The Farm

Chapter 4

Daryl automatically felt pain in his hip. He looked down to see an arrow had plunged into his waist. He laid in the river, trying to catch his breath. After a few moments, he tried to get to get out of the river. He couldn't stand up straight, so he had to crawl, while holding his waist. He got closer and closer to dry land, so he jumped, which made him feel even more pain in his waist.

Once he stabled his breath, he took out his knife and cut off both his sleeves. He used his sleeves to tie around his waist. He managed to ignore the pain when he got it as tight as he could around his waist. He saw a doll in the river. He picked it up and realized it was Sophia's.

"Sophia!" He shouted. With no response, he was gathered in his thoughts.

He wished Beth was there to help him, but he was glad she wasn't because she was the safest back at the farm. He looked up and saw just how far he fell.

He found a long stick, and used it like a cane to help him walk.

He went back in the river to find his crossbow, and once he did, he started towards where the cliff didn't look the steepest and started to climb up, feeling pain even more and more. He had to stop to take breaths. The only thing that made him want to go up more was seeing Beth's face again.

Beth made her way back to the farm. She didn't want to leave Daryl, but she had to. She was slowing him down. Once she made it back to the house, Hershel asked her,

"How was it out there Bethy, any luck on the little girl?"

"It's wonderful out there daddy. However, Daryl and I couldn't pick up her trail. I told Daryl to go along without me. I was slowing him down." Beth responded to her father.

Hershel gave Beth a wary look on his face. Beth was confused on why he did that.

"So you went back alone? He told me that you'll be by him at all times." Hershel angrily said.

"Daddy, he wanted to come back with me, but I told him to go on. He regularly stays out there all day. I was slowing him down. He made me promise him that I would be here for supper." Beth told her dad.

Beth tarted to walk away but Hershel said,

"Bethy,"

Beth turned around and looked at her father.

"Don't get to attached to that redneck, he and his group won't stay here forever."

Beth turned back around and went to her room. She and Daryl were getting closer everyday. She didn't like the idea of him leaving her.

...

Daryl continued to climb up the hill. He started to push himself even more. He grabbed a branch, but it broke, sending him tumbling back down to the bottom of the cliff.

He laid at the bottom out of consciousness. When he started to open his eyes, he saw his older brother.

"Merle," he muttered out.

"Hey little bro, you know if you pulled that arrow out, you can bind your wound better. That farmer's daughter got you all screwed up." Merle said taunting Daryl.

"Have you been in the bed with her yet?" He asked Daryl.

"Screw you." Daryl whispered in pain.

"You're the one screwed little brother. You're gonna die out here, and for what?"

"A little girl, she's out here."

"Yeah, I don't remember you lookin for me like that." Merle said.

"I went back for ya. All you had to do was wait. I went with Rick." Daryl muttered.

"Oh, so are you his bitch now?" Merle asked teasing.

"I ain't nobody's bitch."

"What about the farmer's daughter?"

Daryl just glared at Merle.

"Oh, little brother, she has got you wrapped around her tiny little fingers. But you see, she'll never accept a piece of redneck trash like you. She'll never care for you or even love you. You see, little brother, only I can do that for you."

Daryl tried to protest against Merle, but before he could, Merle grabbed his face and said,

"Come on, up on your feet," Merle said tapping his face and then his chest.

Daryl just groaned. He only wanted to prove Merle wrong by just getting back and holding Beth and never let her go. Merle started to kick his legs. Daryl slowly started to come back into the real world when he realized it was a walker, instead of Merle at his legs. He immediately pushed himself up and kicked the walker in the face. Once it was distracted, he reached for his crossbow, but the walker managed his way on top of Daryl. But he punched it in it's face. He grabbed his walking stick and started to beat it with that. He noticed another Walker was coming. He stabbed the first walker in it's face over and over, making sure it was dead. Daryl saw that the second Walker was getting closer and closer. Daryl started to pull the arrow out of his side. He managed to get it out and he tried to load it in his crossbow. He couldn't pull he string back. He had to take a deep breath and put the arrow in his mouth and pull. Once he finally got it back, he loaded the arrow in. The Walker was getting closer and closer. Once it was five steps away from Daryl, he laid back with the crossbow and fired it. The arrow plunged right through it's head, killing it. Daryl laid back his head, trying to catch his breath. All he could think about was Beth. He just wanted to see her one more time if he died today.

