So, of course this is COMPLETELY AU Bethyl fic. If you don't think you'd like it then turn back now or if you read it and absolutely hate it then that's ok. Let's not be mean about it though, k? cool? thanks. I was a bit apprehensive myself but this idea just stuck with me after hearing the song and well this happened.
Song lyrics written by Rick Ferrell and Keith Follesé, and performed by Tim McGraw. Characters not mine either!
"Something Like That"
It was Labor Day weekend I was seventeen
I bought a Coke and some gasoline
And I drove out to the county fair
When I saw her for the first time
She was standing there in the ticket line
And it all started right then and there
Oh, a sailor's sky made a perfect sunset
And that's the day I'll never forget
The bell over the door sent out a short chime as Daryl strode into the Circle K. He lifted his hand in greeting to Dale behind the counter. "Afternoon Dale, thirty five bucks on pump six."
Snatching a bag of peanuts from the shelf, he walked back to the coolers along the back wall. The cool blast of air offered a short break from the Georgia heat as he grabbed a Coke.
Setting his Coke and peanuts on the counter he reached into his back pocket for his wallet. "How's it going Dale?" He grabbed a pack of gum as an afterthought and threw it on the counter.
"Been a little busy with the fair and all. You gonna head out there?" Dale asked as he scanned the items and set them in the bag.
Daryl lifted a shoulder in a shrug, "I dunno, I reckon I will. Merle's back in town so he'll probably wanna do anything to keep away from the old man." He handed over some money and tapped his fingers on the counter waiting for his change.
"Who knows, you might have some fun. T-Dog tells me you've been working your ass off over at the garage after school and on the weekends. It'll be good to go hang out with some friends." Dale grinned as he handed Daryl back his change.
"It puts some money in my pocket and the bank, and ya know I ain't got many friends. I'll just be going to keep Merle outta trouble." Daryl stepped back from the counter with the plastic bag, sticking the change in his jeans pocket. Back against the door ready to push back he waited for Dale to reply.
He waved his hand as if to dismiss Daryl. "Don't let him ruin your night son, at least try and have some fun will ya?"
Pushing against the door making the bell chime "Ain't making any promises, see ya later Dale. Have a good night."
...
Daryl was rethinking his decision to come out to the fair as the heat made his skin slick with sweat and his tee shirt stick to his back. Merle's snide comments about the fair-goers was not helping matters much either.
A tattooed arm blocked his view as it gestured to a group of kids from his school. "Why don't ya go on over with your pals kid, they look like fun."
Daryl snorted as he looked over at the group. A couple guys were whistling at girls passing by or making lewd comments. "They're nothin' but a bunch of assholes. Let's grab somethin' to eat and just head out. You don't really wanna be here do ya?"
Merle swung his arm over Daryl's shoulders and steered him to the nearest food truck. "What ya talking 'bout baby brother? I just got back, can't I spend some time with ya like we used to?"
Stopping at the end of the line he shrugged off Merle's shoulder and shoved him away. "Well for that we'll have to go back home and you can take off with one of your dealers or girl of the week and leave me behind."
Merle shoved him back, "Shit, don't be like that kid. Look, we're here now. We'll eat us some good 'ol fair food and make it to the dam by nightfall to fish by the lights."
Daryl stuffed his fists in his pockets. "Sure, whatever."
A squeal from a few yards away from the ticket line caught his attention. A petite blonde wearing boots, a cutoff blue jean skirt, and yellow tank top was swatting at a girl twice her height with short brown hair. "Damn it Maggie! That's cold!"
She was reaching around her back to pull the shirt away from her skin. "Real mature, sticking ice down my shirt."
The one she called Maggie was doubled over laughing, one arm clutching her stomach the other holding a cup. "I'm sorry Bethy, I couldn't help it. It's Glenn's fault he dared me, I swear!" She struggled to get her explanation out between the fit of giggles she was having.
"Don't even kid. She's way out of your league." Merle muttered beside him.
"Just get me a barbeque sandwich and water will ya? I'll go grab us a seat." Head down, he walked over to the tent set up over the rows of tables settling himself down in one of the fold out chairs.
He didn't have to wait long before Merle was dropping the tray of food in front of him. Daryl reached out to take his plate and water from the tray and pushing the rest towards Merle.
"Hurry up kid and we'll get on outta here." Merle said before he tore into own sandwich.
I had a barbeque stain on my white tee shirt
She was killing me in that miniskirt
Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks
She had a suntan line and red lipstick
I worked so hard for that first kiss
And a heart don't forget something like that
"Goddammit Merle." Daryl cursed after he checked his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time. Merle had left for the bathroom over forty-five minutes ago and Daryl had of course waited for him. He was a complete idiot. He cursed Merle again for not having a phone.
Pushing away from the table, he gathered the trash and walked to the edge of the tent to throw it away and get the hell out of this place. He knew better than to count on his good for nothing brother.
Muttering a number of curses, he turned sharply from under the tent and ran into a solid form. Or rather, they ran into him. Food flattening against his midsection, he grabbed the arms of the small figure in front of him to keep the force of their impact from sending the other person flat on their ass.
