CHAPTER SIX: THE PRESENT
He found her sat under the tree in the middle of the night.
Rick had knocked on his door, notifying him of the switch in watch. As Daryl sleepily placed his boots on and adorned a jacket due to the cooler nights, he trudged towards the tower. Nights were a lot quieter now which for the inhabitants of Alexandria was a god send. There was the danger of walkers which was something that everyone was used to, and they didn't pose much of an issue as the members of the small town were trained with the younger members being trained to protect and fight.
His gaze was scanning the surrounding area; with his attention intensifying with the movement of trees and bushes blowing in the breeze. It felt good to be on watch and know that the threat of Negan was gone, and that he had been dealt with. To hear that come out of Callie's mouth was like music to his ears, and it had taken him a while to truly understand and comprehend that Negan was no more.
The damage Negan had done would always be unforgiveable and to know that he had been given the same end as the ones he dealt out felt good to know.
Callie's promise to kill Negan had always been something he believed but to hear of his fate was reassuring to him.
As he cast his gaze across the town, his eyes fell on the figure sat beneath the tree. Her back was resting against the trunk and as he squinted his eyes into the darkness he found her eyes to be closed. He furrowed his brow and, taking one last look at the outside world, climbed down the tower and slowly made his way over to her.
He stood for a moment watching as her eyes remained close, oblivious to him approaching. It felt surreal that she was back with them.
After all this time.
Her eyes fluttered open after a moment, and tiredly moved to him. Though it was still night, the candles that aligned the roads offered them some light. It was only after a small moment that a soft smile etched across her face at the sight of him.
"D-D… Daryl," she voiced, her voice changed.
"What ya doin' out here so late?" he asked, his voice soft. He knelt and heard his knees crack in protest.
"C-couldn't s-sleep," she replied quietly.
He offered her a nod and fell silent. He didn't know what to say to her. All the conversations he would have with her in his dreams had floated away the moment their eyes met, and he struggled to think of something to say. It pained him to know that the moments they shared would only be remembered on his part. He didn't know what hurt more.
"Y-your… hair… is l-longer," she whispered with a small smirk on his face.
He smirked and was grateful for the darkness and the length of his hair that was able to his blushed cheeks. "Yours is shorter," he said.
"I cut it," she replied, smiling. "I like it."
"It suits ya," he replied.
She beamed at him at that moment. "T-thank you. I wasn't sure if it was g-going to suit me."
They fell into a comfortable silence. Beth patted the ground next to her and Daryl moved into a sitting position. He sat awkwardly on the ground. He felt his skin burn under her gaze, the same as when they used to be together.
"M-Maggie," Beth began. "She t-told me about you. H-how you helped me when we were s-separated from the group after the p-prison fell t-through."
Daryl bowed his head in response.
"I-I'm trying to r-remember," she said frustrated. "It's h-hard."
Daryl nodded, unsure of what to say. "Ya remember anything from that time?"
Beth thought for a moment. "S-some. It c-comes back in w-waves… I t-thought that I'd… d-dreamed it all."
"It felt like a dream," Daryl said honestly. It still felt like he was living in a dream world. Losing Beth had caused him and the group so much inexplicable pain that neither of them knew how to approach. The guilt was overwhelming, the sadness was unbearable, and the denial was crushing. The weight he felt on his shoulders was something he had to live with, and was something he believed he had to live with for the rest of his life. But now, with Beth just an arm's length away from him, it seemed crazy to know she was here.
"M-Maggie told me about what you did," Beth began. "H-how you shot D-Dawn after she s-shot me."
"Mhmm," Daryl sounded.
"I never liked her," Beth whispered.
"She ain't something ya have to worry about anymore," Daryl replied. "What do ya remember?"
"W-waking up," Beth whispered. She thought for a moment. "I can r-remember waking up in s-stages. Then p-pain. I t-thought the world was o-okay again and it wasn't. I had to get u-used to the c-change but… it was h-hard…"
Daryl nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. He would wake up some days and forget, believing to be in the trailer he shared with Merle. He wouldn't realise until he would walk out of the house and find himself in Alexandria, and the faces of his friends would come into view. It was hard for him to remember, and he could only feel for Beth as she had to readjust to a world she didn't remember.
"I t-thought you were my n-neighbour," Beth said with humour in her voice.
"Well we are neighbours again," Daryl smiled.
Beth smiled and nodded. "That we are," she said before her face fell. "It feels w-weird without G-Glenn. I s-still c-can't believe it."
Daryl bowed his head. It did feel weird without Glenn, something he had tried hard to focus on for longer than he was capable of. He had been the light in the group, the reassuring friend who offered encouragement when people needed to be uplifted. Daryl had spent so long in denial, knowing that it was his way of protecting him. It was easier to think of his friend somewhere else, and not buried in the grounds of Hilltop.
"I'm sorry," Beth whispered, reaching for his hand. He allowed her to lay her hand upon his, feeling the softness of her palm on his skin.
"It's hard," he said, his lip trembling.
"B-but their baby is g-going to be so loved," Beth whispered. "And the baby will know how a-amazing and selfless their father was."
Daryl nodded. Maggie had been stronger ever since the day she lost her husband. It was as if a calmness had washed over her, all her fears and worries about the future, and all the sadness she felt in her heart had been numbed. She would speak about Glenn being by her side; she couldn't see him but she still felt him around her. She would always have her memories of him, the letters he would write to her when he was on watch and she would be sleeping. To read his words and see his handwriting was enough for the pain within her heart to dissipate.
"A-And I get to see her b-become a m-mother," Beth whispered tearfully.
Daryl nodded silently.
"I've missed ya so much," Daryl whispered, his voice hoarse and cracking. "Ya might not even remember-"
She reached for his face tenderly, and she stroked his face with her thumb. Her hand was jittery with nerves more than anything. He felt the familiar goosebumps surface upon his skin, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. He offered her a small smile, one that never truly reached his eyes but she understood. She felt it too. And though they didn't need words to fill the silence, all they needed was the closeness of one another.
And when Beth's voice filled the night air once more, he felt his heart race.
"I've never f-forgotten your kiss."