Disclaimer: Still not my world, but still having fun with it.

Chapter 2

Behind the Garage

Daryl didn't really like it here, this 'Alexandria Safe Zone'. Safe it was – and sterile and structured. And that's what Daryl didn't like about it. It was too clean and straight-laced for someone like him – someone used to living by his own set of rules, living on the outside with no one to tell him what to do. People told him what to do here. He had a job. Not just watching the perimeter and hunting every few days like he had at the prison. Here, he had an actual job, a boss to answer to. He was working in the Zone's one mechanics shop, helping to keep the few vehicles in Alexandria fixed up for runs and emergency escapes. When the group had arrived in Alexandria several weeks ago, the rules were laid out for them in no uncertain terms: They could come and go as they pleased so long as they went during the daylight hours. They would be provided housing, food and clothes and could stay there as long as they wanted as long as they worked to help maintain the safe zone and did their part. There was no monetary system, but everyone earned their keep. It was a good system for most and everyone in Rick's group was happy to finally have a safe place where they could live free from the ever present threat of walkers. And rightfully so. There was no way walkers could get into this place. A twelve foot brick and concrete wall surrounded the perimeter of the zone and wood spikes along the base all but assured any walkers would be impaled before they could even touch the brick. The gates to the city were heavy reinforced wood and anyone coming into the zone had to go through two redundant gates before they could approach them. A breach was all but impossible here, and for that Daryl was grateful. Grateful because he knew the group – his family - was safe… knew she was safe.

Beth had, not surprisingly, adapted to life in Alexandria easily. She was working as a teacher's aide at the small makeshift schoolhouse where about a dozen kids between the ages of five and twelve would go for lessons everyday. Beth taught them reading and music. She loved it. She told Daryl that almost every night when they laid down together in their bed in the little two bedroom apartment they were sharing. She would tell him all about her day, what new discoveries the kids were making, the funny little quirks each of them had. He would smile and chuckle gruffly. Then she'd inevitably ask him about his day and he would grow quiet and distant and respond with "fine".

Fine. That's what it was. He supposed he could live with "fine" if it meant safety and security for them - for Beth. But the fact that he stuck out like a sore thumb in this place grated on him. People were friendly enough to him, but no one seemed to want to get too close in proximity to him or get to know him at all. He wasn't really surprised. He had something of a wild and feral look about him. While the rest of the group had quickly visited the clothing depot to find clean changes of clothes when they arrived, Daryl had opted to remain in his holey jeans and button up flannels, his winged vest ever present. He didn't cut his hair, and on any given day could be seen either covered in grease, or carrying a string of dead animals that he'd hunted up. Since Daryl wasn't exactly the type to pursue a friendship, he stuck to those he knew – Rick, Carol, Michonne, and when they weren't around and Beth was busy, he simply sought solitude.

Daryl had made the back of the Mechanics shop his own little respite. He'd set up a rickety plastic chair and an old cable reel for a table just outside the back door of the shop. At night, after his shift, he'd sit back there with his feet up on the reel, smoking cigarettes (even though he knew Beth didn't like it) and watch the sun set. He liked it back there because no one knew to look for him so no one ever bothered him there.

Except Beth. Beth knew this was Daryl's haven because she was the only person he'd told about it – shared it with. And she never was a bother. She'd often meet him back there after she was done at the school and she'd sit on his lap and they'd watch the sun go down together. It was nice. It was one of the few times Daryl felt normal and didn't mind living in this weird, sanitary little world.

Today was one of those days. Harold, the shop's owner, had closed up early that day. He bid Daryl goodnight and left without any ado. Daryl finished the oil change on the old jeep he was working on before walking out the back door to his little haven. He glanced at the clock on the wall on his way out. It was not even four yet and he knew Beth didn't usually get off until about 4:30. So, Daryl sat down in his chair and pulled out a crumpled pack of Camels. He felt guilty about smoking, knowing Beth would smell it on him, but cigarettes were surprisingly easy to come by in this place and some habits die hard. So he lit up his smoke and sat back in his chair. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back so his face could catch the rays of the falling sun.

"Hey handsome." Beth's voice came out of nowhere. Daryl quickly stood up, threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. Beth chuckled.

"Too late, I caught you." She teased.

Daryl flushed a little, but Beth was smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss. She crinkled her nose a little at the taste of fresh smokes on his lips, but didn't admonish him, didn't punish. She was so damn forgiving, that Beth Greene.

"You're off early." Daryl said happily, his hands resting on Beth's hips. She was wearing a pretty blue knee-length floral dress, her hair tied back in a neat pony tail. She was the picture of an elementary school music teacher – looking so sweet and innocent, smelling like lavender and baby lotion. Times like this, it was easy to forget that just outside these walls the world had gone to shit.

"Yeah, the kids didn't do art today so there wasn't much to clean up." Beth replied. "I saw Harold walking toward the canteen so figured you'd be alone… might not mind if I bugged you for a while." Beth said smiling.

"Ya never bug me." Daryl said and leaned down to place his lips to Beth's again.

"How was your day?" Beth asked, leaning her head on Daryl's chest, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Fine." Daryl replied flatly. Beth raised her head and looked at him. She was frowning a little, her brow furrowed.

"I keep hoping that one day I'll ask you that question and you'll be honest with me." Beth said after a moment of silence, suddenly cold. She dropped her arms from Daryl's waist and took a step back.

Daryl looked at Beth, surprised by her sudden mood.

