A/N: This is a one shot for the Summer of Bethyl prompt "Vacation." It's set in prison-era, pre-Season 4 governor attack. It was so much fun to write and I hope you all like it! Please read, review, and enjoy!
Beth jostled Judith frantically on her hip, pleading, "Come on, pretty girl. You gotta stop crying now! I know it hurts, I know."
Judith was teething and the prison didn't keep much in the way of baby teething rings so Beth was at her wits end. The baby had been fussy for days, her mouth a mess of slobber, her face red and sticky with tears.
"Hey," Beth heard from behind her and she spun quickly, still bouncing Judith without missing a beat, to find Daryl leaning up against the doorway to her room.
"Hey," Beth replied, brushing sweaty hair off her face in relief. She stepped forward and held Judith out to him, "Here, can you watch her a sec? I need to run to the bathroom and everyone has conveniently disappeared."
Daryl raised his chin, nodding a little as he accepted the child. Judith promptly gripped his chin hair with a screech and Beth smiled apologetically as she darted out of the room, trusting him to fend for himself for five minutes.
When she returned she found Daryl sitting on the floor, his back against her bunk with Judith happily chewing on the worn leather of his vest. Judith was quiet for the first time in what felt like years and Beth leaned exhaustedly against the door frame, watching in reverent amazement as Daryl smoothed the baby's soft hair back from her face and spoke to her in soft, gravelly tones.
After a moment he looked over, seeing Beth from the corner of his eye, and moved to get up. Beth rushed forward, motioning for him to stay seated and slowly lowered herself to the floor next to him.
"You got her to stop crying," She murmured in awe.
Daryl shrugged, watching Judith suck on his vest, and replied, "Ain't nothin'. She just needed somethin' to chew on, is all."
"Yeah but I've given her everything I could think of to soothe her and nothing's worked for days."
Daryl glanced at her, "Yeah, is close quarters in here."
Beth flushed a little, "I know, I'm sorry. I've tried to keep her quiet but…"
"Nah," Daryl cut her off quickly, nudging her a little with his arm. "Ain't botherin' anyone. Just… we've noticed how hard it's been on ya."
Beth's eyes flicked upwards from her study of Judith's relaxed face to meet Daryl's gaze, "Really?"
He shrugged, looking away quickly, "I did." He bounced Judith a little for a moment before looking back at Beth, "Why don't ya get outta here? Go outside or somethin'?"
"Really?" Beth asked again, stunned to realize that someone had noticed how frazzled she'd been lately and was offering to help her. Still, Daryl was one of the busiest members of the prison. He hunted, went on runs, mended fences. She couldn't ask him to babysit too. Her smile faded as she shook her head, "No, I'm okay."
"She'll be alright without ya for a few hours, Beth," Daryl insisted, voice low.
"I know. I just don't feel right askin' someone else to watch her when everyone is so busy already," Beth explained, meeting his eyes again. She shrugged a little, "We all got jobs to do, right?"
Daryl watched her for a long moment, his gaze never wavering as he studied her. Beth held it, barely daring to breathe as she wondered what he saw. Probably some kid only mature enough to be trusted to babysit, she assumed. She knew she was young but sometimes she wished people would treat her more like an adult, someone who could help out with more than meals and child care. She knew taking care of the kids was important but she wanted to do more, be more. She wanted to change. Daryl could do everything, no one questioned his ability to take care of himself and others in his care, and Beth wished that she could be that strong.
Daryl suddenly rose easily from the floor, Judith propped deftly against his shoulder. Beth stared up at him with wide eyes as he slowly reached down, holding out a hand. Wondering what he was doing, she accepted it, letting him pull her from the floor and to her feet. He jerked his head, indicating for her to follow, and disappeared out of her cell, heading down the hall with Judith still in his arms. Beth followed, jogging a little to catch up after recovering from a moment of stunned immobility.
"Where're we goin'?" She called and he merely glanced over his shoulder, jerking his head a little again.
"Come on," He replied and so she did, wondering what on earth had gotten in to him.