"Oh no, I'm so so sorry!" A girl's soft voice reached his ears before he could look away from the tray of food in front of him.
He looked up from the stain of barbeque sauce and ketchup now marking his white tee shirt. Grimacing at the feeling of it seeping through his shirt he tried to hide his reaction as he met the blue eyes of the same blonde-haired girl he had seen earlier.
"Uh, no. Don't worry 'bout it. It's just a tee shirt anyways." He shrugged as he let go of her arms so she could dump the wasted food into the garbage can. She turned back to face him still apologizing. "I'm such a klutz sometimes, I wasn't even paying attention. I was trying to find my sister and her boyfriend."
She had a slight tan but her cheeks were red from the heat and a blush rushed up her neck in embarrassment. "I feel absolutely terrible."
Daryl waved a hand. "Said don't worry 'bout it, wasn't paying much attention myself."
He started to make his way around her when he saw her continue under the tent.
"Ain't ya gonna get some more food?" he asked her.
She turned and gave him a small smile. "I gotta find my sister since her boyfriend gave me money to buy the food."
"Oh, well c'mon. I'll take care of it."
"You really don't have to do that. I'm the one that ran into you." She tried to turn away but he stopped her by stepping forward and lightly brushing his fingers under her elbow.
"Are ya really gonna turn down free food?"
She took a moment to think it over, she shifted her weight from one slim petite leg to the other. She toed the end of her right boot into the dirt a little, creating a divot in the grass. Coming to a decision, she looked up at him and smiled.
"Guess not, since you're buying me food and all I s'pose I should tell ya my name huh?"
Daryl lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Up to you, but either way. Name's Daryl."
He stuck out his hand and grinned when he felt her small hand in his.
She gave his hand a small shake. "Hi Daryl, I'm Beth."
He could feel the small calluses on her hands and that surprised him. Pretty girls like her didn't need calluses. He unconsciously rubbed his thumb over her hand and he felt his skin break out in goose bumps. They were both warm from the late afternoon heat but the slight touch sent chills over both of them.
He cleared his throat and dropped her hand. He jerked his head over towards the food truck.
"C'mon Beth let's get ya some food."
They were standing next in line of the nearest food truck when Beth's phone started ringing. "It's my sister, could ya just get me a cheeseburger with a coke?"
Daryl nodded and she smiled at him again. She took a few steps away from the line, closer to the tent, but never going out of his sight.
Daryl ordered and paid for the food then stepped back over to the tent waiting for Beth.
He began to worry when she was no longer smiling and looking slightly defeated when she stepped up to him. "Is everything ok?" He asked her, setting the food down on the nearest table.
Beth sighed. "My sister, Maggie, had to take her boyfriend back to my grandparent's place. Apparently, he ate too many funnel cakes and got sick on one of the rides. Now I'm stranded here until she can drop him off and come back. I've got maybe an hour before I'm stuck back at the house."
She sat down and began to ate. Daryl had no idea how he was going to handle this. He had just planned on helping her find her sister and heading out so he could get out of his ruined shirt. He looked down at his shirt and sneered at the offensive stain. He sighed and sat down under the tent once again. He picked at his cuticles thinking of something to say to her.
"Ain't ever seen anyone so depressed while eating a cheeseburger."
Wow, that's a great line he thought to himself. If it wouldn't have made him look more stupid he would have slapped his forehead.
She couldn't help but grin after she swallowed the bite. "I hate to sound so selfish but I was really hoping to have a good bit of fun while on this short vacation. We're visiting my grandparents for Labor Day weekend." She explained
Daryl nodded in understanding. A brief flash of disappointment crossed her face, she blinked her big blue eyes at Daryl, gave a sad smile and went back to picking at her burger. Taking a chance he asked her. "I could stay with ya and then take ya home if ya want?"
Beth dropped her burger on the plate. "Really? You'd do that for a complete stranger?"
"No, I'd do it for a beautiful stranger." Daryl said with a smirk.
She pointed her finger at him. "You're a real stand- up guy Daryl."
"Don't be saying that too loud. This is a small town and people talk." He teased her. "Hurry up and eat and we'll go get on a few rides. I might even win ya a prize at a booth." He cracked his knuckles in preparation.
He grinned at her attempt to hide a giggle behind the rim of her cup.
"So Daryl, you grow up around here?" It seemed the most logical of questions based off of what he just said and really Beth needed some small talk so he wouldn't just sit there and watch her eat.
"Yup, ain't been passed the next couple towns really. Always had to stay close to home. What about you, visiting from a long ways off?" He didn't really think she meant it to be a real personal question but it still made him uncomfortable. He rolled his shoulders to try and relax. He still ended up leaning his arms on the table in a stiff position, as if he was getting ready to bolt at moment's notice.
"Yeah, I live closer to Conyers, so couple hours from here. We haven't seen my grandparents in a long while and since my brother, Shawn, is back home on leave, we all drove up to celebrate Labor Day. He's driving straight from Ft. Benning tomorrow." She took a chance to finish her cheeseburger and coke, ready to have some fun with the mysteriously handsome guy she just met.
