A/N: You all are awesome! I love my readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter, like I promised, things are going to start moving and I'm so happy you're with me on this journey :) I wanted to take a moment to address something with how I'm taking this fanfic: I'm pulling certain characters, scenes and plot lines from the actual series (obviously). But in order to make it my spin, I do take a little liberty with how things play out. So even though we're in the prison right now, doesn't mean I'm going to follow exactly what happens in the prison on the show (big example, Jason) but during this chapter there are also other instances, too. I just didn't want any confusion on that! Okay! No more chatting, please enjoy :)

Chapter 6:

I was getting closer to figuring out his hiding spot.

Every time he snuck off, I nonchalantly went by his cell and once I knew he wasn't in there and hadn't left the prison, the hunt was on. This may have developed into a fun game more than anything, but I welcomed the distraction. It was something different I got to try and I was loving it.

One day, I decided to check two floors up where there was an old library room. I hadn't tried there before and I was slowly clearing the floors. Second floor had a lot of potential and I was hoping it was my lucky day. As I speed walked across the first floor, aimed at the stairs, I didn't even realize when I almost bumped into someone until they spoke up.

"Hey, whoa, darlin'." It was Jason, he was dressed in his faded light jeans and the grey shirt he had been wearing ever since I met him. I smiled at him without hesitation. "Where ya goin' so fast? Almost ran me over." I put my hands up in innocence.

"So sorry! Was just headed upstairs…to check it out." I decided against revealing my actual truth about Daryl. I feel like no one would understand the reasoning I had for wanting to find him. Jason furrowed his brow for a second but then shrugged his shoulders. I exhaled in relief when I realized he wasn't going to push further into it.

"Well, alright. You ought to come find me later when you're not…explorin'. I've got a good quote for ya, don't think you'll get it." He winked at me and strode off with a salute. I bit my lip and watched him go for a bit until I remembered my mission. I would think about Jason later, right now I was trying to find a stealthy redneck who didn't want to be found.

I came up the stairs and took a look around until I got my bearings and then headed towards the library. I had never actually been to the library but Carol had told me about it and it seemed like the perfect, quiet area that he would want to be.

Unfortunately, when I rounded the corner and went inside the room I didn't see a living soul. I took a moment to take a deep breath in; the smell of the books still there filled the air. I closed my eyes and let the scent relate back to fond memories of my old life, where the biggest concern was if Jimmy would ask me out. It was such a simple scent, but it brought back all the familiar other scents as well.

I shook my head, trying to physically shake the thought out of my head as well.

"Come on, you've got to be around here somewhere." I murmured softly.

The library came up empty and I let out a huff of frustration. I decided to take a stroll down the hallway to see if anything else caught my attention and if not, I would go back downstairs and brainstorm another area.

As I was walking I noticed several doors to open rooms but no Daryl. This was obviously the administration floor due to the carpets, rooms and offices. And a ladder? I paused, not realizing that the ladder I saw was attached to the wall. I went up to it and sure enough, as I looked up and saw a small hatch door I wondered what was on the other side of the door. I blew air through my mouth and decided to find out.

The hatch door opened relatively easy and quietly, to my surprise. I stuck my head up and noticed a small, attic type of room. And there, off to the side, laying on his back with his arm over his eyes was the winning game piece. The elusive redneck. I felt my torso tighten, like it always did when I saw him and I giggled with happiness. And it must have been loud enough because he suddenly started and whipped his body up with amazing reaction speed.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Beth! You tryin' to give me goddamn heart attack?" He kicked some papers that had been near his foot. I climbed the rest of the way up the ladder and sat down on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya." I apologized sincerely. Daryl eyed me for a few seconds more and then lowered his cross bow to the ground.

"Ya didn't scare me. Just surprised is all." He muttered and I smiled at him. Clearly uncomfortable, he fidgeted and shifted his weight to his other foot. "What are ya doin' up here?"

"Lookin' for ya." I decided to come right out and say it. No use making up excuses.

"Well ya found me, ya can go now." He flicked his wrist towards the hatch I just emerged from and I felt my eyes squint.

"But I just got here. Aren't ya goin' to show me 'round or somethin'?" I crossed my arms over my chest in a pout stance.

"No." He stated simply and played with a release on his crossbow, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Come on, Daryl. What the heck is the matter? We got along just fine when you were showin' me how to fight." I stretched my legs out and looked around, appreciating the astonishingly clean and spacious attic. He didn't answer right away and turned back to look at him, he was glaring at me and I started to realize he really wouldn't talk to me. No, he really didn't want to talk to me.

