A/N: Hi all! So I'm taking a quick break from my usual fandom and writing something new, Bethyl. I've been shipping it obsessively since "Still" aired and I thought I'd take a whack at writing a little something for them. This is my first "TWD" fic and if you're from the "Fringe" fandom and wondering about "Girl with the Broken Smile" I promise I'm not abandoning it, it's just that Bethyl won't leave me alone. So without further-adieu, here is "Seeking a Friend of the End of the World" and it takes place a few days after the season 2 finale when the group is living on the run. I do not own "The Walking Dead".

Enjoy!

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

No matter how much she tossed and turned, Beth Greene couldn't get comfortable. It wasn't much of a surprise; she'd been sleeping in her own room, hell, in her own bed even after the outbreak started. It had been the end of the world wrapped in a warm cocoon of normalcy. Sure, she'd heard the news reports on the radio and the TV, yet all it did was make her feel like she was living in a cheesy horror movie. After all, in what kind of ludicrous reality would the dead start walking? Rationally, the whole thing was practically laughable.

However, it wasn't until the "ludicrous reality" finally hit home, when Beth started to get scared. She remembered the day Shawn got bit with near perfect clarity. He'd driven to his best friend's, Evan, house on account of not hearing from him in a few weeks. He said that Evan was probably fine but with times like these, one could never be too careful. When he came home late that night, he'd looked pale and without so much as a word, darted up into his room. When Beth thought about it, it was the last time she'd laid eyes on her older brother before he turned. By the time her mother had gone up to check on him, it was too late.

They heard her scream and the rest was history.

For days, Beth had been on auto-pilot while watching her dad and Otis wrestle Shawn and her mom into the confines of the barn.

"They'll be safe there," he'd said in a shaky tone as he wiped sweat off his brow "until they get the vaccine."

He said that every time they brought another poor infected soul home. "They'll be safe, just wait for the vaccine" over and over until the remaining Greenes believed it. Weeks went by and spring faded into summer. By August, the cure hadn't come beating on their door, but rather a nearly broken man clutching a bloody child.

From the moment Rick Grimes and his people came to the farm, their lives all changed irrevocably. In the short months since she'd known the former cop, Beth Greene had lost her mother, brother, and home forever. She didn't blame him, though. She couldn't. In fact, if he hadn't stepped in and taken control, she and the rest of her family would have died the night the farm was overrun. It was almost surreal to think about; her fate depended solely on a little boy who'd been accidentally shot in the chest.

It was due to the whirl wind of the past few days that Beth found herself here, in this creaky old house far too similar to her own. She could hear the snores and even breaths scattered haphazardly around the house. Beth rolled onto her back and huffed out a frustrated sigh. No matter how she adjusted, the taut mattress she was sharing with Carol might as well have been a bed of nails with how comfortable she was. She knew she should just suck it up and try and sleep, being dead on her feet in the morning wouldn't help the group. Not one bit.

Glancing over at her bedmate, Beth reluctantly sat up and slipped on her boots silently. No use, lying awake in a stuffy room when perfectly good fresh air was barely twelve steps away. They'd lucked out on shelter tonight. The house was two stories with plenty of beds and a back deck that only opened to the second floor. Carefully and quietly, Beth slipped out of her room and tiptoed down the hall towards the balcony. She was just about to step outside, when a movement caught her eye.

Sitting on the railing, clutching his crossbow and smoking a cigarette was Daryl Dixon.

Since she was little, Beth Greene had been taught not to judge others based on their appearance. Yet, she couldn't deny that the rugged and rough exterior he put forth intimidated her. Back at the farm, he'd down right terrified her at first. It wasn't until after the incident at the barn, that she really got a peak of his true nature. Granted at the time, she'd been a bit preoccupied to notice much.

"Ya gonna stay in that doorway all night?" Daryl's voice growled into the night. Crap, how long had she been standing there? For a split second, she thought about bolting back to the bedroom, fresh air be damned. However, just as she turned to go, another thought popped into her mind. The past few months had been a living hell, and standing outside with a reclusive redneck for a few minutes had nothing on them. Clearing her throat, Beth stepped outside.

"Would you mind if I joined you out here for a bit?" She asked uncertainly.

"Suppose not," Daryl muttered.

"Thanks,"

He grunted in response.

"You on watch?" She asked.

"Mhmm,"

She walked over to the edge of the deck and rested her arms along the railing. It was peaceful night, cold, but peaceful all the same. Neither of them spoke for a while. It occurred to Beth, as she stood there in the silence, this was the first time she'd ever been alone with Daryl. Hell, she couldn't recall ever speaking to him before tonight.

"My name's Beth," She said suddenly, shattering the silence.

"What?"

"I said my name's Beth,"

"Yeah, I know that, why you tellin' me now?"

"Well, I was thinking 'bout it, and I don't believe you and I ever had a proper introduction."

"The hell's that matter now?"

"I dunno, just seemed like s good conversation starter."

"Sorry, kid. But I ain't much of a talker," He said.

"That's okay, I ain't either."

"Then why you talkin' now?'

"Somethin' to do," She shrugged. She thought about leaving when he spoke again.

"Kid, what're you really doin' out here?"

"Stop callin' me that, I ain't a kid."

"Coulda' fooled me. Now I'll ask you again, why ain't you in bed?"

"That's a different question," She countered.

"It'll got the same answer. Now ya gonna tell me or you gonna beat it?" He asked gruffly.

"Can't sleep… Haven't been able to since the farm." She finally sighed.

"Ah,"

She leaned further against the deck.

"That's all you got to say, 'ah'?" She snapped, doing a poor imitation of his thick drawl.

"Makes sense, is all." He shrugged. "If it makes ya feel any better, I can't remember the last time I slept through the night."

"Really?"

"Mhmm,"

"Makes sense, I guess. Is that why you always volunteer for watch?"

"Yup,"

"You should try, you know." She said.

"Hmm?"

"To sleep."

"Nah, its fine."

"No, its not."

"Girl, what you on about?"

"I'm just sayin', you're the guy that takes all the shit jobs and you always end up runnin' yourself ragged. If you go on like this, you're gonna get yourself killed. So, maybe you could let someone else look after everyone for a little while."

"Sun's gonna be up in a few hours. You best try and get some shut eye," He said after a few moments, effectively dismissing her. Beth knew that she'd over stepped her bounds and made him sufficiently uncomfortable. It didn't surprise her in the slightest that he wanted her to leave. She nodded and turned to face him.

"Just think about what I said. You look after everyone and I'm just wondering, who looks after you?" She said. Figuring she wouldn't get a response, she walked passed him toward the door. She was just about to step through when his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Daryl," He said.

"Huh?" Beth turned around.

"Ya wanted a proper introduction, my name's Daryl Dixon. Happy?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Daryl." She smiled and held out her hand.

"You's well, Beth." He shook somewhat reluctantly. "Now, git 'fore I wake your daddy and tell 'im you been up with a redneck all night."

"Yes sir," She smirked and without another word, walked back into the house.

Well, that wasn't so bad, she thought as she crept back into the bedroom. Maybe Daryl Dixon wasn't so scary after all.

A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it. This is a one-shot for now but I might expand on it with more "missing moment" type chapters. Please make sure to leave a review even if you hated it, or if you think I should add more Thank you so much!