A/N: Thank you you wonderful bunch! Can't believe the amount of support that this story has gotten so far. Hope you all enjoy this chapter :)
Just a wee warning guys, this chapter is a filler. I tried to make it a bit more exciting, but no matter how much I rewrote it, it wasn't right, and something I've learned is never to rush a story lol. But for those who, like myself, are fellow Bethyl shippers, hopefully you'll enjoy this one :)
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You only live once,
But if you do it right,
Once is enough
Chapter Four
He had managed to laugh that night. He'd felt like shit afterwards, but he had. Daryl Dixon had managed to laugh. They had sat around Fred The Leg's memorial for what felt like hours, each sharing their own personal stories of Shawn. No one dared move until Hershel and Annette had rolled up outside the house. The couple were quiet, exhaustion heavy in their eyes as they had slowly trudged into the house, Annette clutching a tissue tightly to her mouth as Hershel gently guided her inside.
"It's gettin' cold out, kids..." He had called over his shoulder, his voice filled with tiredness "Best be movin' it inside..."
And just like that the mood had shifted.
With groans and sighs the four pulled themselves to their feet, each making their way into the silent house. As Hershel and Annette made their way to bed, Beth led them upstairs to her room; a journey which had never been as difficult for Daryl as it was then, Shawn's room begging him to go in and run away from, all at the same time. With his head down he pushed forward.
Beth's room was exactly how he had remembered it. Girly, frilly and pink. Walking in he couldn't help but smirk a little, the young blonde shooting him daggers as she took a seat on her oversized double bed. Looking round he couldn't help but give a small smile at the little things that screamed 'Beth'. The guitar that sat in the corner. The large world map that hung on the wall; pins sticking into the many cities that she wanted to see, and the heart shaped fairy lights that wrapped round her bed frame...But as girly as the place was it was a breath of fresh air. Much like Shawn's room it screamed happiness...Freedom.
"So guys..." Glenn began, breaking into his thoughts as he ungracefully flopped down into the large white bean bag chair that sat off to the side "How're we actually going to go about doing this? I mean, I highly doubt that we're going to be able to fly to LA with a stolen coffin as carry on."
"We'll drive..." Daryl mumbled, leaning up against the wall as he began to feel the effects of the alcohol "We'll use my truck. Day of the funeral, we'll get there early, load Shawn into the back and be off before anyone's even noticed."
"Ok...And how long do you think it will take to drive to LA?" Maggie sighed, taking a seat next to Beth on the oversized bed "Bodies begin to smell after a while, remember?"
Clearing his throat a little, Daryl shifted from foot to foot, his mind wandering back to all those years ago.
"If he's been prepared for burial..." He began, struggling to force the words out "Then he'll...He'll be embalmed...Embalmed bodies don't smell."
"How d'you know that?" Beth asked, a little taken aback.
"Don't matter." Was his mumbled reply "They just don't..."
Knowing not to push it, Beth turned to look at the map that graced her wall, the distance from Georgia to LA looking to be only finger lengths. How deceiving it was.
"It's goin' to be far..." She began, never looking away from the map as she sleepily ran a hand through her long tresses "What route are we even goin' to take?"
"Well, we'll need to be subtle..." Daryl said, staggering over to the map to look "I mean, we're talkin' a couple of thousand miles here. With a body in the back of the truck, that's goin' to feel even longer. We can't risk gettin' pulled over by the cops..."
"What d'you have in mind?" Maggie asked through a stifled yawn.
"I'm thinkin'..." He said, licking his lips as he continued to stare at the many roads before him "I'm thinkin' we drive up to Missouri. Takes about 12 and half hours. If we take turns drivin', we can make it without stoppin' too much. Once there we cut onto Route 66. Nothin' but open road from there to LA."
"And what about sleeping arrangements?" Glenn asked with a slight nod "It's going to take a good few days to drive The Mother Road."
"We could always camp." Beth chimed in before Daryl could even open his mouth "Save money that way."
He couldn't help but feel a small burst of pride in his chest. Back in the day, Daryl and Shawn had spent many weekends away camping, Beth usually teasing them for being so 'involved in nature' when in reality the money they saved on a motel went on beer and junk food. How times have changed.
"Always knew there was a reason why I liked you Baby Greene." He smirked, Beth returning it with one of her own as she flipped him the bird "But yeah, you're right. Campin's the best option. We're goin' to be on the road for at least four or five days. We'll need to save as much money as we can for gas."
"Well, if we all put our savin's together, I'm sure we'll have enough for the journey there and back." Maggie replied with a stretch, once again trying to force back a yawn as she pulled herself off the bed "Anyway guys, it's gettin' real late. I'm goin' to bed."
"Yeah me too..." Glenn said, hauling himself out of the bean bag, his spine giving off a sickly popping noise as he stretched "Got a big couple of days coming up. Going to need all the energy we can get."
"Agree with you there, man..." Daryl murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took his position against the wall once again "I'm goin' to be so hungover in the mornin'."
"Good night's sleep is what you need." Maggie said, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she pulled Glenn out the room "Night guys."
With a mumbled 'goodnight', the two were left alone; something which Beth was becoming hyper-aware of. With a disgruntled moan, Daryl heaved himself up, the room spinning as he slowly began to trudge towards the bed. With eyes following his every move, Beth could only scoff as he collapsed face first onto the soft mattress, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips as he peeked up at her through one eye.
"Ah..." He sighed, snuggling deeper into the mattress "Much better."
