It's been two weeks since they've decided to stay. They expanded their territory and the group was now sharing four different houses. Rick, Judith, Carl, Michonne and Carol shared the one they found in the beginning. Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, Sasha and Tyreese shared another one while Glenn, Maggie, Tara and Beth shared the third one. Daryl wanted to have his own place.

Since Beth didn't have much time to babysit anymore, Rick told her to go stay with her sister when she suggested she could stay with Judith. Michonne was getting along so well with Carl so she took her place. Carol said she'd help take care of the baby. Tara and Glenn were good friends since they met. Like Maggie and Beth, Sasha and Ty wanted to live under the same roof, with their family. Daryl didn't care, so he picked last, where there was room left. He took the small mobile house next to the Greene's. He was glad to live alone, but also that Beth wasn't too far. That way, he could keep an eye on her, protect her better.

One night, Tara and Beth offered Glenn and Maggie a special gift. They wanted to give them privacy. They packed a bag to sleepover somewhere else. They left the house together.

"I'll go find out how Eugene's doing. Poor bastard. Living with Rosita and Abraham, it must be tough for him. It's not like he's ever gonna make a move, but, you know…not easy when it's in your face all the time. What about you?"

"I think I'm gonna go check on Judith, give Rick and the others a break."

"They're fine! I know someone who must be lonely and might need company." Tara pointed her head towards Daryl's house.

"No…I dunno…I think he likes the loneliness."

"Come on, it shouldn't be awkward like that. It wasn't before, why should it be now?"

Beth took a look in that direction. "Maybe you're right... I'll go say hi."

"That's my girl! All right. If you spend the night, though, I'll call Officer Grimes to the rescue!"

"Tara!"

"Byyye!"


She walked slowly towards his house, still hesitant. He wasn't sitting on his front porch, like he often did since he moved in. She knocked timidly on the door and waited. No answer. Maybe he was on watch duty, walking down the streets, outside the walls. Or out hunting. She turned around to leave when she heard the door open.

"Beth? Y'all right?" He looked worried. Even if it was getting down, the late afternoon light still seemed to be too aggressive for his eyes. He was putting on a white t-shirt and his pants were undone. He literally looked like she woke him up.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! You were asleep."

"S'all right."

"I'll let you sleep, you need your sleep."

"Beth."

"I'll be at Rick's, if you wanna join us later…"

"Beth!" She finally turned around to face him.

"Why are ya here?"

"I…I don't know."

"Com'on." He opened his door wider and invited her in.

She expected his place to be messy, but it wasn't.

"It sure does look different than the kind of place you grew up in."

"It's no castle, princess."

"Don't call me that."

He didn't reply. He walked into his small kitchen, struck a match, lit the stove and put a kettle on top of it. He didn't ask. He assumed she'd want some tea. It was getting a bit chilly outside at night. Even if he was a loner, he wasn't that bad of a host, she thought.

"It's really nice that they found natural gas on that last run. Very useful." She hated small talk. But that's all that she could think of saying.

"We wanted to give Glenn and Maggie some privacy, a night alone together."

"So ya needed a place to crash? S'why ya here?"

"No…I thought I'd stop by…say hi…we don't see a lot of you."

"Wanted to check on me?"

"Well…yeah. We're wondering how you're doing."

"Who's we?"

"…everybody…"

He gave her a sceptical look. "M'fine" he finally answered.

"Ok, I do. I wonder…what you're doing, how you're doing…I don't really know you."

Daryl was really surprised by what she said. He didn't understand what she meant by that.

The water was ready and the sound took him out of his thoughts. He poured them two cups, gave her one and walked to the living room to sit on the couch.

"Thank you. I mean…it's really weird…on the other hand, I feel like I know you because we went through a lot of shit together."

"Where's your language gone, Greene?"

She ignored his comment. "…but I'm curious. I…I think I wanna know you differently. "

He looked even more confused and uncomfortable.

