tracks like they were tha yellow brick road but I bet ya that ain't no Oz.''

Beth just nodded, unable to fault his analogy. The massive brown building with the word Terminus painted in grim letters above its windows looked as far removed from the Emerald City as it could ever dream to be.

''I think we should head back into the woods and see if we can find a way in from there.'' She said nervously, glancing back over to the front gate. ''We're way to obvious out here. If anyone's watching, they'd see us coming from a mile away…''

When Daryl didn't respond, she glanced over her shoulder to see him taking a much closer look at the box car they were hiding behind. Was he even listening? Her brows drew as she followed him around the side, only to watch in confusion as he struggled with the coupling on the door to unhitch it and slide it open. The god awful smell hit her before the sight did and she stepped back to see that the entire insides of the car was covered in a thick layer of decaying blood. It was plastered on everything... the walls… the ceiling… and housed more maggots than she had ever seen in her life. Daryl immediately tried to close the door back up but not before a splatter of gore managed to escape its confinement and leak disgustingly onto the ground at their feet.

Completely repulsed, Beth looked around and see that a lot of the train cars had similar puddles accumulating beneath them, all of which were drying disgustingly into the gravel at their wheels.

''Yeah… fuck all that!'' Daryl concluded sharply, seeing them for himself. ''We're outta here…''

Ready now to take her previous suggestion seriously, he began looking for the quickest way back when they both suddenly heard the front gates of Terminus rattle open in the distance. Daryl immediately shoved her back down behind the wheel, holding her there by the arm as they both watched four armed men disperse quickly into the woods where they had been.

_''Shit!''_ He was quick to hiss out, the ante on the situation now upped significantly enough to make him grit his teeth in frustration, "They ain't comin' out here for tha hell of it!"

Beth couldn't agree more! ''Oh my god... do you think they saw us?''

As if to answer her question, the loud speaker attached to the building crackled to life, causing her heart to plummet into her stomach. The voice on the other side cleared its throat before casually uttering, _'They're by the trains, you idiots'._

''Bastards have been watchin' tha whole time!'' Daryl gave her a shove to get her moving, ''Go!''

With no other option she took off running as fast as she could, heading in the opposite direction of the men to purposely make her way between the trains. She could hear the crossbow rattling behind her as Daryl brought up the rear, the sound of his labored breathing practically roaring in her ears. Not used to taking the lead, Beth quickly became discombobulated by it as the box cars and the tracks they sat upon all began to look disparagingly the same. Cutting over through one of the gaps that separated them, there was no way to tell if she was coming or going as they all seemed to close in around her.

Spinning around in desperation, her boot caught on a broken peg and she went sprawling down in the dirt. Without even missing a step, Daryl went to haul her to her feet by the scruff of her shirt when a hail of bullets ricocheted off of the train next to them. Coming out of nowhere, the gunfire caught them both off guard and they each went diving for cover… Beth scrambling under the car next to her while Daryl was left rolling beneath the one across from it.

Beth pushed herself to her knees, ignoring the gore encrusted rocks as they dug painfully into her palms. She looked around only to have her heart drop when she saw that the train he was hiding under was nowhere near her own. With the situation now spiraling out of control, he might as well have been a million miles away... a fact she instantly began to regret the moment she heard footsteps closing in on them from behind.

As if sensing her fear, Daryl put a finger to his lips as he detected the movement as well. He began to inch his way out of the small space allotted to him, going slow so not to give his position away. Her limited vantage point didn't allow for much help so she was left just holding her breath as she watched his progress nervously. He was on the verge of clearing the trains undercarriage when he suddenly and unexpectedly disappeared from her sight, his body flailing across the gravel as he was dragged out from under the car by his bootstraps.

Beth gasped in shock, barely able to believe that just happened in the span of a mere moment. She quickly scrambled out from under her own to take off running...

''Come out, come out wherever you are…'' A deep voice chimed, seeming to know full well who it was addressing.

She skidded to a halt as her blood turned to ice, now stuck in a quandary that was not of her making. Even if she wanted to move, her feet felt like they were now rooted to the ground...