She followed him all the way outside and to the cantina where Carol was standing with a pail of water talking to one of the Woodbury residents. Daryl walked right up to her and she turned to watch him approach, smiling slightly in confusion. Not pausing to say hello, Daryl handed her little Judith and Carol watched in surprise as he shrugged out of his vest and handed it to her.
"She likes chewin' on it," He said, pointing to the vest.
"Daryl, what…" Carol sputtered, looking between him and Beth, concern on her face. "Is everything alright?"
"Beth needs a break," He stated, turning back to Beth who was about to protest, and placing a hand on her shoulder to turn her away.
Beth let herself be redirected, glancing over her shoulder with an apologetic smile to Carol, "I'll be back for her later, Carol!" Carol watched them go in stunned silence, unconsciously rocking Judith, and Beth looked up at Daryl, "I will be back later, won't I?"
Daryl glanced down at her as they walked, his hand still on her shoulder, and smiled that barely-there half smile of his. Beth beamed, relaxing a little as the anticipation of a free day loomed before her.
Daryl lead her to the armory, loading a gun and handing it to her with a holster for her waist, asking, "You know how to shoot, right?"
Beth mock glare at him and replied evenly, "I think we all learned once the dead started walking, Daryl." He nodded, returning his attention to the meager weapons supply as she asked, "Why? Am I going to need to shoot something? What are we doing in here?"
He rifled through some knives before giving up and retrieving his own, handing it to her handle first, "Here, stick that somewhere you can get to it quick."
Beth blinked at him before quickly securing it to her hip within easy reach of her right hand before glancing up at him again, suddenly nervous, "Are we going outside the fences?"
He glanced at her for a long moment, clearly studying her for signs that she might resist the idea of leaving the safety of the prison, and finally shrugged, seemingly satisfied that she wasn't about to put up a fight. Beth felt a surge of adrenaline mixed with anxiety as she beamed up at him, a wild electricity pulsing through her at the thought of not being confined but concrete walls and chain link for a second longer.
Daryl led her outside again, leading her over to where he father sat in some shade watching Rick and Carl tend to the fields.
Hershel nodded to him as he approached, then frowned once he realized Beth was with him sans Judith. "Daryl," He greeted him, eyeing his youngest daughter shrewdly.
"I'm gonna take Beth out for a bit. There's a place I know, it's safe," Daryl stated, clearly asking for permission without really asking. He waited, shifting his weight slightly as he met her father's gaze.
Finally Hershel nodded once, eyeing Beth again as he replied, "Be careful."
Daryl nodded once, turning to Beth and once again redirecting her with a hand placed on her upper arm, "Let's go."
Beth resisted the urge to skip as she followed him over to the line of vehicles, realizing it was his bike they were headed for. She'd never ridden on a motorcycle and the thought of escaping this place with Daryl on the back of the bike made her almost giddy with excitement. Daryl deftly threw a leg over the seat, standing up and again jerking his head for her to climb on behind him. Beth quickly complied, lightly placing her hands on his shoulders once he started the bike and sat down.
"Gonna fall off it ya don't hold on," He yelled over his shoulder, raising his voice over the roar of the bike. When she didn't adjust her hold anymore than to tighten her grip, he reached back and grabbed one of her arms by the wrist, pulling it forward to rest against his chest. Beth felt her face flush as she duplicated the motion with the other arm, effectively pulling herself forward to where she was right up against his back.
Daryl put the bike in gear and took off down the long drive, waving to Carl to open the gates. Beth couldn't help the huge smile on her face as she watched Carl and Rick's stunned expression as Daryl rolled by with her behind him and refocused her attention forwards as they passed through the outer gate. She stiffened a little as walkers stumbled towards them but Daryl smoothly accelerated the bike and sailed past them easily.
Soon Beth was lifting her face to the sky, enjoying the rush of air that cooled her cheeks and blew her sweaty hair away from her face. Riding on the bike was a terrifying and exhilarating all at once as she beamed at the world around her as it passed in a rush of green. After a while she leaned forward slightly to rest her cheek against Daryl's shoulder, feeling the shift of muscles beneath her as he directed the bike down the road.
They rode for a long while before Daryl slowed their pace, turning onto a smaller road and angling the bike deftly past downed trees and debris. He'd obviously been this way before and he knew the route well enough to anticipate the obstructions without having to brake very often. Finally the road came to a dead end in front of a house that looked like it had been well taken care of before the world had changed. The grass was long but the house was in good shape, the fence surrounding the property in good condition.
