Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Walking Dead'.

Author notes: Hello there! This is the first fanfiction I write in 8 years! I'm just starting to get used to it. Also, pardon me if something is not right, or hard to understand, as english isn't my mother language. I tried my best though! Your reviews and suggestions will be well accepted.
~Hopes high for the last three episodes of this season. Go Bethyl ~

Chapter 1: Rise and Shine

In the midst of a dense forest, Daryl and Beth trace a new path, as far away as possible from the last horde of walkers they found, as well as escaping the cold. A few days ago they started to feel that the wind was getting slightly colder, and it'd soon begin to snow. There won't be much time left until they freeze to death if they don't find a place to hide this week. After a three or four hour's walk, they find a vast green meadow. Taken by a gray sky and a freezing sunset, they're forced to take a break, rest and lid a bonfire. They look for a big tree, some branches for the bonfire, and get comfortable right there, aware that there's no sign at all of any living - or dead - for at least a raid of two kilometers. Beth starts the fire while Daryl counts what's left of the supplies.
"Daryl, can you get me my backpack?" says Beth, that protects herself from the cold warming up her hands on the recently lid bonfire.
"Sure." Daryl stretches himself and grabs her backpack behind him. "Here ya go."
"Thanks." Beth opens up her backpack and takes a pair of old gloves.
"Where d'ya find that?" Daryl asks, whilst storing in an old backpack some canned goods and three well-filled water bottles.
"Around." Beth closes her backpack, and puts it beside her. She puts on the gloves very delicately, shivering from the cold breeze. She gets closer to the bonfire.
"Ya hungry?"
"No." Beth answers, with a plain smile. "I'm fine."
Daryl breathes in deeply, and then whiffs on his hands, to warm them up a little more. Beth observes him for an instant. When Daryl notices her observing him, he puts his hands down. Beth rapidly looks away.
"Tomorrow we find a good place to stay." Beth says in her always optimistic tone.
Daryl remains quiet. Neither were the talking types. Something that never bothered anyone. But lately, so many horrible thoughts are passing through their minds, that talking is a great relief.
"The winter has barely started and I already can't wait for it to end." Beth's words sound discouraged.
"I don't think it'll be that bad." Daryl says with a small smile.
Beth smiles back. But in her great blue eyes Daryl knows her thoughts are sad. Hershel's death is still too recent, and the loss of the group after escaping the prison made all hope left go to pieces. Not only for Beth, for Daryl too. Not knowing where the others are, if they're still alive. Makes any gray and cold day even grayer.
She continues to rub her hands close to the fire.
"Beth."
"What?" Beth answers in a jump.
"Come 'ere." Beth immediately pops her eyes and flushes.
"It's too damn cold for ya to stay that far. Come 'ere." He taps the grass to his right three times.
Beth stands up, goes to Daryl and sits by his side. He pulls her closer with his right arm, in a way their bodies touch each other. Beth keeps her timid eyes down. Both of them stay like that for a few minutes, until they stop shivering.
"Better now?" Daryl looks up on her, with his eyebrows raised.
"Yeah." Beth smiles, still looking down.
They remain side by side, facing the fire for one more hour. Daryl is still holding her with his right arm, a situation that leaves Beth a bit uncomfortable. Even though she knows if it wasn't for Daryl's gesture, they wouldn't be able to stand the cold, this type of contact was never common between them.
A few more minutes pass, she starts to get sleepy and yawns.
"Time to rest for good?"
"Guess so."
"C'mon, I make the bed." Daryl stands up and goes to where the backpacks are.
"Bed? Are we that fancy yet?" Beth says with a shy smile. Daryl just nods in agreement.
Inside a dark-green backpack, he takes some threadbare blankets they found in the latest hunts, and overlays them one by one, until he thinks it's soft enough (it's never soft enough).
"There ya go. Come."
"I hope it's really comfortable, I have high standards, you know." Beth jokes. The tense atmosphere from these past days, somehow, softens. Beth is trying hard to stay away from all the mess in her mind, and just enjoy the moment.
"I've done my best, ma'am." Daryl answers with a shrug of the shoulders.
Beth lies down, yawns once more, and lets out a little sigh. "Thanks."
Daryl just looks at her, and then goes to his spot, on the other side of the fire, where he'll spent the rest of the night aware of intruders. He shrinks inside his jacket, throws a blanket over his shoulders, arms his crossbow and in that way he stays, for the next hours of darkness.
Beth glances at Daryl one last time before sleeping, sees him with the blanket, the crossbow, prepared for any kind of danger.
She feels safe.

When the day is about to dawn, Beth wakes up. With her left hand she rubs her eyes. Daryl is still in the same position. She sits and stretches her arms high, stretching out her muscles, preparing for a whole new day.
"Lots of movement during the night?"
Daryl rapidly looks behind, and then straight again.
"Nah, nothing went through here. Living or dead. We lucky."
"So you could have slept too."
"Ya never know." He looks behind again, and Beth nods in agreement.
"You want to rest a bit now? I'll stay in your place."
Daryl thinks for a second. He stares at the horizon, calm and serene. As if the world was still the same as before. Now the sun is already starting to show.
"Ya sure?... I don't know about that."
"Hey, I've gotten pretty good with the crossbow. You have to admit it." Beth stares at him with defying eyes.
"Mmm."
"Don't 'Mmm' me!" Beth smiles. "You need to rest Daryl."
"Yeah. Okay. A lil' bit. Wake me up in an hour or two."
"No problem."
Beth stands up and goes to Daryl, takes his crossbow and sits on his place. Daryl lies on those old blankets, still warm from Beth's body, and remains awake for a few minutes, looking at the sky. The sun appears shy, but already emanating heat, just a little, but enough to make the weather, at least, more pleasant. He turns himself in Beth's direction, crossing his look through the bonfire, which is just about to go out, and now all he sees is the meadow, the calm horizon and that girl. The girl with long blonde hair shining at the birth of the first rays of light. The girl who holds the crossbow, that tries her best to be strong, and to show she's not so much of a girl anymore. Daryl now sees a woman.

He closes his eyes, and falls asleep.