"Ugh, no way! Uh-uh. No! You are not stayin' in here." She said with a smirk, nudging him slightly "Go sleep in Shawn's room if you have to stay!"
"Oh no!" Daryl replied quickly, forcing himself to sit up "No way."
"What about the couch, then?" Beth spoke up, pointing towards the door "Go sleep on it!"
"That thing which Satan himself designed in your livin' room!? " Daryl exclaimed, lying back down with his arms tucked neatly under his head "That is not a couch. A couch does not molest you with it's springs while you sleep."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Beth could only glare at him. His exaggerated wriggling on her bed to get 'comfy', doing nothing but fuel the rage that was slowly building up within her. The last thing that she needed (or wanted for that matter), was Daryl Dixon's ass groove embedded into her mattress. With a groan, Beth got to her feet and marched over to her closet, throwing the doors open before grabbing the spare pillows and blankets that sat up top and launching them at him with as much force as she could muster up.
"Fine! Stay the damn night!" She cried receiving a devilish smirk from Daryl "But you're sleepin' on the floor."
Chuckling slightly, Daryl slowly got up, throwing his 'bed' down in a heap before shrugging off his vest, shirt and t-shirt. With a scoff, Beth quickly averted her gaze as she made her way to her dresser, the sound of Daryl's jeans hitting the floor ringing in her ears.
"You better not look when I'm changin'." She warned, pulling her sleep clothes out "I mean it, Daryl."
"Stop worryin' will you?" He grumbled; glad that she couldn't see his growing smile as he set up a bed for himself "...I've seen you in less than you're underwear."
"Yeah, and you've also seen me in more." She blushed, quickly making work on her clothes while he was distracted "You know, I really wish you'd stop bringin' that up, Daryl..." All humour leaving her voice as she finished pulling her top on "We said we were goin' to forget about it."
"No..." He corrected, climbing under the covers that she had tossed him "You said we were goin' to forget about it. I didn't say a thing."
Feeling her annoyance rise again, Beth hit the lights, darkness engulfing the room as she climbed into her own bed. Staring up at the ceiling she couldn't help but think back to the year before. To the spring that had changed her relationship with Daryl completely.
"I know that you don't like me too much, Beth." Daryl spoke out into the darkness, snapping Beth out of her daze "Sometimes I think I can understand why."
"Daryl, stop..." She cut in, turning away from him in an effort to end the conversation "Let's just go to sleep."
"No, listen for two seconds..." He carried on, shifting slightly from his position on the floor "I may never find out what it was that made you close off on me so suddenly after that night, and I can learn to accept that, but one thing that I struggle with is the fact that...we were kinda like friends before we started datin'."
"Four dates is not classified as 'dating', Daryl..." Beth replied, her nervousness evident in her voice.
It was the same answer she had given Shawn that last night on the porch.
"Beth..." He all but barked "All I'm gettin' at is that we've acted more like friends in the last 24 hours than we have in the last year...and, maybe I'm hopin' for too much here...but after all this is over with Shawn...after he's been put to rest...I'd kinda like that to continue. Takes up too much damn energy fightin' all the time, and I don't know about you but I'm not really keen on the idea of bein' stuck on the longest road trip in history of mankind while arguin' with the person next to me the whole time."
"...Yeah..." She sighed, sitting up to look down at him through the darkness "Me neither. If it's one thing that I've learned recently it's that life is far too cruel and short to waste time on the silly little things."
Sitting up himself, Daryl couldn't help but smile at the memory of his best friend.
"You know..." He began, a hint of a chuckle in his voice as he thought back "When Shawn found out he was dyin', he used to say to me 'You only live once, Daryl. But if you do it right, once is enough'. I swear, every time he said that to me, I wanted to beat his ass so bad..." Beth could only giggle "But now, the more I think about it the more I realise just how right he was...Shawn never held anythin' against anyone. Never argued with people. Never talked shit about no one neither. He chose to actually live life. He did it right. The time most people spend complainin' and bitchin', he spent livin'."
"Makes you sit and think, huh?" She asked, the memories of her brother bringing her a sense of peace "When it's time for us to go...just how much livin' did we actually do?"
"Yeah..." Daryl said with a whisper "I don't want to look back on my life wishin' I could do it over again."
"Is that why you changed your mind?" Beth asked, playing with the ends of her hair.
"Yeah." He replied "When you found me in that bar...what you said...Reminded me of that little sayin' he had."
They went silent. Each sitting in the darkness with thoughts of Shawn.
"Y'know, for what it's worth Daryl..." Beth began, breaking the quietness "I don't hate you...and I really am glad that you're here..."
"Me too..." He smiled, lying back into his pillows "Shawn also told me one other thing before he passed..."
"Really?" Beth asked in wonder "What was it?"
"He told me that he wanted nothin' more than for me to be happy, and for that to happen...you were to show me your boobs one last time."
Rolling her eyes, Beth launched her pillow at him, Daryl laughing as she lay back down to sleep.
"And the moments gone." She mumbled, fighting back her smirk.
"Hey." He chuckled, throwing her pillow back at her "Can't blame a guy for tryin'."
"Goodnight, Daryl." She chuckled lightly.
"G'Night, Baby Greene..." He yawned, turning round and burying his face into his pillow "Sweet dreams..."
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A/N: Ooooh. So a little bit of Daryl and Beth's back story. I know I said that this was a filler chapter, but their interaction here is kinda vital for the rest of this story.
So hopefully you all enjoyed. Please leave a wee review to let me know what you all thought. Thanks :)
