I own nothing, and if I did all my favorite couples would be together!
Thanks to your reviews I decided to post another chapter. Keep the reviews coming! My work is hard, and I am going in again today. The reviews would be a great pick me up!
"Daryl look!" Beth said excited at what she found. She and Daryl had gone ahead to loot from some houses. They found this old hunting lodge and the owner had a lot of equipment. Daryl was stocking up while Beth looked around.
"Not so loud, girl," Daryl said coming closer, "Do you want to alert every walker within 10 miles that we are here?"
"Sorry," Beth said feeling dumb, "But look at this." Daryl blinked. "What? I can't keep using yours? Besides I'll look like Susan Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia." Daryl blinked, "The Chronicles of Narnia? The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, you never read those?"
"Didn' read much growing up," Daryl said rubbing the back of his neck. Beth stiffened. She knew that.
"Well, she was an archer and had a bow like this," Beth told him trying so sound casual. Beth held out the bow and pulled it back to her cheek, just like Susan had. "It's lighter than the crossbow. I like the grip."
"Take it then." Daryl said, "Bout time you had your own."
He been teaching her to track and how to shoot these past few months. Figured he might as well teach someone something about tracking and hunting. Two trackers were better than one, and as Daryl said she had a knack for it. Maggie teased that Beth was Daryl's apprentice, which Daryl thought was hilarious. One of the few times Beth saw him laugh. He said Beth should started calling him "Master" but that wasn't going to happen. With her new bow in hand Beth followed Daryl out of the hunting cabin enjoying the view on her way out.
…
"Put your foot there," Daryl instructed. Beth did as he asked and put her foot on the pedal. They had been on the run for months going from house to house. During a short rest Daryl was finally teaching her something he had promised to do for a while – teach her how to drive. Being on the farm she had driven the tractor a couple times, but a car? Never. Let alone a motorcycle. "Hand there." Beth again did as he instructed.
Carol had told Beth that Daryl must like her a lot to trust her with his precious motorcycle. It had been his brother's. It made Beth's stomach fill with butterflies knowing that he trusted her with something as precious to him as his brother's bike.
Beth's small crush on Daryl had escalated over the last months. The more she got to know him the harder she fell. He was quite a sweet person. He just hid it behind a rough exterior. Daryl didn't mind when she tagged along on hunts and talked his ear off. Daryl still didn't say much, but Carol said he had opened up to Beth more than anyone else, including her.
Daryl probably knew about her crush. Subtlety had never been her strong suit. It was always painful obvious he didn't feel the same way. Daryl was constantly calling her "kid" and "girl." Carol was closer to his age then Beth was. Beth did feel envious of their relationship sometimes. They had been together since the beginning. Beth was still new. As far as Beth knew their relationship wasn't romantic, but that could change. Still Daryl was a good friend, and it made her a little sad that he will never want to be more than that.
"If y'all get distracted you might crash my bike, and that ain't okay, kid," Daryl said breaking Beth out of her thoughts. She blushed.
"Sorry," Beth said and Daryl started to talk again when Rick came over.
"Gotta keep moving," Rick said.
"Can't we stay a minute?" Daryl asked, "There is nowhere for miles."
"I want you to go ahead, see if there is a secure location," Rick requested or more ordered.
"I'll go too," Beth offered. "If nothing we can at least catch some food."
"Alright," Rick said and Beth got off the bike and Daryl got on. Looks like there wasn't going to be a lesson today. Daryl strapped his crossbow to the front of him while Beth put her own bow around her body too.
"What do you see?" Daryl asked as they searched for something to eat. There had been no houses nearby, so hunting it was.
"The footprints are small," Beth said leaning down, "A rabbit maybe?"
"How fresh are the prints?" He went on.
"Pretty fresh I think," Beth said, "The mud is still wet. It would have dried up by now if it wasn't close."
"Good, very good," Daryl said and Beth grinned. "What do you hear?"
"Nothing," Beth said.
