A/N: I sure that I'm taking several liberties as I'm not entirely sure where they supposedly are in the show, but I'm putting them north of Atlanta in this story. The trivia about the Monkees' song comes from Wikipedia.
Thank you SO MUCH for all of your reviews! I'm walking around with the biggest grin on my face these days. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter as well as the cliffhanger, but we're almost to the end! There should be two more chapters after this one.
"Looks like we're going on a road trip," Daryl says.
"Is that a good idea?" Beth asks.
Rick looks over. "Why do you ask?"
"Just to ask, really," Beth says shrugging. "How clear are the roads these days?"
"If we keep to the county highways and state roads," Abraham says, "it should be smooth-sailing all the way to DC."
Daryl snorts and shakes his head. Abraham gets to his feet and squares his shoulders.
"Problem, man?" he asks Daryl, a challenge in his tone.
"Nah, no problem," Daryl says. "But there's no way you're going to get to DC before winter's on us." He looks at Rick. "I got no problems going northeast, but we gotta hole up somewhere for winter."
"I agree," Tyreese says. "Winter on the road just isn't a good idea." He nods at Judith. "'Specially not with the little one."
Beth nods. "Judith's a tough little thing, but I'm not sure she should be outside when it's freezing."
"We're further north than before," Carol adds. "I don't want to spend another winter like the last one."
There's a general murmur of agreement and Beth shivers. The last winter they spent roaming silently across the state was hard on all of them.
"We go northeast," Daryl says. "We hit the edge of the Chattahoochee or the Nantahala National Forest and set up camp somewhere. Get as many supplies as we can on the way and then we got the forest at our backs. Good hunting."
"Fewer people," Glenn adds. "That'd be nice for a change."
"Look, I hear what you're saying," Abraham says. "But I have got to get this man to DC. It's a matter of national security."
Bob chuckles a bit darkly. "What nation, man? We aren't exactly reciting the Pledge of Allegiance these days."
"We understand your urgency," Rick says quietly. "But I'm not putting any of my family at risk if I don't have to. You're welcome to stick with us, but I'm not attempting to travel halfway up the Eastern seaboard in the winter."
"I hear you," Abraham says. "And I respect that. But don't y'all want to save the world?"
"No," Carol says simply, rubbing her hand on a sleeping Judith's back. "We just want to survive."
Abraham stares at her for a second then looks around at the rest of the group. Eventually, he nods. "All right. If y'all don't mind us tagging along, we'd appreciate the company until we can head out on our own."
"I think we're all okay with that," Rick says looking around. Beth notices he looks at Daryl the longest, who just nods. Rick nods back. "All right then. Looks like we're going to need another set of wheels."
They pick Clarkesville, Georgia as their destination on the map. It's a few miles out from the forest and looks to be a good spot to set up. Carol remembers visiting it once with her parents.
"Of course, that was ages ago," she says, "and it's bound to have grown since then. But it wasn't that populated when I was there."
"No telling how the roads are gonna be up there," Bob says. "Could be road-blocked."
"Looks close to the forest," Daryl says rubbing his chin. "Could be all right."
Rick looks around. "Won't know 'til we get there. Everyone all right with Clarkesville?"
Beth looks around at everyone and feels a stir of excitement inside of her. Funny how it helps to have some kind of purpose, a destination, she thinks. Wonder what we'll find up there?
"All right," Rick says when no one objects. "Clarkesville it is."
"Gonna have that damn Monkees song stuck in my head," Michonne mutters and Beth snickers.
"Actually, that song's about Clarksville, Tennessee," Abraham says. "It's near Fort Campbell where the new recruits were sent before being shipped off to Vietnam." He grins. "My mama used to sing it to me and my brother every night."
Maggie glances at Beth and sings the first line, "Take the last train to Clarksville and I'll meet you at the station…"
"You can be here by four-thirty, 'cause I've made your reservation," Beth adds.
"Oh don't be slow," Tyreese joins in. "Oh, no, no, no."
"Oh, no, no, no," Bob, Sasha, Abraham, and Tara join in.
"Oh, good Lord," Daryl mutters. Beth elbows his side and he huffs out a laugh. "What? Am I going to have to listen to this for the next month?"
"Yep," she says grinning.
"Kill me now," he murmurs shaking his head.
They head out the next day, crammed into the two trucks, most folks sitting in the truck beds. Daryl drives one and Rick drives the other. Beth holds on to Judith in her lap, wedged up against Daryl as he drives, Carol beside her. Rick takes point and they roll out.
