This was a random idea I had after seeing the episode 'Still' of The Walking Dead. I understand Daryl and Beth had to be quiet in the trunk of the car while the herd passed, but with the storm going on I figured they could of had some sort of conversation. This is my idea of where their conversation may of went. Let me know if you think I should continue this into a Beth/Daryl story and how their relationship would progress.

I rated this M for language and mentions of abuse, with the possibility of this continuing further with adult situations.

There comes a time in everyone's life when they realize they've picked up on a new fear they were unaware of and right now Beth was realizing she couldn't stand dark, damp, confined spaces.

It wasn't so much the fact she was stuck in the trunk of a car with Daryl, who happened to be a jerk at the moment and had hardly said two words to her since the loss of the prison, but the fact they were surrounded by walkers and she had no idea how long they would be there.

The space around them was cramped and Beth found it hard to get comfortable. She could tell her constant shifting was starting to annoy Daryl and finally sighed and gave up, afraid his already bad mood would worsen if she didn't give it a rest. She was just going to have to deal with the metal of the car digging into her back until the herd passed.

Then it started to storm...great another stupid fear Beth had since she was a small child. It wasn't the lightening or the wind, but the loud unsuspecting sound of thunder always made the hair on her arms stand at attention. That mixed with walkers bouncing off the car was sure to give her a mini heart attack before it was all over.

And just like that it happened. The crash echoed through the trunk loud enough to make the car shake and Beth yelped and reached down to grab a hold of Daryl's leg. Her palm pressed against his shin with her fingers digging into the sides of his calf while her heart tried to escape her chest.

Daryl didn't move. His eyes still focused through the cross-hairs of his bow as he watched through the crack in the trunk, prepared if something tried to get inside.

Beth wondered how he could be so calm, until she saw the hard look across his face when lightening flashed inside their cage for a brief second. He was worried. At least she thought it was a look of concern. Either from the fact they were trapped or the fact she was clawing her nails into his skin and causing him pain. Finally she eased up her grip on his leg and could feel him instantly relax under her hold.

"Sorry." She whispered and he grunted in return, still unmoving.

They sat there for what felt like forever and Beth let her mind wander. Unaware she was idly playing with the inside seam of his pant leg. She only realized it when her hand had drifted higher up toward his knee and could feel him tense. His eyes cutting to the side to see what she was doing and then quickly back to his crossbow.

Beth didn't retract her hand and he didn't make an attempt to stop her, so she figured it wasn't bothering him. The simple action was oddly making her relax and keeping her from jumping at every small sound or movement, and for that she was thankful. It gave her heart a chance to start beating at a normal pace.

She continued to slide the material of his jeans under her nails going up and down the length of his leg, from his knee to his ankle slowly, while leaning her head back and shutting her eyes. Trying to get comfortable enough to maybe sleep for a few hours since they didn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon.

"The hell ya doin?" Daryl growled, making Beth snap her eyes open to see her hand had drifted up his thigh and almost to his crotch. She instantly jerked it back and wrapped her arms around her body, only making eye contact with him for a second to see he looked flustered. His Adams apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't...I...Wasn't..." Beth's words fumbled and she blushed a deep shade of red. Glad it was still too dark for him to make out just how embarrassed she was.

Daryl cleared his throat and moved his leg, trying to bend his knee to keep from touching her.

"You're mad..." Beth spoke with uncertainty. Keeping her voice low as she continued to hug herself and willing her eyes to stare at the tail light beside her head.

"Ain't mad." Daryl informed her and went back to focus on the threat around them. "Just keep yer hands ta yerself." He continued after a moment and readjusted his bow.

Beth sighed and risked a glance, noticing how tense his muscles were. "Then what is it?"

"Nothin'." Daryl blinked and gave up trying to see out into the dark, dropping his weapon to the side and moving to lean back a little more. If she wasn't going to let him concentrate on protecting them, then he was at least going to attempt to get some rest.

