AN: Hello fellow Bethyl shipper, thanks for taking an interest in my story! It's obviously a Daryl/Beth centered fic, and it'll be slightly 'slow burn' with these two. You might find that some parts they'll seem a little OOC, but there is a method to my madness. This isn't my first fic, but it is my first Bethyl fic. Enjoy!

Running is what would keep them alive, Beth told herself. It's how I've stayed alive this long. Running from the farm when it was taken over by walkers, running with the group place too place during the harsh winter, and when she was convinced the running was over, she had to run from the prison.

When Beth and Daryl left the temporary sanctuary; they ran and didn't stop. She forced herself to stare straight at his winged vest; fighting the urge to look back at the wreckage, as he led them into the woods. They took down any walker in their path, not stopping for anything. But now, after running for what felt like hours she could feel herself slowing. Beth's mind played Maggie's face and the death of her father over in her mind until the thoughts weighed down her body. Before she knew it she was standing still, gripping the knife in her hand until her knuckles turned white.

Beth knew she wasn't made for the horrors that surrounded her. Watching her father die was not only painful, but a reality check. This world was not Beth's world. When she lived at the farm she was terrified of the place outside her door, now she knew the world inside and out, and she hated it; she was weak mentally and physically. Not only did she feel a deep sadness for the loss of her father and Maggie, but she felt a siring rage.

"Beth," a sad voice broke into her thoughts. It was Daryl, but the Daryl that stood in front her was not the man she was used to. He looked worse than Beth did. Blood and cuts layed over across his upper body, but the biggest change was his face: Daryl looked broken. "We gotta keep movin'. Just a little bit further is all. We need to find shelter for the night, we can rest when we find a place." The words spilled from his mouth like he was trying to convince not only Beth, but himself to keep going. After a moment Beth made herself put one foot in front of the other, wiping the blood from her knife on her pant leg. Daryl's plea making her run quicker than before, passing trees in a blur. Beth made herself focus on her surroundings, not only looking out for walkers, but obstacles on the ground that would slow her pace. She was a mess, but for now, she would pretend she was strong.

/

When the woods finally broke apart Beth saw a small camping ground in front of her. Most of the spots for actual camps were empty except for a few wrecked tents here and there. Beth slowed her pace and looked around; the area seemed abandoned. She gripped her knife tightly as Daryl walked beside her, "We should split up, see if we can find any supplies," Beth said quietly, Daryl opened his mouth to protest but the blond cut him off, "We can stay in eye shot of each other and cover more ground that way."

Daryl wanted to fight her suggestion but he knew she was right, and even in the shit storm of it all, he felt a tinge of satisfaction. Beth was suddenly being strong. Something he didn't exactly expect coming from her. She had seemed so soft and quiet since the day he met her, always walking around the prison in shadows, with baby Judith on her hip.

Daryl raised his crossbow and nodded his head, parting from her and making way toward a small tent. He circled the small area and checked inside the abandoned shelter, finding nothing but emptiness. He left the tent feeling suddenly exhausted. They had nothing. No supplies, no food, no water, no home.

Daryl turned in Beth's direction but couldn't see her; he tensed. Without thinking he headed in her direction, putting his crossbow at eye level, scanning the area for her, "Beth," He whispered as he searched, when he didn't hear a response Daryl raised his voice a little louder, feeling his chest start to rise and fall quickly. "Beth!" For a moment Daryl was convinced she had taken off, for whatever reason he wasn't sure. But this couldn't be happening, she couldn't have just left him. For the first time in a very long time Daryl felt alone. The thought of his make-shift family passing before his eyes; people that he had grown close to were gone. He felt his chest tighten as the prison crossed his mind. He didn't know who lived and who died, that was the hardest part. Was Rick alive? Carl? Michonne? Anyone? Without thinking he raised his voice, yelling her name one final time.

A branch snapped behind him and he whirled around pointing his crossbow at the woods. The trees and bushes shook and he braced himself to kill whatever put itself in front of Daryl. A long blond ponytail caught his eye and Beth's face quickly came into view. Her once doe eyes were hard and alert, ready to attack. He let a breath out he didn't know he was even holding, lowering his crossbow.

She ran to him quickly, "Everything alright?" She scanned him, but saw nothing wrong. Beth could see him hesitate before finally speaking, "What happened to eye shot?" He noticed the knife she was holding was covered in blood again, along with her hands.

"I ran into a walker," Beth said noticing his eyes on her knife. Before Daryl could say anything she turned on her heel and started toward the trees again, "But I found something, somewhere we could stay."

Daryl followed behind Beth, and when he looked up he was in disbelief. In front of him was a camper, a lot like the one Dale owned. It was a bit smaller, but it was enough. He walked toward it, examining the glorious discovery.

"I made sure it was clear inside," Beth said quietly, "It looks like it's only one around. I don't know if it's driveable but it's something. The inside is nice if you don't count the dead walker on the floor, but I'll take care of that."

He nodded quickly, making a mental note to keep his eye on Beth. He had seen what this world made people out of, and he if he had any power left in him at all, he wouldn't let this world ruin Beth. They had already lost so much.

AN2: So yeah, that's the start. I had a really hard time opening this story, mostly because it was hard to write weak!Beth and Strong!Daryl, which is usually what the dynamic is with them. But again, OOC and all that. Rate and review if you'd like! Constructive criticism is always welcomed as well, and I'm 100% open to suggestions!