After what seemed like hours, Daryl took off his shirt and made it into a pad. He put it where the wound was and tied that around his waist. He started to gut a fish, and he ate that to build his strength. He cut off the ears of the walkers he killed, and made them into a necklace. He strapped Sophia's doll around his waist, securing it.

He started to climb back up the cliff, feeling pain again. He was almost to the top. That's when he heard Merle's voice.

"Come on Darylina, you got a girl to screw around with back at the farm."

"You best shut up Merle!" Daryl shouted.

"Or what? You gonna come up here and shut my mouth for me." Merle taunted.

Daryl grunted even more trying to get up top. Merle kept on teasing him and laughing at him.

"You know what little brother, maybe I'll go to that farm right now and see how good your girl is in bed." Merle said.

Daryl felt anger inside him. He would die before he let anyone touch Beth. Merle kept on and on. Daryl finally got his hand and pulled himself to the top. When he looked around for Merle, he was gone. Realizing that he wasn't there. Daryl said,

"Yeah, you better run!"

Beth made her way into the kitchen. She saw Lori and Carol making dinner. She automatically got nervous about Daryl. She knew he could take care of himself, but she had a bad feeling about it. She decided that if he wasn't back for supper, she'll take a horse out there and find him.

"Hey," Jimmy said.

Beth looked towards him and smiled but quickly looked away. She hasn't spoken to him ever since Daryl came to the farm. She told Patricia that he was like a brother to her.

"Is everything alright?" He asked her.

Beth realized that she would have to tell him how she really felt about him.

"Um, Jimmy, I need to tell you something." Beth began.

"What is it?"

"Us. You're more like brother to me than a boyfriend." She stated.

Jimmy looked at her with sad eyes, but realized that he treated her like a sister.

"You're right. This apocalypse has gotten our minds confused. I lost my whole entire family. I guess I looked towards you as my little sister, Emily."

Beth looked at him with great satisfaction. He understood how she felt.

"Jimmy, I looked at you like you were Shawn. He and my mom got the virus. They're in the barn, but I wish we put you're family in the barn." Beth said.

"It's okay, there in a better place." Jimmy said with tears coming from his eyes.

Beth rubbed his back. Once she let go of Jimmy, she walked towards her dad and Maggie.

"They thought it would be a nice way to repay us." Maggie said.

"We need to set clear boundaries with these people. They're getting to comfortable." Hershel stated.

"Daddy, it just dinner," Beth said, helping them with the table.

Hershel looked at both Maggie and Beth and said,

"What's going on between you and asian boy? I'm already chasing Bethy around with the redneck."

"His name is Glenn, and he's a friend." Maggie stated.

"I already told Bethy to not get to attached to the redneck. You can get to attached to the Asian boy. They're both not gonna be here forever." Hershel said.

Beth looked towards Maggie and saw the same reaction she had when daddy told her about Daryl. Sadness.

Daryl me his way to the farm. He saw the house. He saw Rick, Shane and Glenn, running towards him. Once they got up to him, they thought he was a walker. They kept on talking about if it was Daryl or not. Rick put his gun up to Daryl's forehead.

Daryl spoke up and said,

"You best get that thing out of my face if you're not gonna fire it!"

Rick, Shane, and Glenn all had relieved looks on they're faces. As Daryl started to catch his breath again, he heard a gunshot and felt pain on the left side of his forehead.

He heard Rick scream No out. Daryl immediately thought of Beth and how he'll never get to hold her.

