A/N: Well, here it is! My newest fic! My thanks to my chat ladies for their help with looking it over (I was sooo nervous about this one!) AND major love and thanks to NormaanReedus on tumblr for the idea and for encouraging me! Ily!
I also want to dedicate this to my bae, flippantninny on tumblr. Idk if she'll read it but Ily her and wanna make sure she knows it. Okay, sappy part is done.
Without further ado, here it is!
Chapter One -
"Go ahead and help yourself to dinner and a beer. Lori nor Carl are feeling too well so they had soup and are asleep already. When you're done, there's something I want to show you." Rick told Daryl as he walked through the sheriff's front door. Daryl gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and nodded his appreciation before going into the kitchen and piling a plate with chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. Daryl would never admit it out loud but he was always grateful for the days that Lori wouldn't be home or want to cook dinner and made her husband do it. Rick was definitely the better cook of the two.
The hunter took a deep breath of the smells of the food on his plate and sighed. A full meal and an ice cold beer after a long, exhausting day was just what he needed. The younger Dixon quickly opened the fridge and took out two beers before trudging to the living room to join Rick in front of the TV.
"Any luck out there today?" the sheriff asked and Daryl shook his head as he dropped down onto the couch beside his best friend. Rick and Daryl had been friends for years, and the sheriff was like a brother to him now. Hell, they called each other "brother" more than they called each other by their names now.
"Nah. I knew staying behind would be a pain in the ass but job hunting makes it even worse. There ain't any jobs here for a dumbass redneck like me." The sheriff frowned.
"I told you that you could work at the station with me. Get you licensed and all to be a bounty hunter."
"And have to catch my own brother? Hell nah," Daryl grumbled out before taking a bite of his dinner. "What'd you wanna show me?"
"I figured you would say no to my offer again but I think I found something better anyways. Just…watch this first and then hear me out before you say anything, alright?" Daryl eyed the man beside him warily before nodding and sitting back in the cushions, his plate nestled on his lap and his beer on the table beside him. Rick hit a button on his TV remote and the screen opened up to a saved recording of some hit television news show that Daryl never watched. He quirked an eyebrow at the man beside him but didn't say anything. Rick ignored the look and hit the play button on his DVR and Daryl focused his attention back on the TV as the intro music for the show played. The camera panned to the hostess with her bleached hair and fake smile and Daryl turned his glare onto his brother who gestured back to the television screen. Daryl rolled his eyes but turned back to the screen as he took a frustrated bite of chicken.
"Good afternoon, everybody! We have a very exciting show today. She's the hottest singer out there and her first album just came out only a few weeks ago. 'Expired Lover' is currently number one on the music charts, please welcome the young and amazingly talented, Beth Greene!" The audience went wild with cheers as the hostess stood up and the camera panned to a door at the back of the room. A tall woman with long, wavy blonde hair that was pulled over one shoulder and had a small braid running through it and bright blue eyes walked through the door, a bright, heart-stopping smile on her face as she walked between two rows of the audience, shaking their hands or giving brief hugs as she went. The hunter was surprised by how she was dressed. For being a big celebrity and on a television show, she was dressed rather casually in a pair of dark blue jeans, boots, and a dressy top. Daryl heard a chuckle from beside him and looked at Rick, confused.
"Interested now?" the sheriff asked, teasingly and Daryl had to force the scowl on his face.
"No," he growled out.
"You sure? You're on the edge of your seat there, Dixon," Rick pointed out with a laugh and Daryl frowned. When had he moved forward? Why had he stared so intently at this Beth Greene on the television?
"Shutup, Grimes." Rick shrugged but kept chuckling to himself as they turned back to the television. Beth had taken her seat next to the hostess and was looking around the room happily, waving and blowing kisses to some of the audience. When the audience finally settled, the hostess let out a loud breath.
"That is just spectacular! I don't think we've ever had our audience get so loud before!" The woman exclaimed, making the petite blonde laugh. "Hello, Beth, it is such a pleasure to meet you! May I just say, I love your music!"
"Oh, thank you, this is just so…surprising. I'm in shock right now!" Beth replied with a nervous laugh that sent a flurry through Daryl's stomach.
"Is this your first television interview?" the hostess asked. Beth shook her head.
"No, well, kind of. I've had some smaller, local news interviews but nothing quite this big."
