Disclaimer: A nod to the genius Robert Kirkman for creating this wonderfully dark, post-apocalyptic world. I do not own or have rights to any of the characters/plot of this series. I'm simply a fan indulging in my post-apocalyptic fantasies.
Thank you Nicole for helping me sort out my thoughts and editing this! XOXO
A/N: My take on season 5 with sprinkle of AU fun! The gang has handled the situation at Grady Memorial Hospital, and Beth and Carol have been reunited with the group. The events that take place here are immediately following their return to the church (where Judith was kept safely away from the gun fight). Beth will be based on what we've seen from her in the hospital NOT my Beth from the For the Ones Trilogy. I will include details I have used in For the Ones, but it is not necessary to read those stories to understand this one!
OKAY! So if I get enough of a response (aka reviews) within the next 24 hours, I intend to make this a short multi-chapter story to last me until after the mid-season finale. Otherwise it will remain a one-shot. I have it marked as complete, but if you guys want more, it will jump to on-going. The plan is to update once a week (on Sunday of course) unless I get a chapter finished sooner. I will start writing For the Ones You Protect after the mid-season finale when things with Beth and the hospital play out more.
…
Daryl followed her subtle movements with keen eyes as they sat on the steps of Father Gabriel's former church. Beth was seated next to him, volunteering to keep him company while on watch, but she had remained distant since their initial reunion. She hadn't spoken much about what had happened at the hospital before their group came and helped clear the walkers out. Apparently she and Carol had things under control, which wasn't much of a surprise to him, and the two of them would have probably caught up with the group within the day had they not confronted the wannabe cops running the place. So essentially all Rick and the rest of them had ended up doing was creating a diversion quicker than the one she and Carol had come up with and cleared out the walkers for them to make a clean get away.
"How's yer' arm?" He asked quietly, his breath fogging in the crisp, night air.
Beth lifted her chin from where it rested on the handle of Rick's machete and glanced at her shoulder closest to him, "Fine. Aches a lil', but I'll be fine."
She had taken a bullet for Carol during the scuffle the two of them had undergone while still inside the hospital. He remembered seeing her, the upper portion of her scrubs a dark, burgundy red, as if it was still happening rather than hours before. He had been standing in the middle of the parking lot, covered in walker blood, but the moment she had come into view it was as if time had stopped. He had been unsure of her disposition toward him. Would she blame him for opening the door that night and causing all of this to happen to her? Would she hate him? Would she be happy to see him? Had she missed him as much as he had missed her?
He remembered how she had sought him out in the group. How intense her eyes had been when they finally found him. Then all his worries drifted away as she came crashing into him, throwing her delicate, bloodied arms around his neck, and he held her as if she was all that kept him anchored to the ground. He was slightly embarrassed the think of how cliché he had been, lifting her off the ground and twirling her the way he had, but he had been caught up in the moment and her momentum had propelled him to do so lest they both end up toppling to the ground.
After a few whispered words of comfort that only the two of them could hear, Beth had left his arms to tackle her sister. Maggie had been an utter mess, collapsing to her knees as she struggled to breathe, and unable to so much as form a coherent sentence. Whether Maggie had said it aloud or not, she had given up on Beth, despite what he had told her in the train car. In his opinion, Beth had no longer existed to Maggie after that conversation.
It was easier to think her sister was dead and no longer suffering than imagine her being alive out there, somewhere, and none of them having a clue as to where to find her. Maggie could accept Beth being gone, keeping herself moving with the goal of ending whatever this epidemic ravaging the earth was, rather than the unknown. The guilt and remorse of her decision had been evident with the way she had clung to Beth so desperately. Glenn had ended up having to help her walk most of the way back to church because she had been so distraught.
When Tyreese came walking out with Judith, Beth's reaction had been quite similar to Maggie's. He knew Beth had hoped with every fiber of her being that the baby had made it, but the cruel reality of the world wasn't always in their favor. Judith had been attached to Beth's hip up until she put the baby down to sleep and took her turn on watch.
"I'll change the dressin's after we're through with watch," Daryl mumbled, forcing himself to put his thoughts aside and concentrate on their task.
Beth mutely nodded her head.
He had so many questions he wanted to ask her. What happened after they got separated? What had she had to do? Had she looked for him? Who had caused the marks on her face? He prayed they had already been taken care of because otherwise he would likely find himself hunting them down and ripping them to shreds. While Noah had told him the gist of what the hospital was about, he wanted to hear Beth's story.
"You ever wonder what life would've been like before?" She asked while staring out into the darkness, "Like if the walkers had never happened. You ever wonder if we would have met?"
Daryl scoffed, "Even if we had I'd 'ah never paid you no mind. You would'a seen me and had me stereotyped before you could blink. You'd of been right too."