''_Nah, Beth! Don't ya even think about it!_'' Daryl struggled to yell from where he was being held on the other side of the box car, _''Don't ya come 'round here! Run an' don't ya look back!''_

Not much appreciating the unsolicited commentary, the owner of the voice hit him hard for giving it, the seriousness of the blow managing to reach her over the sound of her own panicked breathing. Swallowing hard at the lump of trepidation wedged in her throat, Beth sheathed her knife and pulled the gun Merle had given her... doing so despite the fact that she was completely at a loss at what to do with it in a situation like this. At this point she just wanted to even the odds a little and give Daryl more of a fighting chance.

''Now, Beth... don't you listen to that!" The voice tsked loudly, "I insist, _please_ come around! That way we can meet and get better acquainted! You can see for yourself that I'm not such a bad guy and how all of this is just... one big misunderstanding! I ain't gonna kill your man here, I promise… I'm just gonna hurt him, just a lil' bit!''

The threat was delivered with a sinister sounding laugh, one that instantly hardened her resolve to stone. Beth's fingers tightened around the gun she was holding and she stood there barely believing that she was having to go through this once more.

_Really?_ _This again?_ How many more assholes could possibly be left out there with a determined need to make her life a living hell?! Shouldn't the turn be killing them off by now? Did they use it as an excuse to become what they are or did their asshole-like tendencies just come to them naturally?

With no answers to be had, she felt like she was caught in a bad dream... one stuck on repeat and with no end in sight. Here she was having to face down another one… one who was yet again making things worse than they needed to be for no good reason and without cause or provocation. Well, this one was in for a surprise. She was _done_ with being the victim! That wasn't who she was and that sure as hell wasn't who Daryl was either! _The two of them had been through this enough!_

With that conviction in mind, Beth rounded the side of the train car with the gun held steady in her hand and her eyes as cold as ice. What she found there was a stocky middle aged man with dark greasy hair, dressed in what looked like dirty riot gear overalls. He had Daryl on his knees and was forcibly keeping him there by gripping him by the nape of his neck. His other hand held a gun which he immediately pressed harder to the side of his captives head.

Furious, Daryl's gaze narrowed for seeing her. Not much giving a shit about the direness of his predicament, he barked out angrily, ''Goddamn it Beth! I done told ya ta run!''

The man behind him was grinning much like the idiot the loudspeaker had pegged him for and didn't seem to notice that she had a gun trained right on the center on his chest. Beth purposely cocked the hammer and bit out, ''You best let him go mister, unless you want to die right here… right now.''

''I don't think so, sweetheart." He responded as he aggressively dug the barrel of the gun into Daryl's skull, ''I've got the upper hand and all three of us know it. Drop it... unless you wanna watch me put a cap in his head and call it good.''

"That's not going to happen." She said, sounding a hell of a lot more assured than she felt. "If he dies, you die. End of story."

The man spat into the dirt at his feet, not phased at all by the threat she presented. Beth was finding it hard to hear anything over the sound of her own pulse as it raced in her ears.

"Guessin' we'll see about that. What you seem to be forgettin' that it was _you_ that came here lookin' for _us_! Just what the hell was it that you thought you were gonna find here?" He purposely tightened the grip he had on Daryl's neck, making him huff against him in anger. "I ain't gonna tell you again, drop the gun or I'll kill him!"

''No you won't...'' Beth argued, taking a chance as she stepped in closer, ''You wanna know why? Because you would've done it already. A place like this doesn't send out four armed men to chase us around if the point was to kill us on sight. You had plenty of chances to do that and none of you took them."

''Well, well well… aren't you a clever girl!'' He sneered, the black tone of the sentiment shrouding his features, ''Good news is that you're right, I ain't really gonna kill him, I was just bluffing to get you out here and look, it worked 'cause here you are… the bad news is that it don't matter... not to you anyways. Much like us, you had your chance. When you see what we've got in store for him, you're gonna wish you had taken it...''

With that, he struck Daryl sharply on the back of his head, using the hard edged handle of the gun to knock him out cold. The blow sent him down to the ground to immediately take him out of the equation.