"I'm not stupid Daryl." Beth said while sitting up to see him better. "To think you'd even be interested in something like that. I wasn't trying to do anything and you don't have to act like I'm disgusting and scoot as far away from me as possible." She moved her hand to wipe a piece of sweaty hair off her face. It was hot even at night in the middle of summer and being locked in a trunk with another person wasn't helping. "I didn't even realize my hand had moved."

Daryl stared at Beth in the dim light and brought his thumb up between his teeth nervously to chew on his cuticle while he thought about what to say. The words left his mouth before he could stop himself. "My father used ta lock me in a closet in the bathroom when I was little...just not a fan of bein' contained..." He wasn't sure why his word vomit decided to go in that direction, but there was no way to take it back now. He'd never opened up to anyone about the sick ways his father would torture him and Merle when they were growing up and he didn't understand why his brain felt the need to share those experiences with her all of a sudden.

Beth listened quietly as he spoke and even though it had nothing to do with her hand on him, she started to see why he never wanted to be in a cell back at the prison. It also explained why he might be so tense at the moment. "I'm sorry he did that to you." She offered, having always known to a degree that he had suffered some sort of abuse at the hands of his father, just not the grim details behind it.

Daryl shrugged. "S'ok. Piece of shits dead now anyways."

"Still...that's terrible." Beth's brows furrowed and she shifted to bring her knees closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Is that why you wont let anyone close to you? I mean, because of him?" She instantly felt bad as soon as she asked. Knowing he was more than likely not going to answer or completely shut her out. Daryl Dixon wasn't much for sharing his feelings.

He surprised her though when he shrugged again and moved his attention from chewing on his thumb to playing with a bolt from his crossbow. "Don't exactly know how ta let someone be close."

"You and Carol seemed close." Beth pointed out while picking at her boot. "You just have to learn to trust people."

Daryl scoffed and tapped the bolt he'd been playing with against the metal frame of the car. "Haven't trust anyone since I was five when the bastard locked me in that closet for the first time." He ignored the part about him and Carol. Only seeing them as nothing more than maybe having a friendship that he'd been trying to figure out and didn't feel like bothering to explain the situation to Beth right then. He still wasn't even sure why he was continuing this conversation.

She didn't want to push, but maybe talking about it would help him to deal with the trauma and make him start to open up with her a little. To realize not everyone in the world was like his father and some people could be trusted if you gave them a chance. "Why did he do it?"

Daryl looked away and stayed quiet for a moment. Opening his mouth as if he were going to say something and snapping it back closed before anything escaped. Beth waited though to see if he could gathered together what he acted like he wanted to tell her. "Pissed myself..." He finally said, twirling the bolt through his fingers and pausing before speaking again. "An' instead of helpin' me find clean clothes he beat the shit out of me and locked me up like I was some kind of worthless animal..." Sighing he ran a hand through his hair and fought back an emotion he'd long built a wall around. He left out the part where he cried and screamed for hours on more than one occasion for someone to set him free, while his father cranked up 50's music to drown him out. Any time he heard Elvis after that he could feel his breathing grow uneven and for some reason the familiar smell of that closet came rushing back.

Beth didn't know what to say. She could feel tears pricking the back of her eyes as she tried to imagine the horror he went through and this had only been one time. The scars she knew that laced his back weren't put there from just one more incident. He had suffered years of the same torment from the man that was suppose to love him. Like her father had loved her and it wasn't fair. Over the time she had known Daryl he was the most selfless person she had ever met. Risking his life to find a little girl that wasn't even his and not to mention all the things he had done for the group while at the prison, never asking for a thing in return. She carefully wiped her eyes once the tears broke free and sniffed.

"Stop ya cryin'." Daryl snapped. "S'all in the past now."

Beth lifted her watery blue eyes to meet his. Even in the dark he could see the faint light reflecting off them. "I just can't understand how someone could do that to a defenseless child..." She said in a soft, shaky voice.

"He was a drunken asshole." Daryl reminded her. "Most assholes only care 'bout themselves."