She took a moment to study him while he had his head down picking at the calluses on the palms of his hand. From standing in front of him earlier she knew he was in decent shape, he's tall at least a good six inches above her own 5'4 frame and all lean muscle. She wondered if he played any sports. Every time he moves his arms she could see the tightening of the muscles in his forearm and his biceps would flex slightly with the tiny movement. He had faint scars varying in different sizes along the backs of his hands and up his arms, she even spotted a few at the edge of his collar. She gave a slight smile when he blew a puff of air between his lips to move a tuft of his brown hair from his dark blue eyes. For a guy that looked around her age he looked more tired than he should, looked like he had a harder life than those twice his age. She was going to make sure he had fun for the rest of the day, he looked like he deserved it.
...
"Please Daryl?" Beth pleaded. She was dragging Daryl with all the strength she had towards the photo booth. He wasn't having any of it though, he had his heels firmly dug into the ground beneath him.
He tugged back on his arm bringing her attempts to a halt. "Not a chance, I don't like having my picture taken and trust me you don't want to have one with me."
"Puhleeeeaaassee," she drug out the word making her accent stronger, "I went through the haunted house 'cause you wanted to, I told you those zombies would really freak me out, but you said it wouldn't be scary and to trust you. I knew you'd keep me safe." She batted her eyelashes for extra measure and tugged on his arm again. "I just wanna have something to remember this day with, you've been a great guy all day with the rides and the games."
He couldn't help it but those kind words falling from those sweet looking lips had his feet moving before he could say no again. He let her drag him into the photo booth and was instantly happy and unsettled all at once. The little bench seat offered little to no room for them to fit inside the booth.
She was standing and allowed him to sit since his tall frame and wide shoulders didn't leave him much room to move around. They both stared at the space beside him that was barely big enough to slide a loaf of bread into. He looked up at her face and figured her blush matched his.
She gave a shy chuckle. "These things are a lot smaller than I remember."
He shook his head and took a deep breath. He knew he might regret it but he also knew she'd be disappointed in not getting the pictures she put up such a fight for. Not wanting to see that disappointed look on her beautiful face again, he patted his thigh.
"Alright let's get these pictures done, but if you make one Santa joke I'll dump ya out on your ass."
Beth gave a loud laugh, something he was growing so used to hearing from spending the day with her. He couldn't help but smile at her.
He expected it to be awkward, he couldn't remember the last time he was this close to such an attractive girl, but she had this calming effect on him that he wished he could hold onto forever. She sat down on his right thigh turning her legs left between his and placing her arm around his shoulders. She leaned forward pressing the button for the timer and turned toward Daryl. "Is this ok?" she asked him making sure he was comfortable.
He had to swallow the lump that formed in his throat and it was difficult due to the fact that his mouth was completely dry. He managed a hoarse, "yes," as her warm breath spread across his cheek. Daryl could have kissed her, right then in that booth, away from the swarm of people walking by. He didn't think she'd appreciate a guy she had only met a few hours ago making moves on her. So, he kept his hands on both sides of his legs so he wouldn't be tempted to touch the expanse of smooth skin above her knee.
"Good, now say cheese." Beth pulled his cheek to touch hers and faced the camera with a wide grin. "Three more pictures," she said quickly as she made a face at the camera.
Daryl had never been in one of these before as he made it a point to stay away from any kind of picture taking, he may or may not have skipped class photo days for the last few years. He didn't want to look like a complete idiot so he made an exaggerated wink at the camera.
The next set she held up her two fingers behind his head and giggled as he did the same. She was mid laugh as the camera took the picture while he stared at her with a smile that wouldn't seem to stop because of her. He liked the fact that she was so open with him, so carefree. It was almost addicting.
The last set took him by surprise when she quickly pressed her lips to his cheek. He could feel his face heat with a blush with a silly grin on his face. Daryl couldn't remember the last time he had ever had a silly grin over anything.
Beth hadn't planned on kissing him, she knew it might make him uncomfortable but she had been wanting to kiss him since the tilt-a-whirl when she saw a huge smile appeared on his face with every dip and turn. At the last second, it occurred to her that this might seem more easier to explain than in a line waiting for a ride, or in the haunted house. When was there ever a good time to kiss a guy you just met? When her lips met his rough cheek with slight stubble, she knew she'd never forget this weekend.
You just couldn't forget something like that.
...
They were walking in comfortable silence listening to the noises of the fair and occasionally looking at each other or commenting on the atmosphere. There was no destination in mind as they had tried every ride they wanted and stopped by a few game booths, Beth was now a proud owner of a purple penguin she had quickly named Pookie. She claimed Pookie the purple penguin just rolled off the tongue so Daryl could only respond with a confused look on his face and a shrug.
Seeing an increase in foot traffic Beth reached out and grabbed Daryl's hand pulling him closer to her side so they wouldn't be separated. It was a hot day to be holding hands but Beth was happy he didn't pull away.