"What's up?" He asked.

Beth shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "Nothing, I'm just tired of being lied to." Beth said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The hell you talkin' about?" Daryl asked.

Beth sighed. "Why can't you ever tell me how you really feel about this place? I'm not stupid you know, Daryl Dixon. I know you don't like it here! I know you don't feel like you fit in. But you keep pretending with me… pretending that you're "fine". Why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Beth said hotly.

Daryl felt the blood rise to his face. He felt like a cornered animal and, like a cornered animal, his response was to lash out.

"Ya don't know what the fuck you're talking about." Daryl said coldly. Beth's eyes widened. He hadn't talked to her like that since the night at the moonshine shack, but just like then, she wasn't about to back down.

"Oh really? You expect me to believe every single day everything is just fine? That you never get pissed that you're forced to work here, doing what people tell you instead of out there doing what you want?" Beth replied hotly.

"What do ya want me to say, Greene?" Daryl shouted.

"I want you to be honest with me!" Beth cried.

"You want honesty? Fine! Yeah, I don't like this place! I don't like having to work on a schedule and not being able to go out huntin' when I want! I don't like being a fuckin' mechanic, fixin' cars so that other people can go out on runs and gettin' nothin' in return! But, ya know what? It is fine! It is fine because it means you're safe! Because it means that I ain't gonna lose you to the shitty world outside these walls! So I'll work this shitty job for the rest of my goddamned life if it means you're protected!" Daryl shouted.

Beth was looking at him, her wide eyes filling with tears. There was a beat of silence before Beth finally spoke.

"You're doing all this for me?" She asked quietly, her voice choked.

"Hell yeah I'm doin' it for you! Goddamnit Beth, I… I love ya!" Daryl said.

He stumbled a bit when he said these three words. They were foreign to his tongue but tasted so sweet, so genuine.

Beth looked at Daryl wide-eyed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Daryl… I…" Beth stuttered.

"Ah fuck it!" Daryl shouted and swept Beth up in his arms, crushed his lips to hers.

Beth returned Daryl's kiss in kind and wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck and her legs around his waist as he kissed her hard and passionately. His tongue probed her lips and she opened her mouth to let it dance with hers. She tasted so goddamned sweet, was so goddamned desirable. He felt himself grow hard beneath his jeans and knew she felt it too by the way she ground herself against him.

Daryl backed Beth against the brick wall of the garage. Beth's lips dropped from his mouth to his neck which she licked and kissed and sucked. He was sure she was leaving marks but couldn't bring himself to care. Her mouth on his flesh felt too damn good.

Beth unraveled her legs from Daryl's waist, inciting an involuntary groan of protest from him. She smiled, though, and dropped her hands to his belt, which she began to undo with deft haste. Realizing what she was doing, Daryl dropped his hands to Beth's dress and began hiking it up around her hips. Beth had freed him by now, undone the fly of his jeans and pulled them down just enough so that his erection was easily accessible. Her soft hands were stroking him gently, making it difficult for him to concentrate on getting his hands hooked in her underwear. When he finally managed to get his thumbs under the elastic of her undies, he pulled them down gently. He took one hand and cupped Beth's mound so he could feel her heat and wetness. Beth moaned and began stroking him faster, harder, heightening his arousal. Then, to his pleasant surprise, she dropped to her knees, looked up at him slyly, and took him full into her mouth.

Daryl groaned as Beth's mouth slid up and down his length, sucking and licking and teasing him to the brink. Knowing he wouldn't last if Beth kept this up, Daryl placed his hands gently on Beth's shoulders and guided her back to standing. Then he wrapped his arms firmly around her, lifted her off her feet, and pushed her against the wall again. Beth responded by wrapping her legs around Daryl again so that her opening was at the tip of his penis. She stopped kissing him and looked into his eyes, smiling softly. Her pupils were dilated with arousal and Daryl felt like he would come apart if he didn't enter her soon. With a firm thrust, Daryl pushed himself into Beth. She gasped and bit her lip, then moaned as he moved deeper into her. Daryl gripped Beth's thighs with his hands and helped her slide up and down on his shaft while pressing his lips to hers hungrily. Beth moaned into his mouth and Daryl increased his pace. He wanted to feel Beth explode around him, wanted to feel the pleasure he was giving her. Needed to so that he knew she forgave him for being such an asshole sometimes.

Beth's breath was coming in little gasps now as she rode him up and down. Daryl could feel her tightening against him; knew she was close.

"Cum for me baby." Daryl said throatily into Beth's ear. She whimpered softly, panting in time to his movement. Then she grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and tightened all around him while she cried his name over and over. His name on her lips was his own undoing and he came into her hard with a groan of pleasure. He buried his forehead into her neck as his body pulsed into hers.

When they were done, Beth unwrapped her legs from around Daryl's waist and stood on tippy toe in front of him, her back still pressed to the wall. Her lips were swollen and her cheeks were flushed and she looked fucking beautiful to Daryl.

"I love you too." She said quietly, smiling softly. Daryl kissed Beth lightly, then leaned his forehead against hers

"There are worse things then fine, ya know. Like bein' without you." Daryl whispered. Beth looked at Daryl.

"I don't want you to be unhappy." Beth said.

Daryl raised his head and looked at Beth warmly.

"I won't be so long as you're here with me." Daryl said. He knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. He knew this job would always bore him and a part of him would always crave the freedom of the outside. But he was with Beth and as long as he had her, 'fine' was just fine.