"Pretty sure ya need to go check on yer' boyfriend. Leave me alone." He spat and my jaw dropped in slight embarrassment.

"Are ya jealous?" I taunted, crossing my arms across my chest and keeping my face straight. My heart beat a few extra beats when I laid it out on the table like that. If Daryl admitted to that, I wouldn't know how to respond. But something very tiny and very deep inside me jumped with joy at the thought. Daryl stared at his feet a few moments then turned his glare on me. And laughed, a very short, humorless laugh. I felt the little person inside of me die a little.

"Ya think I'm jealous? O' him? Ya need a reality check, little girl. I don't got no interest in ya, and never will. Sooner ya realize that, tha' better. Now, get. And don't bother me again."

I felt the tears start to well around the brim of my eyes and anger flared inside of me. I refused to let him see me cry so I started for the hatch door.

"You're an ass." I spit at him and climbed down, slamming the hatch door as hard as I could.

I ran down the hallway, running away from him. I couldn't believe he had gone that far, said all of that. I reached the staircase and entered it closing the door behind me, but before making my way down the stairs I collapsed against the wall and slid to the ground.

After a solid ten minutes of sobbing, I felt my heart fill with someone other than hurt. It was determination. Angrily, I rubbed the back of my hand against my cheek getting rid of the last tears I would cry over Daryl Dixon. I stood up and took a few deep breaths. If he wasn't interested, then fine. Neither was I. And I had finally made up mind.

"Hey Carol, you seen Jason?" I asked, after becoming confident that there wasn't any trace of my breakdown. The older woman turned to me, rubbing towels together in the tub with a confused expression.

"Who?"

"Never mind." I said with a smile and kept walking. I had already checked his cell but didn't find him. I went outside and wrapped the jacket around me, a very cool breeze was whipping through the prison yard and I took off on a brisk walk.

Finally, I saw him. He was shoving big wooden poles into the ground, against the chain link fence, fortifying it. I pressed my lips together and headed towards him. Once I got closer, the crunching under my boots gave way to my presence and he turned and smiled.

"Afternoon, darlin'. Come to give me a hand?" He propped his elbow up on one of the poles and smirked at me. I stood before him, smiling back, toying with the idea in my head. And then finally decided to quit thinking.

I went right up to him, eliminating the space and reached up to place both hands on either side of his face. I stood on my toes and kissed him. He didn't move for a second but then I felt his arms wrap around me and pulled me as close as I could get.

It was an innocent kiss, didn't last much longer than a few seconds. But when we pulled apart he grinned at me and picked me up, swinging me around in a circle. I squealed with laughter, begging him to put me down.

I was happy, because for a second, I was reprieved of the sadness in my heart.

Months passed and the prison started to feel like an actual prison. It was dark, no one went outside unless they had to, and the best way to stay warm was staying huddled under blankets and clothes. At times, I was sure it was below freezing and the prison didn't have a great insulation build when it was functional and so now it was even worse.

I rarely saw Daryl, if I did, it was glimpses and I urged myself to never look at him for longer than it took to recognize who it was. I focused all of my energy and focus on Jason, determined to make this work.

We were happy, he made me laugh all the time and we connected on a lot of things. Daddy liked him, Jason loved learning from Daddy about medical procedures and on multiple occasions Daddy thanked him for risking his life as a firefighter before.

Maggie was happy for me also, she was hesitant at first simply because Jason hadn't come from our original group and there was a lack of trust there but soon she realized how well he was liked and it was hard not letting him grow on you. He had the southern charm down to a science and it seemed like no one hated him.

We were pretty inseparable, even at night. We would trade off whose cell we would stay in for the night and I liked it. Firstly, because it was a great way to stay warm and secondly, we would spend a long time talking until one of us drifted off to sleep. Jason usually fell asleep before I did, which left me to my own thoughts at night.

"Beth," Jason breathed as he hovered above me and I ran my hands over his bare torso and back. He leaned down and bit my collarbone softly which elicited a soft moan from my lips and I arched my back into him. I felt his hands move down to my hips and he pressed himself against me. My breathing became hard and fast and I whispered his name.

He started to move my shirt up, very slowly, as though he was asking me silently. He looked in my eyes and I nodded and arched my back to allow him to take my shirt off completely.

Skin to skin contact felt wonderful, his muscles were so strong and solid. I held onto his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his hips.

