Night Watch
Chapter 2 - Apologies
Beth Greene

I hadn't meant to annoy Daryl or upset him when I was on watch with him. I just liked getting to know him more. Since I've known Daryl I've noticed that there will be a two minute window every now and again where he will be sort of open and he will volunteer a little information, like last night. It was times like these that I questioned him and tried to get everything out of him that I could. I've known Daryl for over a year now and I still don't feel like I really know him, especially nothing about his past. I know what job he had before this happened didn't really matter now but it's information like that which brings you closer to people. I'm an open person and if he wanted to ask me something I would happily answer it for him, I just wish that he would do the same.

After our little conversation we didn't really speak much for the rest of our watch duty unless we had to or I was asking him something related to the job at hand. Daryl seemed perfectly fine with that but it annoyed me and I wanted to talk to him but I was scared of what he would say. Sasha and someone from Woodbury came to relive us of our duties when the sun was beginning to rise so we walked back to the prison together in silence. When we passed my cell I thanked him but he didn't reply, not even one of his usual grunts, he just carried on walking until he got to his own cell. Well the night had not gone as planned and I would probably never be going out on duty again for a while.

Being on watch was tiring and as soon as I laid my head down on my pillow, I drifted off to sleep. I woke up from hearing a loud crash and a curse word. I went to check then noise out to find Carol picking up some dropped cutlery, I rushed over to her and helped her pick everything up "Thanks Beth. I didn't mean to wake you, I know you were on watch last night" She told me as we stood up, hands full of cutlery.

"Don't worry about it. I should probably be getting up to take care of Judith today anyway" I said.

"Rick said he would look after her today, all day. He's just into D Block with her and Carl. You have the day to yourself for a change" She told me.

"Do you need any help with anything?" I asked.

"No I'm fine. It's not that cold out, you should go and get some fresh air" She said.

I opened the door to outside and let the sun hit me. It wasn't cold and it wasn't warm either. I looked around and saw it was practically deserted out here apart from the two people in the watch tower and the couple of people down at the gate who were taking care of a walker build up. It was quiet and peaceful, I started walking towards the grass and sat down. I looked out in front of me and all I could see were fences and walkers, it wasn't really a nice sight. I still can't believe that this is our world now and this is what life really is. It's a shame for the kids because they won't get a normal life. They're going to be taught how to kill, hunt, track and survive… it's no life.

If I knew then what I know now I definitely would have taken daddy up on his offer to teach me how to shoot. He had taught Maggie and Shawn but I wasn't interested. I wasn't a killer and going hunting to kill an animal was not something I was interested in. Daddy wasn't happy at first but my mom was ecstatic, she didn't want any of us kids around guns but Shawn and Maggie had sided with daddy and she lost the fight. Maggie and Shawn killed animals for dinner a few times but I was more interested in saving them. Even when it came to fishing, they would catch fish to eat and I would catch fish and then release them back into the wild.

I missed them times.

"'Mirin the view?" A voice said behind me. I knew it was Daryl straight away. I turned to face him and looked away again, he sighed and sat down next to me but making sure to put a distance between us "You pissed?" He asked.

"Just didn't wanna annoy you anymore" I answered.

"You don' annoy me" He said.

"Not what it seemed like last night" I pointed out.

"I'm just not into talkin' bout feelin's" He replied.

"I just wanted to know about you. I don't feel like I really know you after all this time. All I know for sure is that you're Daryl and you look after us" I told him.

"Not much to tell" He said. I didn't reply to that statement because it was obvious he wasn't going to answer any questions I had anyway. I turned to face him for a second before looking out at the view again. It was the same view and I hated the view to be honest but I didn't want to look Daryl in the face "I gotta go" He stated and stood from where he sat. I heard his footsteps walk away from me but then stop "Beth" He called out. I turned around and saw him standing there looking at me "Be ready for watch duty tonight" He said before walking away, this time he left.

He wanted to spend another night with me on watch duty. He must be bored if he wanted my company or maybe he wanted to speak to me some more and he liked my company. I didn't think Daryl really like company from anyone apart from Rick and Judith, they seemed to be his favourite people. Rick and Daryl are like brothers and Daryl would do anything for Judith, he's proved that already. He really cared for her. It was nice to watch him with her sometimes. When he holds her she calms down instantly and she relaxes in his arms, she knows she safe with him and nothing will hurt her.