She glanced up at him and said, "I can't believe this day is almost over, I've had the best time."
Daryl flexed his fingers in her grip and nodded. "I had a really good time too. I guess you're ready to go home, probably pretty tired."
He had been looking straight ahead when he felt resistance at the end of his arm, turning around he saw that Beth had come to a stop with her head down.
"Would it be really weird if I told you I wasn't ready to leave yet?"
"Beth, we've gone on all the rides and played at the booths worth playing at. Not much else to do 'round here." He tried tugging on her arm to lead her to the parking lot but she resisted still.
"No, I'm not ready to leave you. I haven't had fun because of the rides. I've had fun because of you. It's still light out, isn't there something else we could do?" She asked while she fluttered her lashes over her blue eyes just as she did earlier at the picture booth.
Daryl felt a tightening in his chest and his palms were sweaty. He tried to take his hand back to wipe it on his jeans but she held on tighter. He looked around, she was almost right. The day had burned long and hot like any other summer day in South Georgia, they had a good four or five hours before it got too dark. Making up his mind, he nodded and tugged gently on her arm again.
"You're killing me with those puppy dog eyes. I bet you tend to get your way a lot."
Beth had a slight skip in her step when she saw the shift of emotions across his face when he made a decision. "It happens from time to time." She thought about swinging their arms in a huge arch but felt he might find that a tad too cheesy so kept it to a minimal swing to gain momentum with each small skip.
"I have a feeling it happens a lot more often than you're lettin' on. I got somewhere in mind but I want ya to text or call your sister to let her know you're leaving the fair grounds. Don't want them thinking you're running away with a guy you just met."
Beth nodded her head quickly in agreement, too excited that this day wasn't ending to say anything, and she let Daryl lead her to the parking area.
...
Daryl had been driving for almost an hour and he debated whether he should keep on doing so with every new song Beth sang. She started out with a few songs from the radio but quickly grew tired of the lack of choices and switched it off to sing whatever she felt like.
With every mile, he found it difficult to keep his eyes on the road and off some part of her. The sun shining through the trees that he passed flashed around the cab of the truck like golden lightening. With each flash it drew his attention to her tanned skin, it had a red tint to it as if she was quicker to burn than most, or her blonde hair that she held to the side occasionally when the wind blew especially hard through the open window. He had told her she could roll the window up and turn the air conditioning on, she only smiled and shook her head before going back to her singing and hand surfing out the window. Daryl didn't think he'd ever forget the picture she made sitting propped against the passenger door golden red sun flashing around her.
He liked that she was confident enough to sing in front of him and without any instruments. He thought about the calluses on her fingers and asked, "Do you play guitar?"
Beth stopped singing and looked over at him. With a confused look on her face, she nodded and asked back, "How'd you figure?"
He splayed his hands atop the steering wheel to look at his own calluses. "The calluses on your hands. This man I know, Dale, works at the convenient store in town. He tried to teach me how to play one time. I didn't have a knack for it but he had some calluses on his fingers from the strings."
After inspecting her own callused hands, she glanced back to Daryl and spoke, "I didn't like playing with a pick, kinda just got in the way. They're not very attractive but I'm no stranger to rough hands from hard work." She rubbed her hands together to emphasize her point. "My siblings and I grew up on a farm, wasn't too big but we all had our own jobs to do."
"Sounds like a nice place to live." Daryl could picture her in a pair of Wrangler jeans with her scuffed up boots on, shirt smeared with dirt, and hair plaited to keep out of the way. He grinned as he mentally checked off another trait he liked about her.
"It was for me as far as I remember. Daddy had a hard time for a while after my momma, his first wife, passed away. Held on pretty tight to the bottle, Maggie and Shawn had a hard time seeing him that way. They don't talk about it much as it's put away in the past but I can see it sometimes. The tension between them three around holidays will always be there I imagine, we're all happy though. A lot of that is owed to my step mom, she was the one that helped dad see sense."
Beth hadn't meant to turn the cab of the truck into a confessional but the ride had lulled her into a calm mood. She wiped at the tears welling up at the corner of her eye. "Sorry, didn't mean to pour all that on ya like that."
"Don't worry 'bout it. We all got a past or some story we don't think others want to hear." Daryl didn't like seeing her upset so he reached an arm out and pulled her gently across the bench seat. He let her settle close to him and he propped his arm along the back of the seat, fingers gently brushing her shoulder every now and then.
She mumbled a quiet, "thanks," and played with the hem of her shirt.
Daryl eased off the accelerator when he passed the sign for the Flint River and prepared to turn at the next right. He kept the truck at a slow speed as he maneuvered it down the narrow dirt road. He pulled into a clearing, put the truck in park and turned off the engine.
Stepping out of the truck, he offered his hand to Beth who grabbed it without hesitation. When she was settled with both feet on the ground, he let go of her hand to reach around to his toolbox and unlatch it.
Beth was growing curious as he wrestled with the latch and finally reached into the toolbox. A wide grin spread across her face when he held up a green tackle box and two fishing rods.