His crumpled body laying there was the last thing Beth saw before the same thing happened to her, someone sneaking up from behind her to hit her as well. As she fell to her knees, she vaguely wondering what the man had meant...

It didn't take long for the darkness to descend, making all other thoughts about it completely irrelevant. It welcomed her with open arms, removing her from the tense situation and everything that came along with it.

…...

**Another Monday and another chapter at last! Don't be mad that it's a cliffhanger, it's just a lil' one I promise!**

**I've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks figuring out how I was going to end WSLA and I'm happy to say that I have a fairly good idea now of how I'm going to do it. It will be so strange to not always be working on it once it's done but I will be happy knowing that I left something behind that so many Bethyl fans have enjoyed. That's a long way off though and many more chapters to write. Thank you to all my followers and readers, old and new. Please leave a review, comment or musing in general… I love reading them as always!**


	59. Chapter 59

…. Chapter 59 ….

Consciousness intruded the void Daryl was in and he groaned in pain, unable to help himself as it quickly reminded him of just what it was he was waking up to. There was a muted light coming in from somewhere and it flared past his eyelids, piercing into his skull to make him instantly nauseous. With his head already throbbing like a son of a bitch, he rolled away from it to throw up immediately, full blown dry heaves that left him shivering on the ground. For having taken more beatings in a lifetime than most people could handle, he knew the signs of another one all too well... only he couldn't remember the details of this one in particular for shit. Maybe that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Drawing a ragged breath, he struggled to open his eyes... taking the moment to pull himself together. He blinked in the aftermath to look around, able to do so now his gut was clear and his vision had adjusted. Wherever he was, it was small… the labored sounds he was making seemed to practically echo off the walls. It was also dark as hell. What had felt like the glare of a thousand suns turned out to be nothing more than a smattering of daylight as it bled in through the narrow space beneath the door.

He gingerly pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth in determination as his body instantly complained. His hand drifted up to his head to determine the source of the splitting headache. Feeling around, he discovered a deep wound at his temple that was covered in a thick layer of dried blood. Well, at least that explained one thing. From there a few other issues soon came to light, including the potential for several fractured ribs. He had raw abrasions on his face and both of his knees were scraped up to hell. What the fuck happened? How long had he been here for?

The growing list of injuries just confounded him more. Digging deeper for the answer, a vague memory of trains came to him… lots of them… and guns, a lot of those as well… and Beth...

"Beth..." Daryl whispered loudly, spinning around in hopes that she was locked in here with him. Instantly regretting the sudden movement, he braced himself unsteadily against the wall. _"Beth! _Ya in here?_"_

Nothing.

Dropping to his belly, he looked out through the crack under the door only to have the worst of his fears confirmed. He was locked in one of the train cars housed within Terminus, one of eight in a row that he could make out. They were all labeled alphabetically starting with 'A' and ending with 'H'. From what he could remember, none of the cars outside the compound had been tagged in such a way. Three cars to his right meant that he was in "D". If he was in this one, then which one was Beth in? Was she was still alive?

He was instantly inundated with a wave of regret for bringing them here and he squeezed his eyes shut in remorse for knowing it. For as careful as he had tried to be, in the end it hadn't mattered. They both had been taken almost immediately, the occupants of Terminus having the guns and the numbers that he hadn't properly accounted for. Somehow, the two of them had gotten separated... a circumstance he swore would never happen again. She was gone and he'd rather take a bolt to the chest than face the void of hopeless uncertainty her absence caused him once more. Everything about it had his nerves worn so fucking thin that his brain could barely function past the depleted state his body was in.

A clanging bell was suddenly heard from the vicinity of the building and Daryl pressed his face back into the gap to see what was going on. A group of men came strolling out of Terminus dressed in riot masks and blood stained aprons. They chatted amongst themselves as they made their way over to where the row of box cars sat waiting for them.

Feeling like hammered dog shit, he knew he didn't have it within himself to fight them all off so he heaved a deep seated sigh of relief as he watched them head towards the 'F' car. Unlocking the coupling, one of the men threw in a smoke grenade of some kind and then waited as about eight women and children came pouring out. All of them were screaming hysterically and wheezing for breath, not that it mattered as they all were all rounded up immediately and practically thrown into the back of a nearby truck.