"Dammit, Beth. You're gonna kill me." I smiled at his omission and bit my lip involuntarily. He reached up and touched my lips softly with his hand. Then he left his hand trail down between my breasts and along my stomach. He stopped at the button on my jeans. He started to undo the button and suddenly, I'm not sure where it came from, but my hand moved to stop his.

We were silent for a few beats and I pressed my lips together and felt my brows furrow.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I couldn't look him in the eyes, embarrassed that I couldn't do it.

"Beth, darlin'. Beth, look at me. Don't you dare apologize to me. You do what you want to do, nothin' else." Jason grabbed my shirt and handed it to me so I could slip it back on. He put his back on as well and laid down by my side and wrapped his arm around my torso. I turn towards him and rest my hand on his cheek.

"You're so good to me."

"Darlin', you deserve the best. I want to be your best."

We didn't say anything after that, and just like normal, Jason drifted off to sleep first. Even with his arm around me and how sweet he had been, a small part of my brain couldn't help but softly remind me that Jason, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't be my best.

But I liked to think I had moved on easily, that I rarely even thought of Daryl. And sometimes, that was true. It wasn't hard to "move on" in that sense because we hadn't even been anything to move on from. I had let my emotions go unchecked and out of control. And I paid the price for that. I had learned my lesson, never again would I try and reach out to Daryl Dixon.

"Come on, Beth. Time for dinner." Maggie stopped by my cell. "Now what are ya readin'?"

I sat the book down, with the page dog-eared for my spot, and started slipping on my boots.

"It's a great book, it's about a man when he is older returns to his college professor who is dying and - "

"Sorry, Bethy. I really didn't care." Maggie interrupted with a wink, and I stuck my tongue out at her and chucked my other shoe. I hit her in the stomach before she had a chance to duck away.

"Ow!" She huffed and tossed the shoe back to me to put on.

"My thoughts exactly!" I respond, standing and shoving her out my cell and followed.

"Wanna stop by and grab the boyfriend?" She jabbed her elbow into my ribs and I half smiled.

"I do have a life outside o' him, y'know."

"Oh, sure ya do. No, I believe ya. Promise."

"You're one to talk, Maggie!"

"That don't count, Glenn and I are married now." She said with the biggest smile and flashed her hand in my face.

"I know, I saw it the first 300 times ya showed me." I made sure she understood the playful tone in my voice. I was extremely happy for her, the wedding was such a nice relief from the dreariness of the world around us. And Glenn truly was the perfect guy for her. Always in the back of my mind though, I couldn't get the question as to where Glenn had gotten that ring in the first place.

"It ought to not be too long for you and Jason, too, right?" She teased but I knew my sister well enough to hear the actual question in it as well.

"We are not gettin' married anytime soon." I said strongly, staring at Maggie as we turned the corner. I wasn't looking, which explained why I ran head first into Daryl.

"Oh shit, Daryl. Ya scared us!" Maggie said, her hand over her heart. My mouth, I could feel, was dropped hanging open. I couldn't say anything.

"Sorry." He muttered and pushed past us without another word. Without another look. Maggie started walking again and I followed her mindlessly.

"Well, if it were up to me, I'd have ya guys married next week." I heard her but I didn't have a response so I just nodded. Unable to get the look of hatred I had seen in Daryl's eyes when he looked straight at me out of my head.

It was spring time. It should have been a happy time. But it wasn't.

Rick called us all into the big, eating area so that he could speak to us at one time. I could feel the somberness throughout the whole room. Recent events caused that.

A group, sort of like us, living a little ways away from the prison, wanted us dead. And not so much as the group, but a man who self-righteously called himself the Governor. He had kidnapped Maggie, Michonne and Andrea. Tortured them. He had made himself clear to Rick that he wouldn't be relenting. And now was the time to make a decision. I sat down with Jason next to Glenn and Maggie. I saw Michonne standing in the corner and the rest of our group sitting in front like we were. Daryl was next to Rick and I made myself promise that I wouldn't look at him the entire time I was here.

"We all know why I've asked y'all to come. We have a decision to make, here. Now." Rick spoke, his hands on his hips and his shoulders square. I had so much respect and trust in Rick that I would follow him anywhere. I undoubtedly knew he always had the group's best interest at heart.

"When are we gonna go kill this guy, Rick." Glenn seethed, his arm around Maggie who was staring at the ground. I had spent four nights in a row with my sister once she had been returned to us, and as much as Daddy would disapprove, I had just as much hate in my heart for this "Governor" that Glenn did. I wanted him dead.

"Well, Glenn. We gotta talk this through with everyone. Our next move dictates what happens to all of us here."

