Disclaimer: I own nothing. Robert Kirkman, the evil Genius, owns it all.
A/N: Intro back to writing: Drabbles. This stands on its own, but I am thinking of doing a long line of some I get prompts for from people on Tumblr, and some I made up myself, some canon and AU material. There will be a longer AU story coming up. This was posted on my writing Tumblr (writingsavesthesoul). It kind of rambles but... Enjoy!
Why Give A Damn Now?
Maggie is yelling. Her voice is echoing around the dark train car like someone had thrown a rabid wolf at him, and she was acting like it. They had all spoken on how they got trapped in Terminus, and Daryl had gone last. He felt horrible that he had lost Beth, he didn't want to remember losing her, how he ran after that car and screamed for her, ran until his legs gave out. He knew Maggie would be upset but he felt Maggie had no right to be as angry as she was. She had lost it when he spoke of losing Beth, and now it was all escalating before anyone could stop it. No one would be able to.
His lip was bleeding from her punch, and his eyes were narrowed at her as Glenn held her back. Rick was beside him, everyone else was watching in horror. Rick was wise to be by Daryl. He would see the anger fueling in his eyes. The pure rage at the words Maggie was screaming across the cramped train car.
"Ya LOST her?! How do ya LOSE her, Daryl?! How fuckin irresponsible are ya?! Ya probably did it all on purpose to get rid of her! Thought she dragged ya down?! That she was a pain in the ass?! How could you let this happen?! You don't care bout anyone but yourself!" Maggie was too loud; she was sobbing and thrashing in her rage. And it made Daryl's rage only build until her last sentence.
That's when he snapped
"You better shut the fuck up!" His voice boomed, and Rick was holding his arm, keeping him back. Maggie's mouth opened for another yell, but Daryl stepped forward. For a moment, she looked panicked. "Don't you DARE tell me I didn't care about Beth! I should say the same to you!" He pointed at her, angry, accusing, fuming, "I saw yer signs, Mrs. Rhee." His tone was taunting as he shook in his anger. Glenn looked at Maggie, almost knowing what was coming next, "Where were the ones for Beth?! In every fuckin sign, not ONCE did I see one sayin for her ta go ta this fuckin hell hole! You probably thought her dead, and only cared bout yer fuckin husband, ya selfish bitch! Don't you EVER say I didn't care bout her when I was the one who kept her alive!"
Maggie was silent, taken aback, speechless. But Daryl couldn't stop. Tears bit at his eyes, and he shook his head, retching his arm free from Rick to punch the wall of the train car. The sound made everyone but Daryl wince, he was too angry, too far gone. He wheeled on Maggie and got in her face before Rick could stop him. Maggie winced, almost fearing the yelling, but it was far worse. Daryl was calm, eerily calm. His true anger bubbling to the surface where even raising his voice to the Heavens wouldn't be enough.
"I... Saved Beth from the fuckin prison. I was there when she cried over her Daddy and YOU. I was the one who taught her ta track, ta hunt, ta protect herself against the walkers... I carried her when she got her ankle trapped in a damn animal trap, I was the one who took care of her, kept her fed... And when that car took her from me... I ran after it until I couldn't breathe anymore... Until mah legs gave out and I couldn't go on... I joined that fuckin group in hopes of findin some damn sign of her... I gave a fuckin shit about Beth more than ya did... I fuckin loved her... So ya better sit the fuck down and really think who has the right to be angry that Beth is gone... Cuz, guess what, sweetheart? If Beth was here, I bet any damn money left in this fuckin world she would be crushed that her name wasn't on those damn signs... When we get out of this shit, I am findin her... Alone. Ya didn't give a damn bout her before. Why give a damn now?"
No one spoke. Daryl's voice had been passionate, calm and filled with rage. Even when he confessed he loved Beth, he didn't break his eye contact with Maggie. The woman gulped and nearly collapsed into Glenn's arms, the tears in her eyes were visible as they slid down her cheeks, even in the darkness.
Daryl turned from her and went to an empty corner of the train car, and put his head into his knees. And he cried. He cried and he vowed to get out of here, for Beth, for what they had been through. Even if Maggie didn't join him, even if he had to do it alone, he would find her again. He had to.
In the back of his mind, he felt her arms wrap around him, like they did in the woods, and he heard her ghost of a voice in his ear...
It's going to be okay...
A/N: My first The Walking Dead fic. Reviews are welcome. No flames, please.