"How are ya at fishing?" He asked her with a sheepish grin.
"This day just keeps getting better and better." She replied as she reached for one of the rods.
She led the way down to the bank of the slow moving river. Low hanging limbs of old cypress trees branched out over the water with old fishing line and corks swaying in the breeze. Beth hoped she was not one of the unfortunate souls to get a broken line on one of the limbs because that would be completely embarrassing.
Daryl knelt down on the sandy bank beside her to dig through the tackle box and pulled out some simple worm lures. Passing a worm off to Beth he set to work at rigging his own hook. "Careful in the middle, there's some old logs down there, hooks tend to snag on 'em." Daryl pointed out under the old train trestle not too far away.
Beth only mumbled a short response as she concentrated on her own lure. Her tongue stuck out at the corner when she pushed her worm toward the eye of the hook. "No chance this sucker is getting stuck."
Daryl cast his line out enough to let the current push is lure upstream so he could reel it back toward him. He looked over and she was inspecting her hook one last time before casting it off far enough away their lines wouldn't tangle. "And what makes you're line so special that it won't get stuck?"
She grinned down at the water as she reeled in her line slowly when she replied, "Texas Rig, my brother taught me. He used to do fishing tournaments," she shrugged as if it was completely normal for a girl to know the ins and outs of fishing, "Mags was always more into the horses, so when she went off to camp, Shawn would let me tag along with him on some trips or just a day by the lake."
She glanced at Daryl with a smile and asked, "you got any brothers or sisters?"
Daryl's jaw tightened as he thought about how best to answer. He could easily lie, sure Merle was his brother but he didn't want to explain any further than that. "Got an older brother, Merle, wasn't ever around much though when I was growing up. Still don't see him much."
"He travel a lot?" It was an innocent question, Beth felt that he didn't get along with Merle so she steered clear from anything too personal.
Daryl nodded as he reeled in his line the rest of the way and cast it out again. "After our ma died he took off. Didn't really have any reason to stick around I guess."
Beth had stopped reeling and let her lure sink to the bottom when she glanced over at him. He was avoiding her gaze though and was focusing pretty hard on his line.
He had his jaw clenched and hoped that she didn't ask anything about his mom or dad. He'd rather field another question about Merle than either of his parents.
Beth opened her mouth to say something when she felt a tug at the end of her line. She snapped her head back and began turning the reel to test the weight at the end. It gave another sold tug and she gripped harder on the handle. "Daryl!? I think I got something!"
Daryl set his own rod behind a log on the bank so his wouldn't be pulled into the water and stepped over to her. He had thought about helping just on instinct but she looked like she could handle herself. Stepping closer the edge of the water he waited until she reeled her catch in closer.
He reached down for her line when he saw the fish in the shallowest part of the river and held the prize catfish in her line of sight so that she can inspect her restless catch.
Beth and Daryl smiled at each other, blue eyes locked together mirroring pure happiness.
Beth was the first to speak, "Can you believe it? And a decent size too!" She stepped forward to reach for the line. "Could you hold it while I get the hook out?"
He gave a short nod as he grasped the wriggling fish with both hands while Beth worked the hook from the inside of the wide mouth. Hook free he handed over the fish to Beth and asked, "You gonna give him a kiss goodbye?"
Scrunching up her nose she replied, "I'll pass on that little tradition." She joined him at the edge of the water and knelt down to release the fish back in the water. It gave a splash with its tail and sped off, back into the murky depths.
They both rinsed their hands off in the cool water and as Beth began to wipe her hands off on her short jean skirt Daryl stopped her. "Whoa, don't think so. I'm sure you were taught better than that. C'mon I got some rags and Goop in the truck." He swept his hand out toward the truck motioning for her to go first.
Daryl was back wrestling with the latch on his toolbox as Beth waited beside the driver door, arms hanging loosely beside her hands already dry from the air around her.
Daryl's grunts from trying to reach further into his toolbox from the side of his truck drew her attention to his stretched frame. His raised tee shirt exposed pale flesh around his hips, the black elastic band of his boxers peeking above his blue jeans. Beth's cheeks flushed and looked away, finding a brown rock by her tow particularly interesting. She smiled to herself as she remembered the kiss she gave him in the photo booth and hoped she'd get to do it again.
...
Beth was leaning back on her forearms on the blanket-covered hood with her legs swinging, bare feet occasionally hitting the bumper while she watched Daryl skip rocks.
She had tried her hand at the activity but after slipping on a patch of muddy clay, she found it safer for her body and dignity if she got as far away from the bank as possible. Thankfully, Daryl had been a real gentleman by not laughing, too much, and walking her back to the truck. After digging out a dingy blanket from behind the seat and shaking out any loose debris before spreading it out over the hood, he helped her up to the safety of the hood.
She felt her stomach give a slight twinge in hunger and hated that they might have to leave this beautiful spot just to curve her hunger pains. "You wouldn't happen to have any food hidden away in your truck would you?"
Daryl had just slung a rock across the water, managing to get a few good skips when he turned around to face her. He thought for a moment then held up his finger indicating for her to wait.
