Beth had left the groups makeshift camp in the woods in a huff of annoyance after her sister had insisted that Beth should drink than her share of the water for the third time. She was sick of being treated like someone who needed to be protected; surely she had proven by now that she could look after herself. She didn't know where she was heading but she needed to be away from their claustrophobic camp for a little while. With little water and almost no food, tempers were starting to wear thin.
Away from the camp, the forest air was heavy and stifling. The buzzing of insects droned loudly in her ears and the heat pressed down from above. Beth wiped her forehead and pushed forwards. Up ahead, she caught site of an opening in the dense trees and made her way towards it.
She broke out of the trees to find herself standing on the edge of a small green field. It was largely occupied by an oversized double-doored barn. She hesitated at the tree line, watching for any signs of life. The field was quiet and still. Knowing that she should probably go back to get the others but feeling brave and rebellious, she pulled her knife from her belt and crept out of the cover of the undergrowth.
Beth had barely covered ten yards before she was startled by a voice calling to her.
"Don't bother," the rough voice said, "It's empty."
She turned towards the sound, her knife raised slightly higher. It was only then that she spotted Daryl seated underneath a large tree on the edge of the clearing. She hadn't even realized he had left the camp.
Beth let the knife fall to her side and reached up to shade her eyes from the glaring sun with her other hand. She glanced towards the barn again.
"You're sure?" she asked. It looked big and cool. Any chance to get out of this heat would be worth the risk of running into a walker.
"Just a shotgun and a couple of bodies," Daryl said, indicating to the shotgun now resting against the tree next to him, "Don't smell too good," he added.
Beth wrinkled her nose. Unfortunately, she could imagine well what a dead body in this heat might smell like. With that unappetising thought she decided to abandon her search attempt and instead made for the cool of the trees near Daryl instead.
He was sat leaning against a large fir tree, the shotgun and crossbow both resting nearby. Beth moved into the shade and dropped her rucksack to the ground. She sat down, folding her legs under herself and glancing over in Daryl's direction. His careful eyes watched her for a moment and then shifted down to his lap where he rolled an unlit cigarette between two fingers. She was suddenly very aware that this was the first time they had been alone together since the funeral home.
Beth looked up at Daryl's face again, remembering that moment of clarity across the kitchen table that felt like a lifetime ago now. How long had it been? A month? Maybe two? Beth wasn't sure. She had wanted to speak to Daryl since they were reunited but with everything that had gone on, there just hadn't been time. Now she finally had her chance and she found the words sticking in her throat.
"Carol told me what you did for me," she said, hesitantly.
Daryl looked up and met her eyes. His face was as intense as ever and she almost lost her nerve under his gaze. But she swallowed and ploughed onwards determinedly.
"She told me how you looked for me, and how you left the others to follow that car to Atlanta…"
Daryl dropped his gaze, his long dark hair falling into his eyes but not quite hiding his discomfort. Beth reached over and touched his arm lightly. He looked up then to meet her eyes, his own cautious but clear. She gave him a small self-conscious smile.
"Thank you…" She said, "I think you saved me."
"Nah, Beth," he said quietly after a moment, "It's the other way 'round."
A look of confusion flashed across Beth's face.
"After the prison," Daryl said, "If you hadn' been there…" He trailed off.
Beth understood. Daryl had almost given up then, he had almost forgotten what it meant to survive. It wasn't until the moonshine house that he had truly started to live again and that was because of her. Maybe he was right; maybe they had saved each other.
Beth thought about it for a moment and then smiled at him again, her eyes bright, "Call it even?" she asked.
Daryl looked unsure for a moment, but catching her expression, he gave a small half smile and a nod.
"Yeah, we're even Greene."
For reasons she couldn't quite understand, Beth suddenly felt like a great weight had been lifted off her and she couldn't help but smile even wider. She shuffled over on her knees and wrapped her arms around Daryl's shoulders, holding him tightly for a moment. He smelt of cigarettes, sweat and leather.
"I missed you, Daryl Dixon," she whispered softly in his ear.