Daryl parked the bike outside the gate and motioned for Beth to climb off while instructing, "Get the gate."
She complied, marveling at how the hinges didn't squeal in protest and the gate moved with ease. Daryl pulled the bike inside and turned it off, dismounting while Beth closed the gate again, turning to beam at him excitedly, "What is this place?"
He jerked his head towards the house and replied, "Come on."
She followed him up the front steps to the porch, watching as he banged on the door loudly and scanning the area around them as he waited for sounds of movement inside. Finally, he pushed the door open, crossbow raised. Beth followed, pulling her knife from her side and holding it up as she followed him closely. They cleared the house quickly and he closed the door behind them, securing it easily with a heavy cabinet.
Beth watched his practiced movements and finally observed, "You've been here before."
Daryl glanced over at her once he finished moving the cabinet and shrugged, "Few times. Told your dad it was safe and it is."
"How do you know it still is?" Beth asked, glancing around at the simple furnishings.
Daryl moved past her, heading for the rear of the house and replied simply, "Left traps, signs. If someone'd been here I'd know."
Beth followed him as he headed for a back door, reassured that they were safe if Daryl kept an eye on this place like he'd said. She wondered why this place as she followed him past a kitchen, heading for a back door. Surely he'd found plenty of abandoned houses like this one on runs outside the prison. This place was in good shape but nothing stuck out at her as being special. He pushed open the back door, briefly searching the outside before turning to glance back at her to make sure she was still behind him. Beth gave him a puzzled look but he ignored her, jerking his head again for her to follow him as he stepped back outside. She sighed in surrender, knowing eventually the secret he seemed to be hiding would be revealed sooner or later, and followed.
Once she stepped outside she couldn't help as a little exclamation escaped her in shock. Her eyes widened and a slow smile crept across her face as she took in the scene before her. A huge, deep blue lake extended out before her, a smattering of grass meeting dark sand at the edge of the property. Daryl stood a few feet away, body turned slightly to look back at her, that smile she loved on his face. She met his gaze and hurried down the steps of the house, beaming the whole way.
"It's beautiful," She exclaimed to him, moving to stand next to him as they faced the water. After a moment she glanced up at him, "Thank you, Daryl. This is perfect."
He nodded once, meeting her eyes for a moment before looking out over the water. He cleared his throat, stepping away a little as he flicked a wrist back towards the house, "There's a stash of food in there. Not much but if you're hungry… it's there." He looked around then gestured to fence that ran along the edge of the property, jutting down almost to the water, "We're fenced in so it's safe. Keep your knife, though." Beth turned to listen to him give her the run down, wondering if he'd ever brought anyone else here. He looked back at her before adding, "There's, uh, clothes and shit in the house, in pretty good shape. Figured ya might wanna swim or somethin'."
The idea of being beneath the cool water made Beth almost weak with excitement, "Really?"
He shrugged, eyeing her, "Yeah, found swimmin' stuff. Think this was someone's vacation home or somethin'." He turned to go back inside and Beth followed him eagerly as he went into one of the bedrooms and gestured towards a chest of drawers, "In there." He went to leave as Beth pulled open the top drawer and retrieved a bikini top that looked small enough for her.
Beth turned as he was stepping out of the room and called, "Wait, what're you going to do?" Daryl looked back at her, face a little nervous as he shrugged. "Want to swim with me?" She asked, holding up the swimsuit she'd found hopefully.
"Ain't wearin' that," He murmured, flicking a wrist at the bikini top.
Beth rolled her eyes and retrieved a pair of men's swim trunks, waving them at him, "You can wear these."
Daryl eyed the loud Hawaiian print and snorted in response. Beth smirked, turning back to the chest and rifling through other drawers before finding a pair of men's shorts that looked like cut off's and a wife beater. She held it up suggestively and asked, "Please? It's more fun if someone swims with you, I promise."