It's smoother than Beth expected, only have to stop every now and then to roll a car off the road if it's blocking the lanes. They fly past walkers that stumble after the noise of the trucks.
They don't see another living soul.
"Where is everyone?" Beth asks softly, holding Judith close.
"Dead? Hunkering down?" Daryl suggests. "Don't matter. As long as they stay away from us."
Beth rest her hand on his thigh. He jumps slightly, then eases up, and the muscles under her hand gentle. Carol glances over and winks at Beth.
They stop in every town they can, parking on the outskirts, and sending some of the group in for supplies.
They hotwire an SUV and one day is spent replacing the faulty battery in one of the trucks. Abraham takes the wheel of that one and follows behind Rick and Daryl.
Two weeks is spent in this manner as the going is slow due to all the stopping for supplies.
They find a drugstore in one of the towns that hasn't been looted too much and Beth, Sasha, and Daryl go inside while the others stay inside the trucks just outside.
Daryl scans the aisles of the drugstore, his crossbow aimed and ready, then nods to Beth and Sasha to go ahead. They quickly grab what they need and after a quick look around, Sasha heads behind the counter to get to the prescription drugs.
Beth fills up her bag with various feminine products and when she comes to the birth control she pauses. She glances at Daryl who's just scooping up all the bandages and dumping them into a trash bag. After looking over her shoulder at Sasha who's busy looking for antibiotics, Beth wanders over to Daryl.
"Hey," Beth says to him.
He glances up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she says. "Just, um."
She hands him a box of condoms. He stares at them and then whips his head up to hers so fast she thinks she hears it crack.
"Uh," he says looking poleaxed.
"Just putting it out there," she says shrugging. "And keeping up a Greene girl tradition."
"You saying you want to have a quick one in a drugstore?" he says stepping in close. "'Cause I sure don't."
They haven't really had much time alone together since they started traveling, but Beth doesn't expect him to be quite so dismissive. Her heart and her nerve sinks to the floor.
"Oh," she says frowning and looking down. "I mean, sure. I don't either, really. I didn't mean…"
"See, when this happens," he says looming over her, his voice low and heavy. "And baby," she looks up at him, "it's going to happen. It's going be nice and slow and I'm going to take my time and make it good for you."
"Oh," she says again feeling a little weak in the knees.
"We ain't just gonna do it fast and dirty," he says. "It's going to be done right and I'm going to touch every inch of you three times over."
"Okay," she says weakly, hoping Sasha can't hear this, but too turned on to actually care that much.
"We're going to do this right," he repeats. "And then, after we've done things all proper and slow and steady, then," he catches her eyes and says solemnly, "then we're gonna bang."
Beth freezes and then groans as she smacks his chest. "Oh, God. Who told you I said that? Glenn?"
"Carol, actually," he says grinning and pocketing the box on condoms. "Said it was the funniest thing she'd heard in years. Said Maggie's face was a picture."
"Jerk," Beth says grinning back.
"Hey, lovebirds," Sasha calls from the prescription counter. She's smirking at them but nods towards the window. "Better get a move on."
"Got everything?" Daryl asks them both, a grin still on his face. They nod. "Let's go."
He's still grinning a few miles down the road and only stops when Beth pokes him in his side.
A few days later, they reach the edge of a larger city not too far from Clarkesville, Rick signals for them to pull over. Everyone gets out.
"Bigger place," he says nodding at the city ahead. "Should we risk it?"
"Could keep going," Maggie says.
Abraham shakes his head. "We need better weapons. Pickings have been slim on those."
"My crossbow is about to give up the ghost," Beth says. "And we could always use some more formula for Judith. That last place didn't have much."
"Bound to have a hunting store somewhere in there," Daryl says eyeing the town. He eyes the sky which is darkening as the day goes on. "Don't like the look of those clouds. I say we go in and get out fast."
"Suggest we drive up through, see if they've got what we need, and then double back," Abraham says. "Get the trucks on the other side of the city in case we need to make a quick escape."
"Good idea," Rick says nodding. "Let's go."
They drive around the edge of the city, a few walkers appearing as they go. The roads are mostly clear, but that doesn't help the chills that are traveling up and down Beth's spine.
"Don't think I like this," Beth says quietly as they drive along. Carol's holding Judith and she glances over.
"You pinging?" Daryl asks, his hands light on the steering wheel.
"Something fierce," she says.
"Stay close," is all he says.
Rick turns his truck onto a street with a median running down the middle of it. The grass is overgrown and the wheels of the trucks drive over it as they go.
