The Last of Us

Hey Everyone, this is a multi chapter AU Bethyl fic based off the video game The Last of Us. I finished playing it a few weeks ago and have been coming up with this idea for a bethyl Fic based off of it. For those of you who know the game, then you know what to expect but for those who don't, you can either look it up or just enjoy the fic.

The rain outside was heavy on the windows as Daryl Dixon tossed and turned in a restless sleep. Nightmares haunted his dream ever since the turn. He'd see the faces of the people that had fallen to the walkers, the people who he swore to protect. There were times, where he could hear their screams of anguish in his sleep and then there were times it was silent and he'd witness their deaths over and over again. It was a knock at the door that pulled him from his sleep, making him shoot up from his bed and his eyes adjust to the darkness of his bed room. Daryl pulled on a shirt as he pulled on a shirt and dragged himself out of bed and opened the door. Behind it stood the last remaining person of the group he was originally in. Carol Peletier was the closest thing to family he had, she was the only person who could trust and for her seeing him this early, there had to be something wrong. "What's up?" He asked her in a groggy voice.

Carol pushed herself into his room and looked at him with worry in her eyes. "It's Dawn." Daryl went rigged at that name. Dawn was the only anarchist that lived during this end time. She had created a rebel group known as the fireflies and they were responsible for the attacks on the government safe zones. It was unfair how the government handled things, the land of the free and the home of the brave turned into a dictatorship after the turn and what was left of the government rose from the ashes and controlled everything. Curfews, rations, and never let a single soul out of the safezones. "She has a mission for us." Carol continued as Daryl shook his head no and took a step back. "I understand you hesitation, Daryl, but this is huge! For all of us. She discovered something and she wants that something smuggled out of the city."

Daryl shook his head and took a seat on the window sill as he lit a cigarette and blew his smoke out the window. He looked at the older woman with unreadable eyes. It must have been serious since Dawn wanted him to do it, but Daryl didn't trust the rebel group, not after the death of so many of the people who he called his family. "What she want me fer?"

"Because you're the best shot here, Daryl." Carol deadpanned. "C'mon, she said she'd pay us in weapons and rations and lord knows we need it."

Daryl thought about it for a moment, knowing that he'd need more bolts, smokes and whiskey for those nights when sleep was just impossible. "Fine," He agreed. "But just this once." Carol smiled happily at him as Daryl walked across the room and pulled on his leather vest and grabbed his crossbow. "Let's see what the cop wants."

XxX

Getting to Dawn's hide out was harder then it looked. There was dodging the US army and paying off people that guarded the entrances. The whole time, he had this unnerving feeling in his stomach, so his bowie knife was tightly held in his hand. When they reached the warehouse where Dawn lived, Daryl was instructed by other fireflies to put away their weapons. Daryl did as well as Carol, no matter how much he hated it and walked through the large doors to come face to face with the leader.

Dawn was a stubborn, proud woman that knew her way around a gun. All in all, she was a killing machine and a leader to the rebel group. The woman swore that this whole thing would come to an end once she could find a cure. The whole thing made Daryl roll his eyes. He had been out there, he watched his father and his brother be torn apart by walkers. He met eyes with the intense woman and she nodded her head and the doors closed behind them. "Daryl Dixon." She flatly said. "Never thought I'd see you again."

"Y'got somethin' for me to do, don't cha?" He grunted and Dawn nodded her head as she motioned for them to follow her. Daryl kept his eyes on the gun that Dawn always kept by her side as she spoke about the mission. Getting something smuggled out of the city before sun down, and how others from her group would meet him outside the city to take it from there. It was simple enough and once she showed them their reward, Daryl found himself agreeing. Guns, knives, tickets for more meals and showers, clothes and bedding. "So where is it?"

Dawn then pulled a curtain beside to reveal a blonde young woman sitting on a cot. Daryl took a moment to look at the girl and then glared at Dawn. Was this some sort of joke? "Now before you start cussing me out, you need to see something. Beth, come here."

The woman looked like she was barely twenty and was the embodiment of innocence. "She's a little pure for ya." Daryl commented. It was the truth though; she didn't look fit for this world. "What did she do, why does she need to leave the city?"

"Show them." Dawn commanded and Beth took off her jean jacket to show them her arm. Carol looked over at Daryl in confusion and stepped closer to examine the girls arm. She covered her mouth and gasped, looking over at Dawn with anger in her eyes.

"The girls been bit!" She exclaimed in disgust. "She could turn any minute!"