"I understand, it can be a lot to take in. Why don't you just start by telling us a little bit about yourself?" Daryl groaned at the same time that Beth did in the interview.
"I hate that question," she said with a small laugh. "I never know what to say. What do I tell you? What if it's too much information?" The hostess gave a fake chuckle and Beth's smile dropped slightly.
"What about your family? Any brothers or sisters? How does your family feel about your sudden take off into the music industry?" Daryl could see Beth's smile drop a little more and her hands began plucking at her jeans.
"Damn," Rick muttered beside him. "I forgot about that…Why do they always ask that question?" The sheriff met Daryl's eyes and he paused the recording. "This is my first time to watch it but I know Beth. She's a family friend of mine and she called me about this interview to ask a favor…apparently, they didn't stop filming the show so we'll see here shortly what she needs…But that question, it's unfair of people to ask. Surely the station researched her life a little?" Rick sunk into his seat and hit play, leaving Daryl's questions unanswered. Daryl sighed and turned his attention back to the show.
"My family…yeah, they support my career and sudden rise into fame," the blonde gave a small smile and looked expectantly at the hostess of the show, waiting for the next question.
"That's…good that they support you. How do they feel about the incident at your last show? Do we have footage of that?"
"Oh no," Beth mumbled as a video began to play on the screens on the set. In the video, Beth stood on a stage and she was in the middle of singing a song with fans on the ground at her feet singing along and swaying to the beat. The fans were parted roughly as a man came running up to the front of the mosh pit and reached up, grabbing a hold of Beth's slim ankle and yanking it. The blonde lost her balance and fell, her body being pulled off the stage by the man. Daryl searched the stage and the area around it for someone on a security team but saw no one.
"What the hell?!" he yelled while gesturing angrily at the television. "Why doesn't she have a bodyguard or somethin'? How come the concert hall didn't have security?" He asked angrily. Rick shrugged but Daryl could see the tenseness in the man's body. He was clearly angry about the situation as well.
"I don't know," Rick growled. "Beth didn't tell me about that incident…" The camera panned back to Beth and her face was apologetic.
"Sorry, Rick, I didn't want you to find out about it that way…" she mumbled into the camera. Daryl looked between the television and his brother.
"How close are you two?" he asked the sheriff through narrowed eyes.
"I'm a good friend of her father Hershel and through him, friends with her. I've known her for several years now…" The sheriff picked up his phone and stared at it for a moment before putting his attention back on the show that had been playing through their whole conversation.
"Do you not have a bodyguard to help keep you safe?"
"I don't, actually. I'm looking to get one now though. After…the stage incident and the late-night visitor at my home, I need one now…I asked a family friend to help me with it, he's a sheriff back at home, so we'll see."
"That has to be pretty scary. I would want a live-in body guard after all of that!" the hostess exclaimed and Beth sighed and nodded. "We need to take a commercial break, when we return, we'll have more of Beth Greene. Stay tuned," the hostess smiled and the camera panned back as commercials began. Right as the camera was going to fade out, several people ran from their seats to the stage to speak with or hug Beth.
"What the hell? Does nowhere have decent security?!" Daryl growled out as he stood and stomped to the kitchen.
"I guess not. It's a problem that she's been experiencing a lot of lately. She asked if I knew anyone who might want to help her. I was thinking you might be interested," Rick told him as he followed the hunter into the kitchen to clean up the dishes and leftovers. The hunter spun around to stare at the sheriff incredulously.
"Me?! I don't know anything about being a bodyguard!"
"You know how to defend yourself in a fight. You have a concealed carry license. Your protective of her already and you haven't even met her. How's that for a start? You can meet her, she's here for a short break, if you two hit it off, you can give it a trial run. I think you'd be good at it. She could use the help. It would give you money, a place to live, and you'd get to travel." Daryl frowned.
"I'd have to live with her…." He glanced at his feet for a second before looking back up at his brother. "I ain't ever been outta Georgia before…" he muttered. When his eyes met Rick's again, he saw the wide grin the sheriff had on his face. "What?!"
"I think you made your mind up, huh?" Daryl shrugged.
"She needs the help…I could look into it until two of ya find someone better….Ya really think I'd be good at it?" Rick nodded and clapped his hand on Daryl's shoulder.
"The best. I'll call her and set up a dinner or something."