Daryl swallowed hard in an effort to quell his own heart as it beat furiously at his ribs. Laying there in the filth of those before him, he watched as the truck drove straight back into the building, using a convenient side entrance marked for 'Deliveries'.

While he was relieved to see that none of the women had been Beth, that was of little consolation. The other box cars just outside of fence had been drenched in blood, indicating that many had seen the hell Terminus had in store for them all. The girl could've been part of an earlier group that had been taken there or maybe one that was due to go in there next...

With only one way to find out, he determinedly shoved himself to his feet and started to look around for anything he could use to defend himself. He ran his fingers over the darkened interior of the car only to pause as the pad of his thumb caught on a large splinter of wood. Digging into it, he plied it carefully from the wall to determine that it would do.

He undid his bootlace and and quickly unthreaded it free. Using a trick he had learned from Merle, he began to use it like a saw… separating the splinter itself from the wood it sat in until it gradually became a spike. With the fortified shoelace wearing thin, he put it back in his boot and repeated the process with the other one. The dilapidated state of the wood helped immensely and when he had the piece about eight inches long, he snapped it free and hefted the weight of it in his hand.

Checking outside for movement once more, Daryl slid the spike up the sleeve of his jacket, testing its maneuverability to make sure it was available to him when he needed it. He was feeling marginally better about the shitiness of his circumstance when the trap door above him suddenly opened up and a gas grenade was dropped in...

"Chew on that, asshole" Was spat down derisively with it.

A toxic smoke proceeded to fill the narrow space allotted to him and he immediately began coughing from it, doing so until he felt as if his lungs were about to burst. The cloud of gas was suffocating and it seeped its way into every nook and crevasse. When the door to the car didn't slide open as expected, he was left pounding against it in sheer desperation. Everything became a hazy blur as he sunk back down onto the floor, passing out again to not remember a damn thing else.

…..

Daryl woke up some time later to find himself being roughly carried through what looked like the worst kind of slaughter house known to man. He hung on the arms of those who held him as visions of horror seared themselves within his subconscious. Blurry drugged out images of back room autopsies inundated his mind… corpses hanging on meat hooks… sights so grotesque that they hardly seemed real. His arms were bound tightly behind his back and he groaned against the gag in his mouth, barely able to form a coherent thought as his feet dragged on the ground behind him.

The chemical grenade had left his chest feeling like it was on fire and any attempt made to pull the slightest breath had his eyes watering. Blinking it away, he swallowed hard as he was hauled into a large room of some kind located at the end of the hallway. Through the hair that hung limply in his face he could see that it was specifically set up for the execution and dissection of humans. There were large instruments of death hanging on the wall, all of which were covered in a fine layer of gore… the tiles on the walls were stained with blood and there were plastic containers filled with body parts stacked haphazardly on the floor like the worst kind of garbage.

He instantly began struggling against his bonds, preferring to die on his feet than to beg on his knees. The gesture was not appreciated by those who held him and one of the men immediately uppercutted him hard in his bruised ribs. Way past the point of letting such a minuscule thing deter him, he was about to double down on his efforts when he happened to glance over and see Rick kneeling behind the huge twelve foot trough that dominated the center of the room. He huffed in surprise, barely able to believe his own eyes. Next to him was Glenn and Bob, neither one of them looking to be in much better shape than himself. All three were staring at him in absolute shock as he was thrown up against the trough as well, the sharp impact of which leaving him gasping for air.

"Got a live one here, Owen." One of the men said disinterestedly.

From his allotted spot in line, Daryl looked over to see who he was referring to. There on the far side of the room, two men were laboring intensely over the dead body of what looked to be a woman laid out on a concrete slab. One of them was using a hacksaw to finish removing a leg while the other worked diligently on detaching the head. Both couldn't be bothered to look up from what they were doing as the man who spoke waited to see if they'd respond.

"Yeah? Well, not for long." Owen finally felt obligated to say. The men in aprons trudged out of the room and he gestured over to his co-worker to spit out, "What the fuck are you waiting on, man? It's your turn!"

