"So what made you come back to Senoia, Daryl?" Beth asked as she counted the bottles of Vodka they had on the shelf.
"Dale, the guy who's auto shop I worked in. He retired, and moved to Florida so I lost m' job," Daryl mumbled as he focused on the bottles of tequila.
"Why did you leave in the first place?" she asked as she looked over at him, her blue eyes shining in the light.
"Dale opened his shop and needed a mechanic," he said as he looked at her for a moment. His eyes locking on hers. As she smiled at him, he turned his attention back to the tequila.
"Did you like being a mechanic?" she continued, this time stopping all of her counting and sitting down on a wooden crate. She saw Daryl's lips turn into a very small smile as he turned to her.
"I did. It's all I have ever wanted to do," he replied as he stopped his sorting and sat down on the crate beside her.
"Then why are you here with us? Not that I am complaining," she said with a bright smile, his ears turning a slight red at her words.
"The only auto shop in town is not hiring," he grumbled. She got the feeling there was more to it than just that but she didn't press.
"Well it's their loss and our gain. Cuz if you are as good at working on cars as you are with making shots, you're a genius," she replied with another smile and nudged his arm. He chuckled just a little and she swore it was one of the nicest things she had ever heard. That and his voice. She swore she would listen to him read the phone book.
"What about you? What's your story?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well I'm in college, only two classes away from my degree. I graduate in two weeks. I majored in Education, minored in Business. I want to be a music teacher, but if that doesn't work out, then I can use my business degree and just stay here, since this is also my love," she said as she motioned around her at the bar.
"Music teachers certainly didn't look like you when I was in school. If they did, I might have stayed," he mumbled, louder than he had wanted too. When he looked up and saw the smile on her face at his words, his ears turned a bright red. As she was about to reply to him, they were interrupted by a noise in the bar.
"Beth! Beth, you here," they heard the voice call. Beth sighed and rolled her eyes as Daryl looked at her questionally.
"It's Zach. I will be right back. Guess I need to take care of this now," she said with a shake of her head. Daryl reached out and grabbed her wrist, wrapping his fingers around her tightly.
"You want me to come w' you?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.
"It will be fine. I'll be right back," she said with a smile. He forced a smile on his face and reluctantly let go of her wrist. The soft feel of her skin still tingling in his fingers.
Beth gently caressed her wrist with her fingers as she walked into the bar area. The feel of his calloused fingers on her still burned on her skin.
"What are you doing here Zach? Thought you were busy," she said with a roll of her eyes.
"It fell thru so I came in, what's the big deal?" he asked, his voice raising just a little. Beth could tell by looking at him that he was drunk, probably still from the night before and he also looked like he was on something.
"The big deal is that this is your job, well was your job," she said as she placed her one hand on the bar and faced him.
"What do you mean by that," he screamed, his face getting right in her face.
"You're fired Zach. Get your stuff out of your locker and leave," she said, her eyes narrowed as the anger in her started to build.
"I don't think so," he said angrily as he moved toward her. Beth moved back until her back hit the bar, blocking her from moving away any further.
He grabbed a hold of her arms, Beth trying to struggle away from him as she felt his fingers digging into her upper arms.
"Who the hell do you think you are? You're just some stuck up college bitch who thinks she is better than everybody else. Yer not better than me just because your whole family is dead. They probably all wanted to die to get away from you. Maggie just hasn't figured it out yet," he sneered as he shoved her into the bar roughly. She closed her eyes at his words and his face near her neck. She waited for the second shove, but instead she felt his weight off of her, a growl that sounded like it was from a rabid animal and then a thud on the bar beside her. She opened her eyes to see Daryl over Zach, shoving his face into the bar.
"You don't fuckin' touch her!" Daryl growled as he shoved Zach's face into the bar harder, wrapping Zach's arm behind his back, causing Zach to cry out in pain.
"Did he hurt you?" Daryl asked, his voice still low and gruff. It sent a shiver thru her as did the view of his muscles rippling as he held Zach down.
"I'm fine," she said softly as she looked from him to Zach and rubbed her arms. Daryl could see the bruises already starting to form on her arms in the shape of fingers and he pulled Zach's head up just so he could push it back into the bar harder, growling again under his breath.
"Beth, grab my phone out of my pocket," Daryl gruffly said as he looked at her, trying to catch her eyes again.
"Beth, grab my phone," he said a little more sternly, this time her eyes flashing back up to him. She nodded and reached into his pocket. He had to fight back the urge to growl at the feel of her hands that close to him, there was more important things to think about right now, like this piece of shit that just had his hands on her. If he could, he would rip his arms off and feed him to some rabid wolves. She looked up at him when she pulled the phone out.
"Go to my contacts and find Rick and then hold the phone up to my ear," he said, trying to keep his voice calm for her. He was not about to let this fool go with her close by.
Beth nodded and searched his phone. When she found the name Rick Grimes she smiled a little. Daryl knew the sheriff.
"Rick, yeah it's me. We got a situation here at the Triple L. Can you get here right away? Yeah, it's an emergency. Well if you don't get here soon, I'm gunna rip this assholes arms off. Ok, I will give you five minutes," he nodded toward Beth to end the call and then moved to hold Zach down more.
/
"Beth, are you sure you are ok?" Rick asked as he moved in front of her and placed an arm on her shoulder. She smiled up at him and nodded. She had always liked Rick Grimes. She had babysat for him and his wife Lori for years, and after Lori had passed away during childbirth, she was around to help with Judith as well. She had no idea though that Rick and Daryl were such good friends. She could tell just by watching their interactions as Rick took in the scene.
"Are you sure that you are ok?" Daryl asked roughly as he sat down in the bar stool beside her. Rick had left to take Zach to the station. He had said that he might need another statement from Beth and Daryl later, but right now they were both free to go. He did want her to go to the emergency room just to get checked out and for the report.
"I'm fine," she said softly as she rubbed her arms again. She stopped when she felt a calloused finger trace the bruise that had formed on her arm. She sighed a little at the feel of his fingers on her and looked up at him, a small smile on her lips.
"Well I guess you won't want to do inventory anymore with me after today," she said with a little chuckle.
"You always have assholes try to attack you every time you do inventory?" he growled with a raised eyebrow.
"Well...one time the zombie apocalypse happened," she said with a smile, instantly lightening his mood to where a small smile came across his lips.
"Sorry I missed that one," he said with a soft chuckle.
"Me too. You would have saved the day then too. My hero," she said with a sweet smile.
"I ain't nobodies hero," he said as he looked at the ground, his ears turning red again.
"Nope, Daryl Dixon. Your mine." She said as she stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt him tense up just a little and then start to relax as he placed his hands on her elbows, pulling her closer to him just a little.
"Maybe I will get you a cape," she mumbled into his chest. She felt him chuckle under her and she smiled.
"Mm hmmm. Come on Greene, let's take you to get checked out," he said as he pulled away from her and motioned for her to follow him. The warmth of his body against hers washing away everything else that had happened to her today.