"Yeah, which means that whatever was here got scared and ran off," Daryl said and pointed to her left. "Tracks over there too. They were all over the place too which means it was a walker. A couple I think. Whatever game there was is gone or eaten by those sons of bitches."
"So no food," Beth said and Daryl nodded.
"Let's try a little further," Daryl said.
"It'll be dark soon," Beth argued, "We should head back."
"Not till we have something," Daryl said and kept walking knowing Beth would follow. And she would. She would follow him to the ends of the earth. When he let her that is. As much as she liked to hunt, they still never let her go on runs. Beth could hunt with Daryl in the woods nearby, but when it came to going to find supplies Beth was never allowed to go. Her father would have probably let her, but Daryl said no every time.
"Oh, but Carol is okay?" Beth questioned after she was shot down again for a run. She didn't even care that she sounded like a jealous girlfriend. Beth was too mad for that. She was 17 for god's sake! Nearly 18! She was not a child!
"Yes, she is," Daryl said matching her hard tone, "Now go on. Watch over everyone." Beth glared at him, but ultimately gave in.
"Fine," Beth said and stomped away.
"Great," Daryl said to himself as he watched her leave. She was going to be pissed at him for a while for not letting her go…again. Daryl could feel everyone's eyes on him. He turned around and barked, "What?"
"Damn, that girl has got it bad for you," T-Dog said.
"That's bullshit," Daryl said holding in his embarrassment, "Just teaching her some stuff, nothing big."
"I've lost count of how many times I've caught her staring at your arms, ever notice she is always walking behind you? That ain't because she needs you to protect her." T-Dog said.
"She's a kid," Daryl said and could feel his neck heatin up.
"There are no kids anymore," Carol spoke up.
"So do you all want to stand here and gossip like fucking housewives or are we going to do this?" Daryl stomped away just like Beth had.
Back in the present Beth and Daryl caught a couple squirrels for some stew, but that was it. There was nothing much left in the forest, so this was not a good place to stop. But when they got back, Rick was real excited about something. Apparently when he and Carl were on patrol they came across a prison. It had strong walls and a fence. It could be home. A safe place for them to stay and for Lori to have a baby. They could all have a life again! Beth smiled at Daryl who gave her a half smile in return. He was still hesitant. Daryl didn't believe in safe. To him there was no safe anymore. Beth didn't believe that. They could find happiness again. They had too. It was what kept her going.
…
Beth shot at the walkers from her place behind the fence. She wished she could be up there with Daryl and Carol, but was told no and to stay safely behind the fence. No matter how good she got at shooting, arrows or bullets, some of them still thought of her as that naïve girl that tried to kill herself. The bracelets might cover the scar, but not the memories.
"We haven't had this much space since we left the farm!" Carol said gleefully as they walked onto the grounds after clearing the yard. T-Dog was cheering behind them.
"You ever been in a place like this before?" Beth asked after catching up with Daryl.
"You askin' if I ever been in jail?" Daryl said his voice hard. Beth looked away from him. "No, never been." Beth wanted to say more, but held back. By his tone she could tell Daryl wasn't in the mood to share. It was best not to push him. The last time Beth did that he didn't speak to her for two days.
They set up a fire and cooked the game she and Daryl had caught earlier. It wasn't much, and everyone made sure Lori had a bigger serving. Now that they settled here going for supply runs would be easier because they had a steady place to go back to. Beth looked back at Daryl who was keeping watch. Carol had joined him. Beth felt the familiar feeling of jealously in her belly and wanted to hit something when she saw Daryl start to rub Carol's shoulder. Beth looked away quickly.
"Bethy, sing Paddy Reilly for me," Hershel requested, "I haven't heard that I think, since your mother was alive."
"Daddy, not that one please," Maggie said which Beth was thankful for. She wasn't up for singing her mother's favorite song right now.
"How about "The Parting Glass"? Hershel said.
"No one wants to hear," Beth told her father.