"I ain't doing shit until the rest of 'em get here." The other man muttered, seemingly not wanting to be distracted from the meticulousness of his work.

As if on cue, more people arrived… four more men being dragging in by multiple others dressed in the masks and bloody aprons. The standard issued uniform made it difficult to tell if they were the same ones that had just been here or a new group entirely. What the hell was this place?

Taking the moment while he had it, Daryl choked down the lump of trepidation stuck in his throat and chanced a look over at Rick. For as much as he wanted to find him here, the direness of the circumstance they both now found themselves in just couldn't be worse. Rick was staring back at him as if he had already resigned himself for knowing it. Glenn was shaking from where he was between them as the new arrivals were thrown roughly into place. Much like the four of them, they were all looking at each other furtively as if equally confounded by what was about to happen.

An eerie silence fell across the room and they all bore the palpable weight of it as it pressed down upon them. Daryl tried to calm himself as his heart attempted to damn near beat him to death. He wasn't one to normally give in to panic but the seriousness of the situation and every harrowing aspect it entailed practically seemed to call for it. Rick was chewing at his gag, a thick layer of sweat running off his brow to drip into the trough in front of them all. Bob had tears in his eyes. This whole fucking thing had bad news written all over it.

All eyes were on Owen as he picked up two carving knives from the prep table nearby, scraping one across the length of the other in an attempt to sharpen them both. The sound they made grated over Daryl's already frayed nerves as the man began pacing behind them all restlessly. His co-worker grabbed a baseball bat and went down to the far end of the line. Making a fine show of things, he wound himself up like he was getting ready to partake at the most fucked up kind of batting practice and then took his swing.

They were all left watching as it connected with the head of the young blond guy down on the far end of the trough. The impact sent the kid reeling and he didn't even make a sound as he slumped down over its edge. Owen stepped in from behind and grabbed him by the hair, slitting his throat to let his blood drain freely. With everyone now aware of what was in store for them, a level of panic not previously attained to descended down on them immediately.

Daryl blanched as he heaved in fear, the sound of it lost to the gag in his mouth. Blood was gushing everywhere as the second guy fell, his body left twitching face down as they moved on to the next. The third man screamed as the bat made contact only to have Owen's blade cut the sound out of his throat. Just as his partner went to swing for the fourth, a young man with serious features unexpectedly stepped into the room, a clipboard held firmly in his hand.

"Guys, what are your shot counts?" He asked, completely unphased by the horror taking place in front of him.

"Thirty Eight." Was the answer given along with the hit.

The fourth guy was grabbed from behind and Daryl reeled back as the warmth of his blood spattered on the side of his face. He could only squeeze his eyes shut as both men moved behind him, the bat pressing up against the back of his head as it was carefully lined up...

"Hey!" The kid with the clipboard interrupted, "Am I talking to myself here? I just asked you a question!"

There was a long uncomfortable silence. "Man, I'm sorry Gareth… it's my first round up. I didn't know I needed to keep tabs on that shit."

From the way the two assholes behind him were deferring to the man, it was clear he was of some importance here. To Daryl, he didn't look like anything special… just your average, run-of-the-mill yuppie type that looked like he considered hiking a sport. Still, the four of them had no choice but to sullenly stare up at him from where they were all stuck on their knees. For his part, Gareth paid them no mind as he went back to scribbling on his clipboard.

"Josh, that's not an excuse..." He sighed, "When you're done here, go back to your point and count the shells. While you're at it, clear the fence line by 'H' car… the biters are starting to accumulate there and they're making me nauseous."

He started to pace around in front of them all as if he had something else he wanted to say. As a member of his captive audience, Daryl could only watch in apprehension as he dropped to a knee in front of Rick and yanked his gag down.

"Hi Rick." He said casually, a smile on his face the didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sorry things had to turn out this way, I really am... but you really gave me no choice. That being said, you've been our guest for a while now and I think we've been more than hospitable. When we first saw you, you were carrying a large blue bag. You went into the woods with that bag and then come out again without it. Rick, I need you to tell me two things… where's the bag now and more importantly, what's in it?"