"That's not true," Beth's chin returned to resting against the handle of the machete she lodged in the ground, "I might be less experienced in life, but I was raised not t'judge a book by its cover. You should know me better'n that."
Daryl had to admit that while Beth had been naïve in certain aspects of life, she had proven to be one of the most accepting and honest people he'd ever met. She was good in ways that he didn't see himself being. She was much stronger than people gave her credit for. While her strength may not have been physical, her mentality was one that he didn't think he'd ever reach. She kept him going when he had wanted to give up. In a way, they had saved each other.
"We'd of never crossed paths anyhow. I'd of been driftin' with Merle in places a girl like you'd never find yer'self," he grumbled.
"Let's say it'd be by circumstance then," her face seemed to be more reminiscent of what he remembered rather than the numbness she'd been projecting, "You would'a had a job so we'll say Merle was doin' a stint in prison. Say you were working at that motorcycle repair shop you told me about. I'm nineteen now…probably. Honestly can't say since I don't even know what day it is anymore."
Daryl let a breathy chuckle escape him and Beth smiled.
"So I'd probably have enrolled in Georgia State and moved to Atlanta," she revealed fondly.
"You? In tha' city?" Daryl tried not to sound condescending.
"Daddy always said you should experience as much as you can while you're young so you know where you want to end up," Beth side-eyed him before continuing her charade, "So I'd probably lived in tha' dorms. Maybe had a roommate. Maybe one day I decided to go on a trip? I would've had Daddy's old farm truck so the whole cliché 'girl stranded in the middle of nowhere and happens upon a mechanic shop a few miles down the road' would have very likely happened."
Daryl put his crossbow down and rested his chin on the stock, copying Beth's pose, "Cell phone?"
"Battery died while listening to music on the iPod. The truck's radio didn't work," she clarified.
"You know a motorcycle shop ain't the same as tha' typical car garage, right? As far as what we'd be able t'repair," he added amusedly.
"Irrelevant," she waved her hand, "I would have been stranded with no cell phone, a little bit 'ah cash in my wallet, out in the middle of nowhere durin' one of the hottest parts of the year. It would've all been purely circumstantial that I found tha' shop you worked at."
Daryl found himself imaging the scenario as if it were really happening. A smirk played on his lips as he pictured Beth huffing down the road, denim shorts and flannel shirt tied at her waist, holding a billfold in one hand while carrying a dead cell phone and her truck keys with the other.
…
"Can I help you?" Daryl asked the distraught customer he noticed wavering in front of the shop.
"Yeah. My truck broke down a lil' ways down the road. I was wonderin' if I could use your phone?" The blonde girl asked politely.
Wiping the grease from his hands with his red rag, Daryl glanced at the iPhone in her hands.
"Battery died half an hour ago," she sighed and shoved the device in her back pocket.
"Hey Uncle Jess," Daryl hollered toward the office building.
An older man wearing a cap opened the door, "Yeah?"
"Got 'ah lady here who needs t'use tha' phone," he responded.
"Sure. Send 'er on in," the man answered and disappeared back into the building.
"My Uncle Jess'll get you fixed up," he gestured toward the building behind them.
"Thanks…," the girl peeked at his shirt before giving him a smile, "Daryl."
"Yeah. Sure," Daryl brushed her off and turned to walk back into the garage.
He had extended more than his usual level of courtesy because she had seemed truly distressed. It wasn't the norm for someone to show up outside of their shop without a vehicle of any sort and require assistance. Having left her a 'satisfied customer' he had every intention of returning to work and finish fixing the radiator he had been working on before he was interrupted.
…
A sound in the distance had them both jumping to their feet, weapons raised, ready to attack whatever the threat may be. The trees rustled to their right and a walker came ambling out of the tree line. Daryl raised his crossbow, but Beth stopped him.
"Save tha' wear and tear. I got this one," she said quietly, gesturing to his crossbow.
She knew he was watching, ready to leap in if the need be, as she maneuvered behind the walker and kicked the back of its knee. The walker, a good foot taller than her, crumbled to the ground in front of her. With a swift swing, the gurgling moans ceased, as blood coated the blade of the machete. Placing her foot on the back of the walker, she pulled the blade free and flicked her wrist in an effort to remove the dark, foul blood.
Daryl moved to her side and helped her drag the corpse to the pile beside the church. When the walker was disposed of properly, they returned to the stairs, and resumed their conversation.
"You really think you would'a blown me off?" She asked with a smile.
She watched him as he mulled over her question, "I wasn't tha' nicest guy before. Hell I ain't tha' nicest guy now, but I was definitely worse before."
"I think you're nice," she interjected honestly.