"You must think I'm horrible..." She started. "A selfish person wanting to end my life when I've only endured the pain of losing loved ones...while you...you went through the mental and physical abuse for years..." Beth paused to take in a breath and keep control of herself. "And after everything you're still here. Fighting for those around you."

"I ain't perfect Beth." Daryl said calmly while loading the bolt back into his crossbow. "An' I don't think any less of ya for the decision ya made." She looked in his direction and he continued. "There were moments back then I wanted ta die. Ya just weren't used ta dealin' with yer pain. After everythin' it just became a part of me I reckon. Had a long time ta get used to it."

Beth watched him for several minutes and ran her hand over the back of her neck, then across her chin. "You should be proud of the person you've become."

Daryl shot her a look of disbelief. "Why? Look at me. Look where I've ended up. Hidin' out in the trunk of a rusted out car with no home ta go back to. That ain't nothin' ta be proud of. In the end I've still lost everythin'. Merle was all I had left and his dumbass went and got himself killed."

"You saved me." Beth said quietly. "That's something to be proud of. I've finally accepted this life enough to be grateful you didn't leave me there to die."

"Yer worth savin'." Daryl admitted, dropping his eyes to his lap. Feeling embarrassed at the realization at how much he meant what he said. "Most of them in our original group were strong and could take care of themselves. When I saw you... I figured ya might need my help." He held up his hand to make sure she understood he didn't mean it in an offending manner. "I know ya haven't gotten out as much as they have. Been spendin' all yer time mothering a kid that ain't even yers. Don't leave a lot of room ta learn how ta survive out here."

Beth's brows furrowed a little. "How does that make me worth saving? Just proves I have nothing to offer. That I'll only get in your way."

Daryl kept his head down, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Ya deserve ta be here just as much as I do." There was no way in hell he was going to admit that he had become fond of the young woman that took care of the baby that could make him smile on his worst days. Or that she was sweet and kind and he loved how her long blonde hair would shine a golden color in the sun. How her pale skin would glow in the Georgia heat just the right way to make him feel like a dirty old man. He cleared his throat then and straightened his posture as he willed himself to get it together. He couldn't have thoughts about her that way when he was twice her age and she probably thought he was nothing more than a dirty redneck. It was easier just to keep his mouth shut and go about his business without a second thought.

"You're an idiot Daryl Dixon." Beth said after a moment in a serious tone.

He frowned at her. "What?"

"You're an idiot." She repeated. "Either that or you're blind."

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Ain't neither one."

"Then take a look around. You said it yourself. You saved me because you thought I needed your help and you were right. There's no way I could survive out here alone, and once again you put someone else and their needs before your own. Knowing there's a chance I could get you killed." Beth shifted and softened her tone. "If that doesn't give you a reason to be proud of the person you are, then you're an idiot. This may not mean much coming from me, but I can honestly tell you that you're a good man and should embrace who you've become. Even over the short time I've known you, I've seen the changes and its nothing to be ashamed of."

Daryl watched her the whole time she spoke and let her words take a minute to sink in. He was speechless. Carol was the only other person to say something like that to him and he still found it hard to believe even coming from someone else. He wasn't entirely sure how he should feel. The tugging against his chest didn't seem like a bad thing and he almost wanted to smile. For the first time in his life he finally felt like he meant something to someone, even if he had heard it before. Beth had somehow found a way to get him to listen and make him realize what he had been missing. Might of just been because they were currently trapped together and there was no way he could run away from the conversation, but it had worked. "Thanks..." Was all he could think to offer her at the moment and he moved down lower to get comfortable, shutting his eyes with his arms over his chest. "We should try ta get some sleep."

"Fine." Beth huffed and kicked at his side as she tried to get settled. "Move over."

Daryl groaned and pressed himself against the back of the car the best he could and rolled so he was facing in her direction. Just watching as she closed her eyes and after a little while her breathing became even as sleep crept in. He wasn't positive he could actually follow her any time soon as miserable and cramped as he was, but he was sure as hell going to try.