Beth sat up straight as he made his way to the cab of his truck to dig around behind the seat. She hadn't expected him to really have any food in there and became worried he would try and feed her something that had been stuck in his truck for a few days, it sounded like something her brother would try and pull then giggled to herself at the ridiculous thought. Daryl wouln't give her melted candy or smashed snacks.
She was brought from her musings when she saw him place a simple metal lunch pail with a black plastic handle on top. Now curious she leaned over to inspect the items Daryl began laying out.
"If you don't mind sharing but there's only one bottle of water in here," he held up a bottle of water and placed it by her hand then pulled out two Mrs. Fields Sugar cookies, a pack of salted peanuts, and a snack size of plain potato chips.
Beth shrugged, "don't mind as long as ya don't have cooties," she stuck her tongue out at him before the twisted the cap of the water and took a few sips.
"Mind if I claim a cookie?" She asked as she handed the open bottle over to him.
Daryl passed her a cookie and took a few sips of the water himself.
"You sure that's all you want? We can always ride back into town, get something to eat before I take ya to your grandparent's place."
"I'm sure, just need a bit of sugar." She tore the end of the pack with her teeth and pulled the wrapper open. After taking a bite from her cookie she patted the spot beside her on the hood. "Come join me?"
Daryl put a foot on the bumper and lifted himself up on the bumper, sitting close enough to Beth their legs were touching.
They didn't talk for a few minutes as they munched on the late afternoon snacks. The sounds of the river and fauna around the area had both of them gazing out over the water.
The sky had started to take on a bright red, casting a odd glow in the clearing where they sat.
"Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning." Daryl muttered to himself when he watched the sun start to descend behind the tree line on the other side of the river.
"What was that?"
Daryl turned his head when he heard her ask, he gave a shy smile and turned his face toward the sky again. "Sailor's sky, the red means there's a clear path from the west. Won't be any rain to ruin anyone's Labor Day activities."
Beth took a moment to study the sky and the way the setting sun had lit it on fire, the clouds looking like smoke spread across the sky and disappearing behind the tree line. "It's beautiful. I'd never known that saying though, is it true?"
Daryl shrugged his shoulders before he replied. "For the most part I guess. Just a wives' tale that's been passed around."
The sounds of cicadas and frogs created a constant hum around them as the they both watched the sun set. One by one, the tiny flecks of lights from the stars reflected across the water and the half moon set off a hazy glow.
"You know, you've ruined me."
Daryl was caught off guard with the statement. "Excuse me?"
"I'm sure this wasn't a date but if it was it'd be the best one I've been on. I will always compare any other dates to this day." Clearing her throat of the sudden catch she looked over at him, "I'll compare all the guys to you."
Daryl dropped his gaze to look at his hand that was now covered with her comparably small one. "Beth, you don't know me. I'm not the kind of guy girls make plans with."
"I didn't ask for plans did I? I just wanted to thank you for showing me a great time today." She bumped his shoulder with her own getting his attention. "I may not know you that well but you're one of the kindest guys I've ever met."
Daryl could only see the outline of her face the dim light of the moon casting shadows around her face. He didn't need to see her though, after spending most of the day with her he'd already committed her features to memory.
...
Beth instructed Daryl to drive back through town and over the first set of railroad tracks off of Highway 82. After following Highway 49 he was supposed to turn left at the crossroads and turn down the first dirt road, the house would be at the dead end.
He was glad she had told him directions or he would have had to wake her up fifteen minutes into the drive back to town. Although he had kept quiet after her admission on the hood of his truck there hadn't been anything awkward about their interaction.
Instead of responding with words she would have liked to have heard from him, he only helped her down from the hood and quietly suggested he get her home before her family worried.
She had her head rested on his shoulder and his right arm hugged to her side, Pookie rested in her lap with her hand over the tiny torso. His hand rested comfortably on her knee and he found himself slowing down to the minimum speed limit to keep from getting her home too fast.
Daryl hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't the type of guy girls made plans with and he wanted her to understand that. She didn't need a false hope from some guy she barely knew, they lived hours away and were completely different. There was no point in exchanging numbers and trying to keep in touch, he'd only disappoint her anyways. He was glad she understood that and hadn't suggested any such ideas.
He was turning on the dirt road when he shook his shoulder gently to wake Beth up, "Beth, we're almost there."
Without raising her head she mumbled into his shoulder, "I can tell, I've memorized every dip in this road."
He gave a slight chuckle as she let his arm go so she could stretch her petite body from the short nap she'd taken.
"I'm graduating early to start college in New York by Fall semester."
Again Daryl was caught off guard with yet another sudden admission. She didn't exactly say the words but he knew what she meant, the likelihood that they would run into each other again was pretty slim. He almost broke his resolve and asked for her number but decided against it. No, she was better off with him being just a memory.
He chose a simple answer instead. "I knew you were smart." He glanced at her with a smile before he turned the truck into the last driveway.
Keeping a good distance from the house he stopped the truck and let it run idle while he slid out of the truck, gently guiding Beth out behind him, Pookie still clutched in her right hand.