"There isn't any "talking through" to be done! This bastard kidnapped our people! He kidnapped my wife! If any of you," Glenn stood up and turned around to the rest of the group. I knew his comments were directed at the ex-Woodbury folks. "feel differently, and that you think maybe killing your old leader is a bad idea, you can gladly take my wife's experiences and make them your own. Then come back to me and keep the same opinion."

Just then, Daddy reached up and touched Glenn's forearm. Glenn didn't look at Daddy but he slowly sat back down, staring down each and everyone sitting behind us.

Jason grabbed my hand and squeezed it, I looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. He had been my rock through all of this and I was glad I had someone to lean on during this awful time.

"Glenn, I want to make this right just as much as you do. But that does not mean we rush into a decision without thinking it through. And that includes getting everyone's view. Now, anyone have an opinion they would like to express on this matter?" Rick's voice resonated across the room and he had his captive audience. Daryl moved his weight from one foot to another and crossed his arms. I looked away.

"I think we should move. If we leave, he won't have anyway of hurting us again." Jason spoke up and I glanced at him in surprise. Rick nodded and I saw Daryl's jaw muscle move as he stared at Jason. A few people in the back expressed agreement with Jason.

"We got a lot of people." Rick mentioned softly, not in disagreement but as a qualification. "Children. Elderly. On the run doesn't bode well for a safe trip."

"What if we send out scouts first," I looked over to see Tyreese speak up. The gentle giant. Of course he didn't want more bloodshed. "Spend a few days looking for a good set up, that way we aren't going anywhere without a plan or path. We have a destination and we get to it."

"We're not gonna find a better place than this! We have to defend it!" I didn't recognize the voice and I assumed it was someone from Woodbury that I hadn't gotten to know.

"We will find another place. Our decision can't be based on fear of the future." Rick responded calmly.

"Everything we decide is based on fear! That's our life now!" Another unfamiliar voice and I bit my lip. Rick asked for opinions, and he was getting them.

"Daryl," Tyreese spoke up and I turned my attention to Daryl finally, telling myself that it would be normal for me to be looking at him now and that it wasn't because there was anything still there. It had been 5 months since we had even had a conversation. There wasn't anything there. "Have you run into any places that could possibly be something we could move to? It doesn't have to be this fortified, we can fix it up. But just somewhere else." It was like Tyreese was pleading with him, hoping that we could all decide on a nonviolent way out of this position.

Daryl shook his head. "Naw, I can't think o' nothin' nearby that could house this many people."

Tyreese looked down at his hands and Sasha put her hand on his shoulder.

"May I say something." Daddy spoke, quietly but strongly, as he stood. "Can we not reason with this tyrant? This is our home, and leaving could be detrimental. Many lives could be lost if we left. But the same amount of lives could also be lost if we engage with this man and fight him. No settlement of an argument is worth blood. Theirs or ours. I can speak with him, if you'd like. Maybe he needs to speak with someone that he doesn't have a history of anger against. No offense, Rick."

"Daddy!" I exasperated, softly. It wasn't loud enough for many to hear but Jason squeezed my hand and I saw, in my peripheral vision, Daryl look at me. He couldn't go, he was disabled. I didn't want this Governor to be near my father.

"I don't like you goin' alone. I don't trust this man at all." Rick responded.

"I'll go." Daryl spoke up and my eyes widened slightly.

"No," Michonne shoved off the wall she had been leaning on. "I'll go with him."

"Michonne - " Rick started but she cut him off.

"I know him, I can tell what he's thinking and I'll be able to keep Hershel safe."

And with that, the decision was made. Everyone held onto hope, the day when Daddy and Michonne left to speak with the Governor. Everyone crossed their fingers, and prayed to God and spoke positively amongst each other. Everyone thought this just might work.

Until the tanks showed up. And the people with guns. The hope was there until I saw my sweet, caring, understanding and just Daddy on his knees lose his head. I'll always remember his soulful eyes looking back up at us. As though he was saying his silent goodbye.

That's when all hell broke loose, and we lost our home.

And then I was running.

A/N: I've decided to hold a quick game for you all! If you recognized the beginning plot of the book Beth started describing to Maggie that she was reading in this chapter you can either comment with the title and author in a review or PM me. The first one I receive a notification about (my settings email me whenever I have a PM or review) I will dedicate a one-shot that is Bethyl-centric to you! It will be independent from this story, and it allows me to stretch my creative writing and play with something new! Good luck and thanks for reading!

**UPDATE: The correct answer was PM'ed to me by Cosmicstarfish, it was Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom :) So be looking for a separate one shot to be published soon!