In his peripherals, Daryl could see Rick glaring at the kid, a look he had seen before. Did the two of them know each other?

Realizing that no answer was going to be forthcoming, Gareth pulled a sick looking tactical knife from his belt. "You hid it right? Just in case things went south. That's understandable… smart even. I wish we could go out there and search for it ourselves but it's far too dangerous right now. Thanks to this asshole right here..." He pointed the tip of the blade over at Daryl, "... the perimeter is crawling biters. That what happens when my men don't greet newcomers quietly. Never trust the hired help to do what you can do yourself, right? Anyway, the fence lines now need to be cleared again, which... much like this conversation... is just wasting time that I don't particularly have to give..."

Gareth suddenly grabbed Bob by the back of the head and held the blade directly to his left eye.

"Just so you know, I'm not squeamish." He assured, putting it out there as if it were a fact that they should all just accept as a given. "Take a look around. I'll carve his eyeball from his head, cut it into bite sized pieces and feed it to him for breakfast… so I'll ask you again. Rick, what's in the bag?"

Rick's jaw tightened for having his hand forced. "Why don't you let me take you out there. I'll show you."

"Come on now, we both know that's not the answer I'm looking for..." Was tsked in response as the blade pressed in closer.

Seeming to understand just how dead serious Gareth was, Rick amended himself accordingly, "There are guns in it. AK-47's… a .357 Magnum… automatic weapons, a sniper rifle with a night scope and a machete with a red handle." His gaze hardened, "That's what I going to use to kill you."

Gareth smiled smugly before he reached over to put Rick's gag back in place, making it clear what he thought of such a threat.

"You see? Was that so hard?" He stood up and put his knife away before addressing the two men that had been waiting out the conversation, "You two… you have three hours to get them on the hooks so we can go back to public face. I want those containers there locked down, loaded and stored appropriately. The people in 'H' car, I want them on the slab no later than nineteen thirty with no exceptions. Right now is the time to get messy but we need to dial it all back by sundown. Oh, and I expect your shot count on my desk at that time Josh, no excuses. Do either of you have any questions?"

"No sir." Both men said in unison.

Gareth left them to their own devices as he strode from the room. Owen seemed more than happy too see him go if only so he could mutter the world 'Asshole' under his breath and pick back up where he had left off.

He turned to face his companion. "What you waiting on? You heard what the man said!"

Sighing, Josh wound the bat up... tapping it repeatedly to the back of Daryl's head to again line up his swing.

With the hellish cycle of waiting finally coming to an end, Daryl was as ready as he was going to be for it. Visions of Beth and their time together at the barn inundated his mind and he tensed in regret for what could've been...

A sudden explosion rocked at the buildings foundation, immediately shattering the windows above to send shards of glass raining down on all of them. The walls shook in the aftermath as the booming sound of it reverberated throughout the room. With his ears ringing from it, Daryl inadvertently hit the ground as Glenn fell on top of him, unable to help himself as they all went careening into each other.

_"What the fuck was that?!"_ Josh shouted over the gun fire that could be heard starting up outside.

Owen pulled his walkie and frantically pressed the button on it to open a line, "Gareth?! _Gareth!_ What's going on?! Anyone! Come in!"

When the channel came back as nothing but static, the two men started arguing with each other about what they should do next. With both of them distracted, Daryl covertly indicated for Rick to look down and see the wooden stake he had hidden up his sleeve. As if intuitively reading his mind, Rick rolled over and let him use it to saw at the zip ties that bound his hands together. The moment he was freed, he took the stake for himself and surged to his feet, attacking Owen from behind to bury the jagged piece of wood deep in his neck.

Josh looked on as his co-worker fell to the floor, seemingly surprised by this unexpected turn of events. He was left begging for his life as he was advanced upon as well. Rick stabbed him repeatedly in the chest, each blow sinking in with very little regard and absolutely no remorse. The floor was covered in blood by the time he was done and he stood there panting in the thick of it until he was sure that both men were dead. Grabbing a knife from the rooms prep table, he rushed back over to free them from where they all lay sprawled out on the ground waiting for him.