Hands still clasped together Beth turned away from the house to look at him. "You don't have to walk me up."
Daryl gave a short nod. "I'll wait here until you're in the house. I've had a really good time today. Thank you, Beth"
Beth gripped his hand tighter stepping closer to him. She stopped close enough to see his face without having to crane her neck in an uncomfortable position. "Thank you for being so kind, I'll never forget this."
He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Was my pleasure. Like I said before, I'd do anything for a beautiful stranger." Giving her a shy grin he bent his head down and kissed her on the cheek. He brought his head back to look in her eyes and moved his hand to cup her face.
She leaned her face into his hand and covered his with her hand as the pad of his thumb brushed over the spot he just kissed.
With a tone of regret he whispered, "you better get going before someone comes out here to drag ya away, I think I see some movement going on in the house."
She gave a half hearted chuckle before she squeezed his had one last time and stepped back. She turned around to walk to the house.
She had only made it a few yards away when he saw her turn around and began running back to him. In mid stride she had reached into her back pocket and pulled out a thin strip of paper.
Daryl didn't recognize it until she was standing in front of him again. The row of photos from the booth earlier. They received two copies and Beth had taken it upon herself to keep them safe.
"I almost forgot, here," she pressed his copy into his hand and closed his fingers gently over the thin photo paper. Releasing a short sigh she looked at Daryl again with wide eyes.
Before he could say anything she stood on her toes and pressed herself against him. "You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone."
He opened his mouth to say something and her soft mouth silenced him. In an instant his arms wrapped around her waist pulling her body flush against his, her arms securely around his neck ensuring that the kiss deepened without effort.
It was short and sweet, much like Daryl imagined it would be like to have a kiss from her. She gave a chaste peck to his lips before pulling away.
She backed away slowly with a grin on her face, fingertips brushing her lips.
Not wanting to leave her without saying anything he called out, "I won't forget you neither!"
She didn't say anything, just lifted her hand in small wave then turned and ran back to the house.
By the time she reached the porch Daryl had pulled himself inside his truck and closed the door. Setting the photo strip behind the steering column so that he could see the row of pictures under the cab light, he grinned. He saw a flash of light from the porch and shook his head in amusement at the porch light being turned on and off.
Giving one last glance toward the house, he set his truck in reverse and drove out on the dirt road and away from a girl he was sure he'd never see again.
It was a long ride but he didn't mind, he passed the time with tuning to different channels on the radio and remembering the day.
He smiled at the thought that he'd never listen to the radio the same way again or look at his favorite fishing spot again. Whether Daryl realized it in that moment or not but Beth had ruined him too, the brief moment of pure happiness shared between two strangers would change him forever.
You just couldn't forget something like that.
Well it was five years later on a southbound plane
I was headed down to New Orleans
To meet some friends of mine for Mardi Gras
When I heard a voice from the past
Comin' from a few rows back
And when I looked, I couldn't believe just what I saw
She said I bet you don't remember me
And I said only every other memory
"Damn it Rick, I told you I'm leaving now. Yes, I'm at the gate as we speak. Now do you want me to get on the plane or would you rather me be late?" Daryl was growing frustrated at the man on the other end of the phone. Sure the guy was his best friend but he pestered him like they were a married couple.
Daryl held the phone in place on his shoulder with the side of his head as he passed his ticket to the red head behind the podium.
"Alright, man. Sorry, I've just been looking forward to this weekend since I got engaged. I mean I can't have my best man missing my bachelor party." The voice on the other end was distant as Daryl nodded a thank you to the lady and moved closer to the walkway.
"Look, you know I wouldn't miss this. I'll see ya in a few hours." Daryl checked his carry on to make sure he had some spare cash for a quick snack had he missed lunch that afternoon trying to rush from class to do some last minute packing to meet Rick and some other friends in Louisiana for Mardi Gras.
"I'm hanging up now. See ya in a few." Conversation over, Daryl went ahead and turned his phone off then tucked it away in his pocket.
...
Getting situated on the plane was easy enough and Daryl was glad to be relaxing, even if it was in a cramped cabin of a plane filled with New Yorkers heading to the same place he was. He was settling in for a short nap when he heard it.
He lifted himself on the arm rests of his seat to look around the cabin. Not seeing anything he shook his head, but he could have sworn he had heard that voice before. Settling back down, he closed his eyes.
"I bet you don't remember me?"
Daryl's eyes snapped open and turned his head. It was impossible.
Yet, there she stood in the narrow aisle of the cabin. Blonde hair, red lips, petite slim body in jeans and a white tee shirt. Sweet smile pulling her lips up at the corners and hand resting on her hip. She hadn't changed a bit.
"Only every other memory sweetheart." Daryl stood and had his arms wrapped around her in a crushing hug.
He felt her laugh against his chest and wrap her arms around his waist.
He pulled back slightly to study her face again, hands placed gently on the sides of her face holding her in place.
"You heading down for Mardi Gras?" He asked her, still staring into her blue eyes.