The day passed and not much really happened. I went down to the fence at one point and helped with the walkers that were beginning to cluster in one spot but we soon got rid of that problem. I tried helping Carol with things but she just kept telling me to relax and enjoy my day off. I didn't like having days off around here because there wasn't much to do, I watched Judith for an hour but that was because Rick was debating with my daddy again about him being on the council. Maggie and Glenn were on a supply run with Michonne so I couldn't even speak to Maggie to cheer myself up.

Night came over us and I was ready and waiting for Daryl with knife, book and blanket once again. The two of us relieved the people on duty and we took up our positions. I told Daryl about the cluster earlier on and he said he would keep an eye on it, apart from that we didn't really speak. Why did he want me to come on watch with him if he didn't want to talk to me?

"Daryl?" I questioned.

"What?" He replied.

"Why did you ask me to come here?" I questioned "If you don't wanna talk to me or anything, why ask me to come spend the night with you?" I asked but realised how that sounded "That came out a little wrong. What I meant was, why did you ask me to come on watch tonight if you don't wanna talk to me?" I rephrased.

"Needs two people" He answered.

"So I'm just convenient?" I questioned.

"What d'ya want me to say?" He asked sounding a little angry "I don' need a therapist" He stated.

"Never said you did. Just wondered why you chose me over Rick or my daddy or someone from Woodbury" I told him.

He seemed to think it over for a few moments "I dunno" He replied eventually.

I didn't say another word. I turned my back to him and carried on my watch, I wrapped my blanket around me as it was getting colder up here but I made sure I had quick and easy access to my knife in case I needed it.

"Sorry" Daryl said quietly.

"For what?" I asked as I turned to face him.

"For bein' a jackass" He answered.

"You're not a jackass. A little difficult sometimes but you're not a jackass" I told him.

Daryl was hard on himself sometimes and he always punished himself if something went wrong. He was just a shut down person and I think he was probably like this before the world went to shit. I also know that his brother dying hit him hard. From what I heard from Carol, Merle helped raise Daryl because their daddy was useless and his mom died when he was real young. Daryl and Merle were really close and Daryl looked up to Merle and saw past all his faults. It was never easy losing someone that close, I know that from experience. I watched my mom and Shawn die and then come back as walkers.

"If you're cold, go in the cabin. I'll call if I need you" He said.

"I'm fine" I replied.

"Yeah course you are" He said sarcastically "You're chatterin' teeth and blue lips agree" He said.

"I'm fine" I repeated.

"Freeze then" He said and walked a little way away from me.

That's another thing I've noticed about Daryl. He likes to be in charge, he likes to tell people what to do but he doesn't like having the official title as leader of the group. He was a little bit strange. A loud clang against the gates brought me away from my thoughts. I walked towards the end of the tower nearest the noise and saw that the fence was about to collapse from the amount of walkers pressing up against it "I can go down and kill a few or draw them away" I said to Daryl.

"No. Go wake the others. If that fence falls we're gonna need everyone down here" He told me but I didn't want to leave him up here on his own "Go" He ordered more strongly.

I threw my blanket off and ran into C Block and straight to my daddy who was fast asleep "Daddy" I said urgently and shook him a little to wake him up.

He stirred and looked at me with confusion "Beth? What's the matter?" He asked.

"The walkers are crowding up. The fence is about to fall" I told him "Daryl said to wake everyone" I added.

"Ok, you go back to Daryl and I'll get everyone up" He said and I did as I was told.

I opened the door and saw that Daryl was no longer in the watch tower but was going down towards the walkers to try and thin the numbers. I instantly grabbed my knife and went after him to help. When I reached him he was killing off walkers so I joined in "I woke my daddy up" I told him as I yanked my knife out of a walkers head "He's getting everyone up now" I told him as I aimed my knife at another.

"Good" He replied "Go that way, draw 'em away from here so I can try and fix the fence" He told me.

I started banging on the fence and whistling for the walkers to follow me which they did. They started moving along the fence just as everybody came out of the prison. I turned around and everyone was armed and ready to take on a walker army. I moved closer to stab one in the head when another one I hadn't seen grabbed my hair and started pulling me closer to the fence and closer to it's teeth. I dropped my knife out of surprise when I was grabbed "Daryl" I called out as he was the closest one to me.

I heard a lot of commotion and running then I was free, I fell to the ground and then a hand was in front of me. I took the hand and stood up to see Daryl standing there and the hand of a walker laying on the floor. The rest of the group arrived and started taking out walkers that got too close to the fence. I back away and took a few deep breaths.

"You good?" Daryl asked.

"Just need a minute" I replied.

"Here" He said and held out my knife which he obviously found on the floor.

"Thanks… for everything" I said as I took the knife.