Daryl watched through half lidded eyes as Beth settled against the wall in the living room. He still couldn't believe she was here. He'd watched her get shot, carried her limp lifeless body out of that hospital, and had to leave her behind when the swarm had been upon them. The guilt had eaten him up.
But here she was. Alive. And he couldn't look her in the eye. Couldn't stomach sitting in the same room alone with her. Couldn't stand that shame and self-loathing at the fact that he'd left her behind. She'd collapsed at their gates almost a week ago, disheveled, exhausted, nearly starved, and dehydrated. Maggie and Sasha had been on the wall, and neither had been able to believe their eyes. It was Maggie's screams that had drawn Daryl to the gates. He'd hung back, watching as the gates were rolled open and Maggie ran forward crouching next to a prone form he couldn't quite make out from his position. Maggie had screamed for Rick and he had hoisted Beth into his arms and carried into Alexandria.
Daryl's heart had stopped and his insides had run cold. He'd left her. She'd been injured, hurt, and he'd left her behind. He'd failed her. He'd wanted to disappear to lick his wounds but he knew he couldn't do that. So he'd followed as Rick had carried Beth to Denise to have her looked at. He'd watched as Denise looked her over, writing down a laundry list of things before turning to Rick and Maggie and explaining that they needed to get Beth fluids and some nutrients to bring up her numbers, but other than that she was going to be fine.
True to her diagnosis, Beth had woken up later that evening to tears all around as Maggie curled up on the bed next to her. Daryl had made a stealthy escape as she'd stirred, not yet ready to face the disappointment and failure in her eyes yet. And he'd stayed away for the entire week. He was scared. He knew it. He could admit it. So here he sat, watching her curl up on the floor of the living room of the house the whole family shared, a notebook clutched in her hands.
Beth started writing in her notebook, but paused. She could feel someone's eyes on her. She moved her head, looking up and managing to catch Daryl's eye before he could escape. "Daryl." She breathed and nearly jumped up to her feet. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched her walk to him quietly. "Daryl." She whimpered before throwing her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. She had so much she wanted to say, but she didn't need to. "You've been avoiding me." She whispered quietly as his hands landed on her shoulders lightly. He offered her a soft grunt, watching as she moved to look up at him. "Why?" He gave her an awkward one shouldered shrug. "Don't do that." She pleaded, releasing him slightly. "Don't just shrug it off." He could see the tears in her eyes and hear them in her voice. One single tear slid down her cheek. "Why?"
That was it. That was all it took to make him crumble inside. "I almost lost you. Thought I did, but even worse." He choked out, "I left you there." He rumbled. Beth's eyes widened and before he could blink she was wrapped around him again, tightly clutching him to her.
"Daryl, you didn't know." She pleaded. "No one knew." She fumbled over her words. "I'm here now, don't hide away from me because you feel like you messed up. We don't know how much time we got left, and I want to spend it with everyone. With Maggie, Rick, Carl…with you." She tilted her face up to him, her blue eyes pleading with him. "Don't…"
Before she could beg him anymore his lips came down to hers gently. "You're right, Greene.' He rumbled as the kiss ended, his forehead resting against hers. He'd felt like he'd failed her, but looking into those crystalline blue eyes showed him, that was the furthest from the truth. She was Beth. She was his ray of sunshine. She was his "Oh…" moment, and he wasn't going to hide away from that anymore.