"Boo yah," Daryl mutters and Beth sees the hunting store, its storefront windows still intact. There's a drugstore a few doors down that looks decent, too.
They drive down the main street seeing only the odd walker here and there. Once they get through and the buildings start to thin out again, they pull over.
Everyone gathers together by the side of the road.
"Should we just go for it?" Rick asks glancing up at the sky. "Most everyone stay here, while the rest of us grab stuff and fill up one of the trucks?"
Everyone agrees and it's decided that Beth will go, as she knows what baby supplies are needed, along with Daryl, Rick, Michonne, and Abraham.
Maggie takes Beth's hand before she gets back into the truck. Beth smiles at her and says, "You're not going to tell me to stay behind? Is this you being supportive?"
"Yes," Maggie says. "It's also me being scared out of my wits, but yes. You know your own mind. But, just be careful, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," Beth says with a smile. They hug and then Beth hops into the bed of the truck and sits next to Michonne. She waves at Maggie as they drive back towards town.
They drive through the quiet streets, Beth holding her crossbow tight in her hands as she keeps her eyes wide open.
"Seems awful quiet," she says in a soft whisper.
Michonne nods, but doesn't say anything.
Rick pulls the truck over just outside the hunting store and a few walkers stumble up to them. Daryl and Michonne take them out quickly and near silently.
There's an odd, arrhythmic banging coming from somewhere, but Beth can't see where it's coming from. Daryl notices it, too and she sees him scanning the storefronts.
They go into the store as quietly as they can. Abraham wincing with the bells rings as he opens the door.
"Christ," he mutters as they all file in.
The store had been looted, but only for the obvious things. There are some crossbows hanging up towards the back and Daryl grabs as many bags of bolts that he can. Shoving one into his pocket, he gives the others to Beth who takes them outside, along with Michonne who carries several boxes of bullets and some MREs.
"In case we get real desperate," she says under her breath. Beth makes a face when Michonne holds one of the bags up. It's labeled Tuna Surprise.
"Gross," Beth mutters. A crack of thunder makes them both jump and look up. The dark clouds from before are right over them. Beth winces and says, "Great."
They head back inside, almost running into Abraham carrying three shotguns.
He glances up. "Looks like a heck of a storm's coming. Better hurry."
After cleaning out the store as best they can, Daryl hands her a smaller crossbow to replace her old one. She beams at him.
"Thank you," she says warmly, testing the weight of the new crossbow in her arms.
He blushes. "Careful with it. It takes more muscle to pull the bow back than the other one did."
"I'll be careful," she says grinning. She loads up an arrow and tests out the sight. "Feels good."
Beth and Daryl then go towards the drugstore while the others cut across to a hardware store.
After taking out a couple of walkers near the entrance, they slip inside the drugstore. Beth quickly fills up a bag with formula and some jars of baby food.
"Hell," she hears Daryl mutter and she looks up. The sky has just opened up and rain is pouring down fast and hard. He looks over at her and asks, "You ready?"
She nods and holds up her bag.
Edging out the door, they walk towards the truck. The banging from before sounds louder and Beth still can't quite make out where it's coming from. The rain is really coming down and it's difficult to see through. Lightning and thunder crash directly overhead and Beth jumps.
Rick, Michonne, and Abraham are crossing the street as Beth throws the bag of baby supplies in the bed. She holds onto her crossbow and notices Daryl standing several feet away on the sidewalk, looking at some cellar doors next to the hunting store. Rain is pouring down his face, but he's just standing there, ignoring it in favor of staring at the doors.
Squinting through the rain spattering on her face, she walks over to him.
"What is it?" she asks over the roar of the rain.
He nods at the doors that are shaking and Beth realizes that's where the banging was coming from. The doors are swelling up and down as something pushes up at them from underneath.
"Walkers?" she asks edging away.
"Probably," he answers. He starts to move her back towards the truck. "Should get out of—"
He doesn't have a chance to finish his sentence as a blinding strike of lightning hits a telephone pole across the street followed by an earth-shaking crack of thunder.
The pole makes a terrible groan and creak, then begins to fall directly towards Beth and Daryl.
His hands are hard on her arms as he pulls her to the side and they crash to the ground a few feet from where the pole is falling. Beth grunts as her knee skids on the concrete.
"Oh, shit," Daryl says as they see the pole fall directly on top of the cellar doors.
The doors fall inwards and there's the slightest second of quiet before the groans start and then walkers stream out onto the street, blocking any chance for Beth and Daryl to get to the truck.
Beth's eyes widen when several walkers start to stumble towards them, arms outstretched, and mouths gaping open.