"Ain't nothin' to know 'bout."

She, again, ignored his answer. "I want to learn something else than…what's your technique to start a fire…or…what face you make when you kill a walker...or…"

That made him laugh. "Yeah? And what face is that?"

"A very serious one…you look really focused on your task."

"Better be."

"You know what I mean…like…like that night on that porch. At the moonshine shack. We talked… we shared. I liked that. I wanna do that again."

He sent her a more serious look now.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that…I'm glad. I'm glad I have the chance to talk to you again. And the time to learn to know you better. If…you'll let me."

"…why?" The word was a bit caught in his throat.

"Because…you're a good listener. Because…I like your stories…Because I think we get along well. And…cause you're a sweet guy."

He cleared his throat. "You're right, girl, if ya think I'm sweet, ya don't know me at all."

"You took care of me, Daryl…all those long days we couldn't see the end of. You made it a lot easier. A lot better."

He looked intimidated by her remark.

"You did. Until I fucked up" he said, a guilty look on his face.

"Don't."

"I tried, Beth. I ran after ya. After that car. For miles. Until I couldn't anymore. I collapsed. An' the road split. I really tried, Beth."

"I know."

The way he was looking at her made her stomach feel weird again. She felt like jumping into his arms again, touching him, anywhere, any kind of contact, but she didn't know if he'd like it. So she stopped herself from doing it and simply said something nice to him.

"I've never heard you laugh before."

"Doesn't happen often these days."

They fell silent for a while.

"Do you want me to leave?"

He just shrugged his shoulders for an answer.

"Do you want me stay?"

He didn't answer. He just looked at her. She felt his eyes on her and was a bit embarrassed by what she just asked. She lowered her head, her eyes on her mug.

"Tea's already cold...wanna share a drink?"

"Again, Greene? What's with you and booze?"

"You open up…when you drink."

"I'm a dick and ya know it."

"Not always."

"Ya really wanna take that risk with me, girl?"

"I can deal with it. I've done it before."

He didn't say anything. He got up and went into the kitchen again. He opened a cupboard, grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two small glasses. He came back to the couch. About an hour later, the bottle was almost half empty. It was now dark outside.

"I keep having this feeling that something else is going to take me away."

"I like it better when you're a happy drunk. Drink up."

He watched her take another sip.

"Every single night" he finally answered.

"What?"

"I'm afraid something'll take you away again."

"I thought you weren't afraid of nothing."

"Am now." He didn't look ashamed to admit that at all. He sounded really serious.

"Well…I feel safer…when I'm around you."

"Ya' shouldn't. Didn't make a difference last time."

"Do you mind? My presence?" she said sharply. She sounded irritated.

"No…" Her tone change took him by surprise.

"Then why are you always pushing me away?"

"I ain't…"

"Yes, you are!"

"Beth, I ain't…" He couldn't finish his sentence.

"You ain't what? Good with words? Then don't use words!"

His gaze dropped down from her eyes to her mouth. And went back and forth. His breath was coming faster. And in a quick motion, he pressed his lips hard against hers. She gasped in surprise but didn't pull away. She did mean physical contact by saying that, but she never thought he would go that far. She gave in and kissed him back, opening her mouth to give him better access. Her hand ran through his hair and landed on the back of his neck to pull him closer. One of his hands started grabbing her hair too, while the other one went naturally resting on her hip. The passion of the act made them move on the couch and he was now almost completely on top of her. His fingers started caressing the soft skin under her shirt. The skin contact made her gasp for air again. It was so intense, almost too much for her. He had to catch his breath too. He pulled back a little and leaned his forehead against hers. They were both breathing hard. He wanted to look into her eyes to read her, to check if this was ok, but she kept her eyes closed. And it suddenly hit him. He realized what he was doing and jumped away from her. He stood up from the couch. She looked at him, confused and still panting. He was rubbing his face roughly with his hands.

"Fuck."