"Why not?" Glenn spoke up. So Beth started to sing. It had been awhile. She hadn't had much to sing about as of late. Her voice felt rusty, but she kept singing. After a while Rick, Carol, and Daryl walked back to the fire. Beth made a point not to look at Daryl and looked at Maggie who joined in with her.
"Beautiful," Hershel said when the song was over. Rick didn't even wait a second before telling them they had a big day tomorrow.
"What do you mean?" Carl asked.
"Look, I know we're all exhausted," Rick began, "This was a great win. But we've got to push just a little bit more. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early." Everyone listened how Rick went on to say what a gold mine this place was.
"We're dangerously low on ammo," Hershel pointed out, "We'd run out before we make a dent."
"That's why we have to go in there…hand to hand," Rick said, "After all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it. These assholes don't stand a chance." Rick got up and walked away with Lori following him. Their relationship had been rocky ever since Rick told them that he'd killed Shane. He blamed Lori. If Lori hadn't had the affair she wouldn't have given Shane hope, and he wouldn't have gone nuts. Daryl wasn't like that. He would be loyal until the end. Loyalty was something Shane didn't know much about. Not like Daryl. Beth was glad Daryl was second in command now. For the first time that night she looked at him, but he was sitting next to Carol so she focused on her father instead. She didn't want Daryl thinking she was jealous or something, even though the green monster was growling pretty badly at the sight of them.
Her cell was gross, but Beth didn't care. It was no worse than some of the others places they had stayed in since they left the farm. Carl had followed her in and made it look like he wanted to share the cell with her until Hershel showed up. Carl left pretty quickly after that. Beth knew he liked her, and he was really sweet, just not for her. Beth didn't think about age because she was closer to Carl's age than Daryl's. Carl was a good friend, but Beth's affections lay elsewhere.
"What do you mean stay here?" Beth said when Rick shot down her attempt to go with them to secure the rest of the prison, Carl she could understand but why her? "Maggie gets to go!"
"She's older," Her father reasoned.
"Age means nothing!" Beth said getting wound up. "I am a good shot, and arrows are quiet. You need me!"
"We do," Daryl said coming forward, "We need you here. If something were to happen to us you and the kid would need to lead on. Okay? " Beth nodded and let them leave. Carol put her hand on her back after Carl closed the gate and the group walked away. Beth sat down on her new bed still upset that she was being left out. Lori walked in and sat next to her.
"They mean well," Lori assured her, "Just trying to protect you, that's all."
"I don't need protecting," Beth said.
"Well, than I need you to protect me, me and the baby," Lori said trying to make her feel better, "I feel a hell of a lot safer knowing I have you here looking out for me. Okay?" Beth nodded.
…
"Open the door!" They heard Rick cry sometime later, "It's Hershel!" Carl went into action and opened the gate. T-Dog, Maggie, and Glenn rolled her father in on a table.
"Daddy!" Beth cried out and moved out of the way so they could bring him in. Beth could feel Lori's arms around her as they watched Carol try and stop the bleeding. Hershel had gotten bit and to stop it from spreading they had chopped his led off. Or part of his leg. Beth looked around and saw that Daryl wasn't with them. Her heart starting racing even more.
"Daryl?" Beth said to her sister.
"He's fine," Maggie said and Beth let out a breath. Beth went back to looking at her father and could only stand and watch as Carol tried to save his life. Beth tried to focus on her father, but her mind kept going back to Daryl. He was with the prisoners. Beth hoped he was okay. With her father lookin' like he did, Beth didn't think she could bare to lose them both.
…
What did you think? A little choppy and fast I know, but do you think I am making Daryl and Beth too OOC?
So when I should have been sleeping, I had another Beth and Daryl story idea. It is a plot I have used before, but I love it! Goes like this: Daryl and Beth were together, everything was happy and cool, until Merle got out of jail and wanted to leave town. Daryl felt like he had to go with him and left. Some years later he came back, but was too scared to come see her. I don't want to give too much away, but it that something anyone would like to read?
Let me know!