He thought he was dead, but he realized it was only a graze.

He managed to get out,

"I was just kidding," that's the last thing he said, before he slipped out of consciousness.

Beth heard a gunshot and immediately thought of Daryl. She quickly went out of the house and went to where Rick was. She heard Lori scream Rick's name.

Then she saw him. He was passed out, as Rick and Shane were carrying him. They immediately took him in the house and into Beth's room. They took his shirt off and began to clean all the dirt off of him. Beth took his hand and held it. Hershel began to stitch him up. That's when Daryl started to wake up.

Beth's eyes started to sparkle as Daryl opened his.

"Hey, you shouldn't have listen to me. You should of just came back with me." Beth said with regret in her voice.

"No, you were right. I found her trail right when you left." He muttered quietly, gripping her hand as tight as he could.

"You did, how close you get." She asked.

"I found her doll."

Rick came in and asked where he found the doll. Daryl responded saying it was in the river.

"Well, that makes things easier on us."

"Your welcome," Daryl gruffed out.

"Any idea what happened to my horse? Bethy told me you took it to help look for this little girl."

Beth looked towards Daryl and he looked at her.

"That horse almost killed me. It through me off when it saw a snake."

"That's Nelly for ya. We call her Nervous Nelly." Beth said giggling as Daryl scoffed at her. He was happy that she was with him. Happy that she was holding his hand. With that, Daryl managed to go back to sleep.

Later on at supper, Beth took two plates to her room. She noticed that Daryl was fast asleep in her room. She set down his plate by her nightstand and sat down in her chair right by Daryl and began to eat,when she was done, Daryl started to wake up.

"Hey, how you feeling?" She asked him.

"Like I been shot." He responded smiling at her.

Beth smiled at him.

"I made you a plate for dinner. It's on the nightstand." Beth said pointing at the nightstand. Daryl looked at it and looked back at Beth.

"Beth, when I was out there today, I realized that it is you that keeps me going. You're my reason to live in this world. You're my light and I will die before anything happens to you." Daryl said opening up on how he feels about Beth.

Beth looked at him with a big grin on her face. She puts her hands on his face, rubbing his checks. She goes up to his mouth and kisses him. The kiss between them seemed to last forever, but it was when they heard a knock on the door is when they stopped. Carol emerged from the door.

"Hey, Daryl you need to know something. You did more for my little girl today, than her father has ever done." Carol said with gratitude in her voice.

"It ain't nothin," Daryl responded. That's when Carol kissed Daryl's forehead. Carol turned and left the room.

Daryl automatically started to blush because Carol kissed him on his head right after Beth kissed him on the mouth.

Beth began to laugh.

"It's okay Daryl, I already claimed you." She said with a giggle. Daryl just chuckled and started to eat. Once he was done he asked Beth,

"Will you lay down with me?"

Bet looked at him and said,

"Daryl, you're in pain. You don't need me in the bed with you."

"Beth, the whole tine I was out there, trying to get back here, I kept on thinking that if I don't make it, I will never have the chance to hold you. Please, I could die tomorrow." He said with his blue eyes staring her down.

"Alright," Beth said agreeing with him.

She slowly got in the bed. Once she was in, she felt Daryl wrap his arms around her. She felt safe and protected in his arms. Disregarding her daddy's wishes, she will never let Daryl go. He was hers and she was his. Nothing could separate them. They were two peas in a pod. Minutes later, they both went right to sleep, with Daryl never letting go of Beth in his arms.

AN: a lot happened in this chapter. I loved writing this because of Merle talking to Daryl about Beth. You also see that Jimmy and Beth are now broken up and Daryl is holding Beth in his arms in her bed. I'm really excited to get Randall in the story in later chapters. In the show, he said that his group rapped young women for fun. That's when Daryl beat the crap out of him. Now that he has Beth in this story, he will take that in a much personal level.

Until next time… W