Daryl stared at her for a long moment before raising a shoulder in surrender. Beaming, Beth tossed him the items and instructed, "Go change, Mr. Dixon and I'll meet you by the lake!" She took her own swimming gear into a small bathroom and changed quickly, wincing at her unshaved legs and pale skin but too excited to care enough to let all that stop her now. She missed those summers she'd spent with her friends going to the lake near the farm and having barbecues. Getting a taste of that again left her feeling lighter than she'd felt since leaving the farm.
She was testing the lake water with an extended foot, sighing slightly at the slightly chilly water against her bare skin, when Daryl met up with her looking decidedly uncomfortable in shorts. Beth glanced at his feet and noticed he'd kept his boots on and she rolled her eyes, "Daryl, you can't swim in your shoes."
He glanced down at her own bare feet, eyes shifting slowly up her bare legs before meeting her stubborn expression and he swallowed the protest she could see forming on his face, sitting down in the grass to pull of his shoes. Beth turned away, feeling victorious as she stepped slowly into the water, squealing a little as the cool waves lapped against her skin.
Once she was in the water up to her waist, she turned to check Daryl's progress and blushed when she saw him watching her, eyes fixed on her body. She raised an arm and called gleefully, "It's freezing! Get in here!"
"Why would I wanna get in some freezin' water when I don't gotta?" He replied stubbornly, shifting a little uncomfortably at the edge of the water.
"I'm going to keep staring at your bare legs until you get in here with me," Beth warned, grinning evilly. She pointedly redirected her eyes to focus on his shins, noting a few pale scars and the lighter skin so obviously hidden from the sun most of the time.
Daryl splashed hastily into the water, his eyes fixed on her as he peevishly splashed her as much as he could on his way in.
Beth let out a laugh, pushing herself deeper into the water until she could float, watching him approach and wondering if Daryl Dixon had ever gone swimming before. Not swimming during a hunting trip to get across a river or hiding from walkers but swimming for fun, swimming because it was a hot day and the water was cool. He stood waist deep in the water, his white shirt slowly turning transparent as it soaked up the water, and Beth bit her lip playfully as she eyed him from out in the lake. He watched her, looking on as she undid her ponytail from it's tie and dipped beneath the water, resurfacing to sputter and smiling as she wiped water from her eyes.
"This feels amazing, Daryl," She called, beckoning for him to go out further into the water. He just watched her from his place hip deep in the water and she rolled her eyes to add, "You know if you dunk yourself now I bet Carol will let you get out of bathing for a few days, maybe a week…"
"Don't mind being dirty," He replied finally, sinking slowly into the water. "She ain't the boss of me."
"No," Beth agreed, watching as he clumsily floated towards her, "But I wouldn't want to make her mad. Would you?"
Daryl snorted, looking away as he approached, flipping over to float unsteadily on his back beside her. He dipped his head back into the water, submerging quickly before resurfacing to wipe the water from his face and pushing his hair back from his face. Beth smirked at him but didn't say anything, noticing for once just how blue his eyes were. He kept them hidden so much, his hair often hanging in front of them, that she'd forgotten what color they were. Now, in the sunshine with his hair pushed away, she could see them, steely blue, almost gray. She smiled softly when they came to meet her own eyes and looked away after a moment, focusing on the blue sky. They floated for a while in the water, not speaking or worrying about whether or not they were safe. Daryl had said they were and that was good enough for Beth.
Finally Beth felt her skin starting to prickle with goosebumps in the cold water and she glanced at Daryl to see he was watching her. She felt her face flush a little as she said, "I'm getting cold, think I'm going to get out."
Daryl nodded and they both paddled back to shore, Beth a little more gracefully than Daryl. They were climbing up the banks when Beth felt the bottom give way beneath her causing her to stumble. Suddenly Daryl's arms were beneath her own, keeping her from falling. She looked up into his face, suddenly so clear without all that hair in the way and felt a little stunned as she felt a wave of something unidentifiable wash over her, something new and unfamiliar but something good, something warm. Daryl blinked at her for a moment before releasing her once he was sure she'd gotten her balance again. She smiled to herself, finding a sunny spot on the grass and laying out comfortably to warm up a little, pushing the feeling to the back of her mind to study later. Daryl went past her into the house and came out soon after with a few cans and a water bottle.