Daryl went straight for his knife but was quickly stopped by Dawn. "Look at the bite before you go killin' someone. It's a year old!" So this time Daryl took a step closer to the blonde girl, taking her delicate arm with his rough hand and looked at the old scar. His face distorted and he looked into her fresh blue eyes. "She's immune." Dawn told them. "When we found her, the bit itself was healing. I went to-" She looked over at Beth who kept her eyes glued to the ground. "But her father, he was with her. He told me that it was already a month old and he was trying to get him to safety, but." Dawn's voice trailed off.

"He was shot," It was Beth that spoke up. "Through the head by a solider with an eye patch." Her gentle voice betrayed her harsh words and Daryl carefully examined the girl. "Dawn thinks I'm the cure and if you can get me out of the city, this will all be over."

Daryl shifted on his feet before nodding. "Just out of the city?" All three women nodded their heads and he turned his attention back to Beth. "Can you handle a gun?" She nodded. "Alright, we leave now." All he wanted was to get this mission done and over with.

XxX

"Is he always this- intense"

"Yeah, he's just…well, Daryl"

"What's with the crossbow?"

"A quiet kill."

"And the vest?"

"He-"

Daryl turned around at the two women and held a finger to his lips before pointing at the light at the end of the swear tunnel. They were almost out, He was in disbelief that they made it. "Remember to keep yer eyes open." Daryl advised.

"Walkers?" Beth asked

"People." He answered as they walked out of the sewer tunnel. It had been too quit for Daryl's liking. There were few walkers that hadn't been a real problem and that was how he discovered that Beth was a decent shot.

"Wow" He heard Beth whisper. "I've never been out of the city before." She softly said. Daryl and Carol both understood her wonder. Nature had taken back the world. There wasn't anyone around to take care of the plants or even the water ways. It was a beautiful sight, but haunting at the same time. Houses crumbled as nature took back what belonged to it. "I um, I can't swim." She said, pointing the stream that was once a road.

"It's okay, it's not that deep." Carol reassured her. "And you see Daryl, we made it, we-"

"Drop your weapons."

Daryl gave an annoyed grunt as the solider commanded them to drop them again. He looked behind at Beth and Carol and gave them a nod. Both women dropped their guns as the solider began to scan them, a way for them to check their identity and whether or not they've been infected or not. He started with Daryl, and then moved on to Carol, then finally Beth. The solider stopped and looked at Beth in confusion before getting on his walkie. That was when Daryl finally could move for a gun and shot the man. The sound of the gunfire must have stirred up the walkers, because it wasn't long before they began trickling out of the buildings. "C'mon!" Daryl yelled as walkers began to swarm them. His grip on Beth was tight as Carol followed behind, fighting off the walkers that she could. He knew the army would be coming after them and now they couldn't go back to the safezone after this stunt. "City hall," He panted as they trudged through the water. "Right up there." They ran up the stairs and Daryl beat down the door and what they saw was a blood bath.

"The army." Beth muttered. "They got here before we did."

Daryl looked around in horror. "What the fuck are we supposed to do now, huh?" He turned back to Carol. "We can't take her back to the city, they'll kill us!"

Carol's face was unreadable as she looked around at the massacre. "You need to take her to Washington, to whatever doctor that she needs to see. She is the only hope this world has, Daryl."

The only thing that Daryl caught was the word 'you' rather than 'we'. He took a step forward and studied her. "What do you mean, me?"

The sound of gun shots filled the air and the walkers outside began to fall. Carol looked up at him with mournful eyes and showed him her shoulder. A crescent moon shape bite was fresh in her skin and Daryl felt his world crash. "Daryl, don't you lose yourself. Get out of here and get that girl to safety. She's the only chance." Carol turned towards the doors and took out her gun. "I'll keep them off as long as I can. Just do what you can to keep her safe- please, for Sophia."

Daryl blinked back the angry tears that threatened to fall. Carol had been like the mother he never had and this girl, this Beth- why should she have to sacrifice for a girl he didn't even know. "Carol-"

Carol shook her head before smiling. "It's been fun, Robin Hood."

Daryl looked down at the blood stained floor and nodded. "Yeah, it's been fun." He glanced a Beth and noticed the tears prickling in her eyes. "I'll see you someday, Carol."

The older woman nodded her head and smiled at Beth. "Now you two get going, find Dale's house. He'll get you a car. Good luck to the both of you."

And with that, Daryl took Beth by the arm and ran down one of the dark hallways of the building out of the window's, blocking out the sound of the gunfire and the sound of his friend falling to the floor. He'd get this girl to Washington, if it was the last thing he'd ever do.