Another explosion tore violently through the compound. Steadying himself from its aftershock, Daryl yanked off his gag and hauled Bob to his feet. The screams of the living joined the groans of the dead as more gun fire joined the fray outside.

Glenn ran over to the prep table to find a weapon of his own. Picking one out he asked frantically, _"Are those b__ombs?!"_

"Christ! It sounds like a damn war out there!" Daryl barely had time to duck as a stray bullet whizzed in through one of the broken windows.

He ran over and grabbed a knife from the table himself before following Rick and the others out of the room.

Daryl brought up the rear as they all ran down the hallway, more thankful than he could say to have made it out of there alive. That they all had was a miracle... or as damn near close to one as any of them could ever hope to get. For a moment it hadn't felt like it was going to work out that way... for a moment there, the situation had spiraled so dangerously close to the wire that he had been this fucking close to pissing himself.

The nightmares induced by that room were undoubtedly going to haunt him for years. Not wanting to give them the head start they didn't need, Daryl purposely emptied his head of them so he could focus what was left of his fortitude on finding Beth.

From where he was up ahead, Rick ground to a halt as he came across a large processing room located just off of the main hallway. They all hesitantly went inside to see racks upon racks of human meat hanging on the hooks Gareth had spoken of, all of them lined up in a blood drenched rows. The prep tables beneath each one held the discarded parts that hadn't been deemed necessary for whatever reason - hearts, spleens, entrails and such. Daryl looked around in complete and utter shock, having not thought that this hell could get any worse. Bob began dry retching from behind him and it gave him the incentive he needed to snap to and do what needed to be done.

"You come across any of these people, you kill 'em." Rick bit out, meaning it. "Don't hesitate."

Daryl picked up an abandoned crow bar laying nearby and began searching through the aisles, looking for anything that could potentially devastate his world. Every table was scanned despite his revulsion as he dug around for the slightest trace of blonde hair or pale skin.

"What... the hell are... you doing, man?" Bob managed to croak out past his own gag reflex.

"Beth's here." Daryl growled, using the bar in his hand to lift what was left of a broken rib cage. "I ain't leavin' 'til I find her."

_"Beth?!"_ Glenn exclaimed as he stepped back over in disbelief, "She's with you? Since when?"

He didn't get a chance to answer as gunfire was heard at the back door. Running over to check the state of the situation outside, Glenn quickly peered through the window.

"There's walkers everywhere!" He rushed to say, "The fence is breached! They're fighting back but there's too many of them. We've got to get out of here..."

Relieved to have discovered nothing amongst the rotting body parts, Daryl went to go over and assess the situation for himself when Rick grabbed his arm in passing. "That doesn't mean just us. Carl, Michonne, Sasha… Maggie… they're all here... locked up in 'A' car. None of us are leaving if we don't do this together."

The odds of finding the rest of the group here as well were almost too astronomical to be believed and Daryl only had time to nod in acknowledgment of it before the urgency of the moment abruptly took over. He followed Bob outside as a barrage of constant gunfire was heard all around them. Multiple fires burned all over the place and the dark smoke that billowed from them filled the air, making visibility difficult. Hugging at his bruised ribs, Daryl squinted against it as it immediately stung at his eyes. He pressed his back to the wall as Rick peered around the corner.

"How are we doing this?" Bob asked nervously from next to him. He looked as though he had just realized that the knife he was bringing to the gun fight was not going to suffice.

Rick glanced over his shoulder. "We get to the train car an' free the others! It's all that matters!"

"What about the other prisoners… the other trains?" The concern was apparent in Glenn's tone.

"We'll let 'em out but they're on their own. Our group's the priority… Maggie… Beth… Carl. We are leaving."

With that said, they all rushed in… killing everything that stood in their path. Human... walker... it didn't matter... all fell to the wayside to be forgotten in their wake. Although he was mentally and physically depleted, Daryl fought like his very life depended on it. As he did so he scanned the face of everyone he came across for what he was praying not to see. Maybe Beth was locked up safe with her sister... maybe she wasn't here at all...