"Thanks," She said as she accepted a can, which she discovered held peaches. Daryl nodded once, moving to sit down on the grass next to her and taking a swig of water from the bottle. He pulled a metal fork from his own can and handed it to her and she smiled at him gratefully, spearing one of the peaches.
"Got some of 'em little sausages too," He murmured, holding up another little can. He fished one out with a finger and Beth couldn't help wrinkling her nose. "Ain't gross, I just bathed," He reminded her pointedly and she rolled her eyes at him.
After finishing their little feast, Beth stretched out on the grass again, pulling her hair out to fan out in the grass to dry and looking up at Daryl as he continued to sit beside her, eyes focused on the lake before them and pointedly not looking at her legs stretched out beside him.
She reached up a hand to poke him lightly in the side, drawing his gaze as she asked, "You ever bring anyone else here?"
He chewed his cheek for a second before shaking his head, "Nah, there's always shit to do. Never got a chance."
Beth nodded in understanding and replied gratefully, "Well, thanks for bringing me. I… well, it was really nice to get away from there, to take a break. I love Judith but it's been rough so… thanks for noticing me. I mean… noticing I needed help."
He looked out over the lake again for a long moment before replying, "I always notice ya, Beth."
Beth felt herself flush at the comment and she sat up slowly to look at him seriously, "Really?"
He glanced at her and nodded once, "Yeah."
She let her smile grow as she met his eyes, feeling that same warm feeling again spread through her as he watched her steadily. Slowly she edged closer to him and laid her temple against his shoulder, relaxing into him as she replied, "I notice you too."
They sat like that until Daryl glanced up at the sky to note, "Better get goin'. Gonna be dark soon and we need to get back before then."
He helped Beth to her feet and they went inside to change and close up, Beth watching as Daryl laid little clues for himself that would let him know if anyone else had been in the house. They closed up and walked slowly out to the bike, Beth almost wanting to drag her feet as she glanced back at the little house, wishing they could stay there forever. She sighed as she climbed on the bike behind Daryl, although she enjoyed being able to pull him close in her arms, placing her cheek against his shoulder.
"We can come back anytime ya want," He murmured before starting up the bike and Beth nodded against his back, smiling slightly. Maybe this place could just be theirs, just be something they shared between them and no one else. She relished the ride back, letting the rushing wind dry her hair again as she watched trees flash by with golden orange sunlight dancing between them as the sun fell in the sky.
As they pulled up to the gates she realized she'd almost forgotten about the walkers, about the dangers they faced everyday and she tightened her grip around Daryl as they pulled through the gates, listening as they rattled closed behind them. He'd helped her to forget all this, had given her a day free of worry and stress. As they pulled up to the line of cars, she slowly raised her face to lightly press her lips to the side of his neck, loving the goosebumps that rose beneath them and then whispering in his ear, "Thank you for this."
He kept his eyes forward as he pulled into his spot, turning off the bike, then turned slightly to glance back at her and reply in a low voice, "Anytime."
"Bethy? Hey," She heard Maggie call from across the yard and she looked up to see her sister and Glenn coming towards them. Daryl helped her off the bike, keeping his hands gently on her arms until she was steady then releasing her. She smiled up at him and he nodded once before turning away, heading towards Rick and Carol who were sitting at one of the picnic tables. She sighed a little, wondering if maybe she had changed in his eyes, become more than just a little kid. She hoped so, she realized as she watched his retreating back.
She turned to Maggie as she approached and called, "Hey, how was everything while we were gone?"
"Fine," Glenn assured her even as Maggie's eyes were widening.
"Gone? Bethy you were out all day and with Daryl no less. Where'd y'all go?"
"Hershel said he wasn't worried, Maggie," Glenn reminded her, placing a hand on Maggie's shoulder in an attempt to calm her rising panic.
Beth looked her sister in the eye and couldn't help the silly smile that crossed her face as she replied happily, "We just took a trip, a little vacation." Not saying anything else, she turned to head inside to find Judith, ignoring her sister's protest behind her. That was what it had been, she said to herself as she passed the picnic tables and Daryl's eyes rose to meet hers. She smiled a little at him and kept walking as she thought, wonder when our next vacation will be.