She fluttered her eyelashes just like she had done so many years ago and shrugged. "Reckon I'm heading where ever you're going."
"Good, 'cause I ain't letting ya get away that easy again."
She nodded, hands grasping onto his. " You gonna show me a good time?"
He laughed and brought her closer for another hug and he whispered, "I'll do more than that."
I had a barbeque stain on my white tee shirt
You were killing me in that miniskirt
Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks
You had a suntan line and red lipstick
I worked so hard for that first kiss
And a heart don't forget something like that
Like an old photograph
Time can make a feeling fade
But the memory of a first love
Never fades away
Beth sat with her legs out in front of her, legs crossed at the ankles and her leaning back on her forearms. She picked at the blanket under her and tried to in a comfortable spot on the bank.
Looking out over the Flint River she smiled as she remembered the last time she's been here almost five years ago. They both should have been back in New York by now but Daryl had insisted on taking a detour back through Georgia as they were both on spring break for their last semester at their respective schools. She was happy she'd chosen to stay, the last week had been perfect.
She might be called crazy but having to spend every waking hour with Daryl over the last few days had helped her realize how much she had really missed him.
The time they spent apart had allowed them to grow into their own, Beth pursued a singing career while taking some business management courses while Daryl was pursuing a degree in engineering. They talked about the details of their lives they had left out so many years ago and Beth was glad that he felt like he could still share his past with her.
Daryl had grabbed the cookie she had left in the seat of the rental and stopped just before he approached her. The scene wasn't very different from five years ago and he couldn't help but see it as clear as the day that had begun to take shape around them.
She felt his presence as he settled beside her. Straightening up she looked at him and smiled. "I'm glad you brought me back here for our last day, it's just what I needed."
He had turned his body so that he was facing her, she did the same so that their knees touched. He held out a Mrs. Fields sugar cookie and before she could pull it back he placed his hand over hers.
"Daryl, What is it?"
He brushed his thumb over the back over hand and stared at her round blue eyes.
" I'm glad we're here too. That Labor Day weekend has always been with me," He reached around to his back pocket with his free hand to pull out his wallet and flipped it open, pulling out a worn strip of photo paper, "you've always been with me."
Beth reached for the paper and laughed at the pictures still visible. "I can't believe you still have this," her cheeks flushed before she admitted, "my copy is hanging in my room. I never forgot about you either."
Daryl smiled as he set the cookie aside to cup her face with his right hand. " I'd seen you earlier that day before you ran into me with your food tray. Maggie had dropped a few ice cubes down your shirt and your squealing caught me attention." He grinned at her blush deepening but continued, " you were beautiful standing there all tan legs with that mini skirt, blonde hair and red lips," Daryl brushed his thumb over her soft lips and pressed a gentle kiss to them then pulled back.
" Bringing you out here that night was something I'd never done for a girl before, and never did afterwards, I always thought of this as our spot. It was somewhere I could come out and think about things; what I wanted for my future, how to get away from my old man. You changed me Beth and I need to thank you for that."
"Daryl I didn't change you. I knew you'd do something great." She smiled as she looked down at the picture again. "How 'bout now Daryl Dixon?"
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "what do ya mean?"
"Are you the type of guy who makes plans with girls? Cause I'd very much like to make plans to see you more often when we get back to New York."
Daryl shook his hand and grinned when Beth's smile began to fade. "I'm the type of guy who'll make plans with a beautiful girl who knows what a Texas Rig is."
Beth threw her arms around Daryl causing them to topple over. She landed sprawled across him and her face close to his. Their blue eyes mirrored the same happiness that shown in them five years ago. Picture still clutched in her hand she placed her lips against Daryl's in a quick movement. "I won't ever forget this." He whispered between the short kisses Beth placed against his lips.
I had a barbecue stain on my white tee shirt
She was killing me in that miniskirt
Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks
She had a sun tan line and red lipstick
I worked so hard for that first kiss
A heart don't forget, no a heart don't forget
I said a heart don't forget something like that
Oh, not something like that
If you liked it please let me know. I'm considering working on some others but more tailored to their actual characters on the show. I'd really liked to hear ideas or thoughts on that (good idea or not? quit while I'm ahead?).
I actually like the age difference presented in the show but I had to change things around for this story, plus I liked imagining teen Daryl and how he would be before he got stuck following Merle around. I intentionally set it to where there was no specific year given but I imagined it early 2000s (ish). I would have went for early 90s but I didn't want to get too far back in time (I realized how old I'm really getting the other day when I was talking to a kid who is now a senior at my old high school and had never seen the movie Armageddon).
Also, I chose the setting as the area I'm most familiar with. I've lived in South Georgia all my life and I liked the idea of Daryl growing up in a small town where people talk and a place for him to want to get away from. Pookie the Purple Penguin is of my own invention of course and is based on my best friend's key chain (her name's Beth btw).
Excuse any errors, I've been staying up til 5am for the past few days to get this out. If you see any continuity or grammatical errors that really need fixing let me know and I'll get 'em fixed. Hope everyone had a safe and fun Labor Day!