(AN/ I do not own The Walking Dead nor any of the characters. I do own my OC. All Ideas and opinions are my own! Read and Review!x)

Chapter One
Needlework

Day three of running from flames. Day three of hiking and walking and jogging and sprinting. Day three of having nothing. Having no-one. Beth was hungry and Daryl was tired. There was nothing they hadn't tried; snares, cages, arrows. Everything. And they still went hungry. What they did have was normally halved but when Daryl heard Beth's stomach rumble after she had eaten and went to settle for sleep, Daryl would hand his half over and take watch. They needed one person with a full stomach for a clear way of thinking. That was Daryl's theory any way.
Along the winding road they had found themselves on on the fourth day. The sun was cold but around them was bright. Daryl led in front with his bow gaining more weight with each step he took. Beth dragged her feet behind with what little equipment they had. Her mind normally wandered on these long hauls but today in particular, Beth was on a mission. A mission for food and for shelter. They walked right over the horizon and then some; both of them looking for a sanctuary for the night. They passed barely any walkers on their travels and Daryl was thankful. He didn't think he had the energy for any violence. When Beth stopped walking behind him, Daryl turned,
"'t you doin'?"
She was silent and was looking into the trees, picking out something.
"I- I think that's a vegetable patch..." Her voice trailed and her legs carried her off towards the opening in the trees. Daryl rolled his eyes and followed behind, readying his bow just in case. Beth fought against branches and leaves before collapsing to her knees at the tiny wooden fence which was in a square shape. Another patch neighboured it but it was rotten and practically fertilizer. They had been left too long.
There were trodden leafy tops in the healthy patch but they just didn't care. A smile crept across Daryl's lips and excitedly, he moved past her,
"Go'n see if there's a house!"
She swallowed hard and dropped the small sack of equipment. The top was unclipped and things were moved around for the vegetables. She pulled up carrots and potatoes from one strip and then celery and two grown turnips from another. When the sack was filled, Beth fought to hack at the stem of a small but luminesent pumpkin. She took it into her arms, knife still in hand. Of the six strips of vegetables, two were cleared and the others were left to grow. The sack and her arms were now heavy from all of the vegetables harvested in a rush.
"Daryl?!" Beth hissed out when he was nowhere to be seen. She hung like aged meat waiting for him to come back. In due time, he did, his smile brighter than ever.
"A house. Jus' up this hill here. C'mon, girl!" Daryl hadn't been like this until before the turn. Estatic was the word that crept into Beth's mind. Like a kid at Christmas time.

Daryl led the way again, bow over his shoulder and knife now at his side. Beth lugged the vegetables behind him with a small smile on her face. Finally, for the first time in what felt like forever; they would have beds to sleep in. Duvets to cover them.
Everything was short lived when groaning came out from around them. Like moths to a flame; they were surrounded. This time, they had that energy. To stab and to tear and to pummel to the ground. By God, the energy was there. Leaping out of them like tigers onto prey. This was their territory now and nothing, not even walkers were taking it away.

They were dragged into a pile not far from the small house and left to rot and burn by a fire that Beth excitedly made from dry leaves and her reading glasses. Afterward, she made her way up the small steps to the front porch where Daryl had already opened the door. There were no noises from inside despite his banging and stomping. Beth grinned at him with her arm cradling the pumpkin and the sack of vegetables straining on her shoulders. He gestured for her to go first with a shaky hand and warm smile.
Inside was warm and loving. Cosy and quiet. It was aged but very well kept. Tidy and collected everything was. Pictures hung above a small fireplace in the front hall and a small set of stairs lead right up to the bedrooms from the second you walked in. Beth turned to her left where a quaint living area rested. Plush fabric armchairs and a grey fabric setee. There was a rug in front of a television between the furniature which had barely been trodden on. Behind the sofa was a dainty step which went to a miniature study with a computer and a desk lamp. She looked back to Daryl who was on the other side of the house where the kitchen and pantry was. He stepped into the hall with his crossbow in front of him,
"Guy 'nd his old lady. Dead." he breathed out and Beth took in the breath. Daryl gestured for the door, "'ll take 'em out, bury 'em in the yard. 'ts only right." Beth nodded and opened up the front door for him. She sat on the bottom step with the sack of vegetables beside her as Daryl carried each body out and placed them by the steps to the house. An elderly couple. The woman with an apron and the man with a moustache and age spots. Beth thought to herself how terrified they must have been, in this house, so isolated and alone and all of a sudden; completely surrounded by volatile groaners. She swallowed harder and harder with every hit to the soil Daryl made with the shovel.

