Takes place during the episode "Alone" starting when Daryl and Beth are sitting in the kitchen of the funeral home before Daryl goes to check on the dog for the second time. Disregards plot from then on.
Daryl tossed the empty jar of pigs feet back on the table and grabbed another one, mumbling, "this dog gets one more chance," before standing up, almost lazily, and walking toward the front door. Beth couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.
From the other room, Beth could hear Daryl open the door and call for the dog, then the sloshing of what she could only assume were the pigs feet moving about in the liquid as Daryl undoubtedly shook the jar at the dog. The sound of whining floated through the hallway and Beth could almost make out the sound of claws against hardwood floors before the door was lightly re-latched.
A small, white head poked around the corner of the kitchen doorway as Daryl came back into view, a shadow of a smile playing on his face. His eyes were trained on the scruffy dog while he held the jar of pigs feet slightly in front of her, moving slowly back toward the table. Once he reached his recently vacated seat, he tentatively sat back down so as not to frighten off the poor girl.
Beth watched in awe as the abuse-hardened man sat the lid of the jar on the floor and scooped the not-quite-meat out onto it, slowly nudging it toward the dog with the toe of his boot.
"I think she has mange," he whispered once the dog had stopped sniffing the food and began digging in. Daryl looked so helpless that it almost broke Beth's heart. "Don't know if we'll be able ta save 'er. We don't have no way ta treat it."
"Well, hey, she's made it this long, hasn't she? I think she's a fighter," Beth whispered back before tentatively standing up and hobbling to the cabinets to pull out a bowl. She filled it with a couple inches of warm, almost murky water from her canteen and sat it down not too close to the lid of pigs feet so as not to startle the dog. She sniffed it wearily and then began to lap from it greedily.
Daryl watched Beth with furrowed eyebrows and a curious frown. Her gentleness was always so intriguing to him, especially living in the world in which they do now. How can she be so optimistic while the walking dead are roaming outside their doors?
She looked at him then, the biggest smile on her face that he'd seen since they were thrown from the prison, and he melted. This girl, this woman, was perfect, always thinking of how she could help someone else, even a mangy dog in the zombie apocalypse. He didn't know how he'd missed it for so long, her genuine care for everyone else, her perfection.
"So, what should we name her?" Beth asked in the sweetest voice he thinks he's ever heard.
"…Maggie," he replied quietly after a moment's hesitation, breaking eye contact for a slight second to glance at the dog.
Her eyes sparkled.
And then she kissed him.
Couldn't help myself after that precious Bethyl episode. Freaking out about Beth now, though! Let me know if you think this should be lengthened!
(3/19: just reworded some of the dialogue so it sounded more like Daryl!)