"Don't matter what you think," Daryl glanced at her as he caught himself, "You remember when we got lit? Back at that moonshiner's place?"
Beth nodded her head.
That entire day was one she would never forget for the rest of her life. It had been the day she and Daryl had become more than just two people surviving, thrown together by chance, and became...whatever it is they were. Friends wasn't strong enough of a term, but anything more intimate didn't quite describe their relationship either. They had always considered each other family, being together in the group for over two years, but they had never really had anything to do with each other outside of a few word exchanges. They hadn't known anything meaningful about each other. The booze and the exhaustion had crumbled their walls and they had both taken a step in a new direction, as equals, while the moonshiner's cabin burned behind them that night.
"I was pretty much a dick all the time back then," he elaborated, "like I was when I was drunk."
"Mmm," Beth hummed, "but you're different with me."
It was true, to a certain extent. Daryl had never snapped at her the way he had Carol or Lori. He never spoke to her in the manner he had Andrea. He hadn't struck up conversations with her either, but he had always responded to her when she had approached him. Then again, Daryl was a completely different person when he was away from Merle.
"Were you close with your uncle?" She asked while staring at the tree line the walker had emerged from.
"Yeah. He was my dad's half-brother. He was…different from my dad," Daryl replied vaguely, "I wanted to be like Uncle Jess in a lot of ways."
From the pieces Beth had gathered from Daryl about his dad, she understood what he was alluding to.
"You know what happened to 'em?" She inquired cautiously.
"Yeah," Daryl nodded while biting his lips together, "Got bit when shit went down. Didn't know what we were dealin' with at tha' time."
Beth remained quiet. After several strained minutes Daryl answered her unspoken question.
"I had t'put him down," his voice sounded soft, raw even.
"I'm sorry," she breathed.
"S'okay," he shrugged, "His dumbass would'a helped you if you'd really stumbled upon us."
Beth smiled, "Yeah?"
"Yeah. He'd 'ah seen you, talked to your old man on tha' phone, and made me fix it. Motorcycle shop be damned. He would'a had me chain yer' truck t'mine and haul it in t'the shop," Daryl smirked, "He was always helpin' people. Helpin' me," he finished reminiscently.
Beth leaned into Daryl, offering him silent comfort.
After a physically and emotionally exhausting day, she was relieved that things hadn't changed between them. Whatever the 'between them' was. She knew they still had things to discuss about what happened after she'd been taken, but Daryl wasn't asking and she wasn't ready to reveal anything yet.
She had been angry to find out Maggie hadn't even tried to find her. Angry that her own flesh and blood, all the true family she had left in the world had written her off as dead. Angry that she had been separated from Daryl to begin with. However, she had been relieved when Carol told her everyone was alive. Relieved to see Daryl amongst the group. Relieved that she and Carol had managed to escape and reunite with the rest of their family.
"I would have thanked ya'," Beth pulled away to look at him, "For helpin' me."
Daryl met her stare with a serious expression, "You would'a been thankin' Uncle Jess."
"But I would've thanked you too, regardless," she gave him a small smile.
He nodded and she resumed leaning on the handle of the machete, imaging how annoyed Daryl might have really been to help 'some college girl' he didn't know and who his uncle insisted on aiding.
…
"This is bullshit," she heard Daryl grumble as he took the keys Jess offered him.
"Watch yer' mouth in front of tha' lady," Jess scolded glancing toward her.
"We're a motorcycle shop. Unless she rides somethin' with two wheels between her legs, we ain't gonna' have the parts t'fix her vehicle," he argued.
"Son, you need t'mind your manners in front of Ms. Greene," Jess's face stern.
"I don't want t'cause any trouble," Beth quietly interrupted, "My daddy said he could be here in a few hours to pick me up. The truck can sit there over the weekend. He said he'd get it towed Monday."
"Don't you worry," Jess gave Daryl a pointed look, "I already let your daddy know we can take care of it. My nephew here will be more than happy to take you back to your dorm and pick your truck up on the way back."
Beth spared at glance at Daryl who was quietly seething. His glared turned to her before he sighed and motioned for her to follow.
She climbed into the passenger side of a truck that couldn't have been much younger than her own, and put on her seatbelt. Daryl turned the ignition and the truck protested for a few moments before it sputtered to life. They pulled out of the parking lot and Daryl took a left toward Atlanta. They rode in uncomfortable silence until Beth's truck came into view.
"This'n yours?" He gestured to the truck on the side of the road.
"Yeah. That's her," Beth acknowledged.
"Need anythin' out of your truck?" He asked while slowing down.
"No. I don't keep anything in it. Locking mechanism doesn't work on the driver's side," she smiled sheepishly.