From outside, when Daryl stopped for breath, he glanced to Beth at the bottom of the stairs. Her knees at her chest and her head facing towards the kitchen. He knew how delicate a soul Beth was. How much this must have gotten to her. He called out to her,
"Hey! You 'kay?" thoughts of Hershel filling his mind the more he looked at her.
Beth looked up with her big blue eyes, the biggest blue eyes Daryl had ever seen, and a flat smile. She nodded. Daryl gulped a little before getting back to digging. The next time he looked up to her, she was gone.

The front door slammed shut and locked behind him. Beth, now in the kitchen preparing the vegetables, jumped before turning to the other counter. The pumpkin sat pride of place on the empty dining table. He strutted in like he hadn't just buried an old couple. The dirt on his face glimmered with sweat and the exhaustion showed in his eyes. Beth sympathised with him through their eye contact as he spoke;
"Seen generators out back. New 'uns. Seen uh water tank not far up 'uh road too" He placed down his bandana on the pale blue counter top and readied his cross bow, " 'll check the bedrooms. 'll start 'em generators up then go look f'r some squirr'ls f'r yuh." With that he was gone. She didn't have the time to tell him to rest. To recharge. Like a washing machine, Beth's stomach jolted with realisation.
Despite being surrounded by the perfect home with full reinforcements on windows and doors and a pantry full of kept goods, Beth was hollow and cold.
There was a rumble of a single generator from out back and a quick whistle of a tap. Must be the water She thought and turned to the sink where she was peeling the vegetables. There were tinkles on the other generators from the knife that Daryl was clutching. It echoed around Beth's head. They must be solar Beth hummed, Did they know this was going to happen or were they just eco-friendly? What she did know was that they would have enough power for as long as they chose to stay with the seemingly new power.

x x x

As the sun slowly fell, Beth chopped and rinsed vegetables. A pot with slowly warming water was on the hob full of salt and some pepper she found lying in cupboards. In her own world, humming along to a song from the deep recesses of her mind, Beth doted around as the water came to a boil. Peeking in cupboards and looking through drawers for anything that she and Daryl might find useful. That's when it happened. A shot rang out through the surrounding woods and Beth darted for the back door, vegetable knife quickly taken into hand. "Shit!" She huffed and started to go towards where the noise came from. She left a trail, dragging the toe of her boot behind her as she ran. The closer she came, the more scuffling and shouting was heard. She leaned by a tree and a hand came over her mouth. Sticky and warm. Like blood. But a sudden comfort took over.
"Beth, what yuh doin' out here?" Daryl whispered and held her close. He released his hand and she huffed again,
"I heard a shot! Didn't you?!"
"Yeuh! It was aimed at me. Skimmed ma arm just there," He pointed to his left bicep which dribbled blood and tree bark, "Some frat pricks want mah damn squirr'ls!" Darly was quiet and stealthy, heading out from the tree trunk to pick up the knife he had dropped. Everything was quiet so he went. Bending down to pick up the knife, Beth breathed a small sigh of relief until a gun clicked and everything went still. Her arm was taken harshly in a broad hand whilst Darly had a revolver pressed to his temple.
"Brad, you didn't mention her!" The man who held onto Beth was excited and almost shouted at the man with the gun to Daryl's head, "Hey, lady. Wha'tyou doin' out here all 'lone? Hmm?" His voice was now predatory. The man looked Beth up and down as they walked slowly. The intent oozed from every pore of his body and Beth was grey with fear. Daryl's stomach soared with fire. It burned within him; hot, knowing he couldn't grab her away from the slimy mongrel and protect her.
"Hey, shut up, alright?!" He spat back, "Damn. Just a girl, Todd!"
Daryl started to straighten up and Beth was walked over to him. Darly took Beth's forearm into his hand and the gun remained to point at his head. His belt of squirrels was fumbled with and they dropped to the leafy ground with a shlump. Another man appeared from the dense trees. He seemed calmer and less violent than his minions. Beth stepped slightly behind Daryl and his grip tightened, almost cutting off the circulation to her hand.
"Brad, put the gun down." The guy smiled and stretched his arms behind his back, holding them there, "We don't want any trouble," he said, advancing over towards Daryl slowly, "You know yourself how tough it is trying to catch things out here," Again, he moved closer until he was right under Daryls nose, "would you at least half them with us, please?"
Daryl's eyes turned to slits and he looked at the two guys beside him who were giddy. The squirrels were already over one of their shoulders. Daryl sighed and moved to turn his head back when he felt a sharp sting in his neck. Beth gasped and he felt her muscles contract as she pulled from him and stabbed the man in the head. Coursing through his blood was an icy concotion. He felt like his veins were freezing in place as Beth was staring deeply at the two quivvering men before them. Slowly, with the ice in his veins now melting to a pleasurable heat, Daryl collapsed beside a tree and Beth had scared off the other two men with just a small step towards them. The squirrels had been dropped. Beth threw them over her shoulder and turned to Daryl. He groaned, face down in the leaves.