They picked up the guns of the fallen as they went, emptying the mags only to need to pick up more. He made sure to use his strategically as he took out all that opposed him. The alley in front of the train cars was inundated with walkers and him, Bob and Glenn all stepped in to cover Rick as he unlocked the coupling on the first one.

_"C'mon! We're fighting our way out!"_ He yelled as Carl jumped out to greet him. He was immediately followed by Maggie, Michonne, Sasha and four other people that Daryl didn't know, two men and two women. They all came out swinging as they quickly entered the fray.

Daryl looked inside the car to see that it was empty and his shoulders fell for not having what he wanted come to fruition. Shaking it off, he turned around to find Maggie staring at him. "Yeah, it's me…" Was all he had time to say before she jumped into his arms with a cry.

He set her back on her feet before urging her to go with the others, knowing that they didn't have much time. The whole compound was minutes away from being completely over taken. He took off in the opposite direction, dodging both walkers and gunfire as he ran to the other train cars. Glenn was right behind him as they both started unlatching each one as fast as they could, flinging the doors open only to rush on to the next.

A mass of screaming people soon joined the madness… men, women and children of all ages. They made a chaotic situation that much more so as they drew unwanted attention to themselves. Many were as gaunt as the walkers that converged on them as they scattered to the wind, searching for their own way out. Daryl purposely ignored them all as he opened the last car with baited breath, wanting more than anything for her to be in it...

The damn thing was empty.

Glenn looked over to see another section of the fence fall and he grabbed at his arm, _"We gotta go! Now!"_

Daryl yanked himself away, fear and desperation making him reckless. "Nah! I done told ya I ain't leaving' an' I meant it!"

_"She's not here! _Let the walkers clear this place out and we'll come back and sweep it properly! _All of us!"_

Not wanting to hear it, Daryl struggled against him hard as he was pushed towards the fence. Gareth suddenly appeared on the roof above them to rain down a hail of gunfire at their feet and they both sprung apart just as Bob and Sasha stepped in to cover them. One of them managed to peg the bastard in the shoulder and he fell back with a yell, providing the small window of opportunity they needed to climb over the fence themselves and jump down its other side.

Daryl was now pissed enough to leave Glenn behind as he ran ahead to where Rick was storming away. He bypassed Carl and Michonne to catch up to him and say, "I'm goin' back in! Ya comin' with me or what?!"

Completely out of breath, he stood there panting as the deputy sheriff knelt on the ground to start digging in the dirt. He pulled a large blue bag out of the hole he had made and opened it up to show a cache of guns. "Yeah, I'm coming... but first we finish what they started."

"What the hell are you talkin' about, man?" The large red headed man who had gotten out with them barked over in disbelief, "We barely got out by the skin of our balls. I ain't goin' back in there!"

Daryl was about to tell him what he could do with his unwanted opinion when Rick looked over to say assertively, "They don't get to live. We go back along the fence line with the rifles and kill the rest of 'em."

"What! Why?!" Confusion made Sasha's voice a lot more high pitched than it needed to be, "We only just got out of there alive! The place is on fire! It's over!"

Rick wasn't having it and the rigid set of his shoulders said as much. "It's not over… not until they're dead."

Maggie stepped forward to be a calmer voice of reason, "Rick, the fences are down. It's suicide. They'll either run or they'll die."

Daryl gritted his teeth in frustration, realizing that they were doing nothing but waste time by standing there and debating it. "It don't fuckin' matter! Both is more than what they deserve." He bit out as he took the loaded gun that was being handed to him, "Y'all can do what ya want. I ain't giving 'em that option!"

No longer having the time, patience or inclination to explain himself further, Daryl stalked away knowing full well that Rick would follow. Besides Beth, he was the only one that mattered to him anyway. The two of them would go back in and tear the whole damn place apart by themselves if they had to.

With only his own determined conviction urging him on, Daryl stormed back towards Terminus. The people there had no idea of who it was they had just fucked with. If any of them were still alive to account for it, they better hope he found what he was looking for or else they were going to find out.

...

**What, another chapter so soon? Oh yeah! I usually wouldn't post for another week or two but I thought I'd surprise you! I hope you enjoyed it! If so, please leave a comment or review and as always, thanks for reading! **


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