Daryl just nodded and accelerated the truck.
They continued in silence and Beth bit at her bottom lip. She wasn't a chatterbox, but she definitely didn't enjoy tense silences. Daryl didn't seem the talkative type either, but he hadn't flat out ignored her yet.
"Thanks for this," she uttered quietly, "I know it's not in your job description-"
"Damn right," he muttered under his breath, propping his left arm on the door trim panel.
"-to help people stranded on the road, but I really do appreciate it," she finished unfazed by his remark.
Daryl glanced at her and bent his elbow in order brush his hand through his short hair, "Not really me you should be thankin'."
"Thank you regardless," she said with a smile.
She caught him glance at her once more before giving a curt nod.
The rest of the drive hadn't been quite as awkward, but it hadn't been comfortable either. She directed him toward her dormitory, weaving through the streets until they reached her building, and she was more than relieved when he pulled the truck into a parking spot. She saw no need for parting conversation, as she had already expressed her gratitude of driving her home, and was more than ready to exit the vehicle. She tried not to seem too anxious as she quickly unbuckled the seatbelt and hopped out of the truck, determined to walk at a steady pace into her room, but Daryl's voice stopped her.
"Give me your number and I'll call ya' when I got your truck fixed. You can come pick it up," he replied while he fumbled with his flip phone.
"Oh. Yeah that might help," she realized she hadn't given her contact number to either of them.
Quickly rattling off her phone number, Beth was about to turn and leave when Daryl spoke up once more.
"You got a name?" He questioned coarsely.
Beth had always been witty, living with Maggie and Shawn she had to be, so her response was out of habit rather than in reaction to Daryl's terse attitude.
"Course I do," she immediately replied.
Daryl looked at her before huffing and attempted to hide his smirk, "You wanna' tell me what it is?"
Having finally gotten a positive reaction from him, she decided a little playful banter never hurt anyone, "If I start tellin' you my secrets, it'd ruin the whole mysterious allure I've got goin' on."
Daryl's smirk widened and she replied before he had the chance to reply.
"It's Beth. Beth Greene," she said, leaning against the truck door.
"Got it," he nodded while typing in his phone.
"Thanks again for the ride," she said with a wave.
"Sure thing," Darl lifted a few fingers from around the steering wheel and he backed out of the parking lot.
She watched the vehicle drive away and felt an odd lightness to her step. The day had started bad, but there were still good people in the world willing to help a stranger in need. That had to count for something.
As Beth entered her dorm room, she realized she hadn't gotten his number in case she needed to call and check on her vehicle. She didn't even know the name of the shop it would be sitting in until Daryl got it fixed. Then again, she had no way of being able to save his number with her phone being dead and she didn't know where the shop was located. So there wasn't much to worry about.
For now she'd just have to wake up a little earlier to catch the bus and commute to her classes while she waited for Daryl to call her.
…
Footsteps behind them jarred Beth from her thoughts. She hadn't realized she'd been so caught up in picturing how Daryl might have treated her before until Glenn, and the man she had been introduced to as Eugene, were right behind them.
Daryl stood beside her, offering a hand to help her stand, and she took it without a second thought. She caught the questioning glance Glenn gave them, but said nothing on the matter. Instead she focused on the swelling of Eugene's face and wondered what could have possibly happened to him.
Daryl's hand tugging her to the door of the church broke her gaze and she followed behind him as he led her into the small security the church walls provided. They quietly made their way to their designated sleeping quarters on the floor and as Beth lay awake she couldn't help but wonder about the 'what if's' of what life 'could have been' had walkers not come into existence.
There was a chance that she wouldn't have met Daryl. There was a chance that she wouldn't have met any of the people in their group. None of them would be the people they are now. Daryl would still be harboring all of his demons. She would still be innocent to all of the 'evils' in the world. None of the bad things that had befallen their group would have ever come to pass. What would life have been like then?
The longer she lay there, bouncing back and forth of which life she would have preferred, one thought came to mind.
Sometimes when things go wrong it's because they would have turned out worse if they had gone right.
...
A/N: Not going to lie...this is totally beyond my comfort zone! It's a story within a story! I've never written, nor have I read, anything remotely similar to this! It was SOOO much fun to dabble in both worlds though! FYI I have a poll on my profile (located at the top of the screen...be sure you're in desktop/tablet version if you're using a mobile device) asking if you'd be interested in a completely AU, Daryl x Beth, non-zombie story (if you haven't voted please go let your voice be heard!) and I was pleasantly surprised with the response. So I decided I would try writing something in the middle first before diving completely into the AU realm. SO! If you liked this, let me know! If I get enough of a response I'll take it from complete to on-going and post the second chapter this Sunday!