As I mentioned before, I still had a lot more back story for this one, especially for my new couple - Daryl & Beth. So, the next couple of chapters will most likely be from the guys POV ... Glenn, Daryl and the Governor.

As always, thanks to everyone who is reading the story, fav'd and are following along ... I really appreciate it :)

And, a Special Thank you to Marvella M, Alessandra and Guest 1 and Guest 2 (wish I could thank you both by name, but you know who you are). Your reviews really inspire me to keep writing, so thank you, thank you, thank you!

From the reviews, comments and PM's it looks like everyone's on board for a little Beth and Daryl love connection, so I'm going to explore their story a little more. They were always going to be a couple in the story, I was just waiting to see if you all liked it ... and, if you did, then I would spend a little more time developing their relationship.

So, here we go ...

Daryl's POV – about one month after the war with The Governor and the beginning of Daryl and Beth's relationship

"Daryl! Brought ya your coffee." Beth smiled and walked briskly over to Daryl from across the yard. The moon was out, and he could see she was smiling. She was bundled in a blanket that she had wrapped around her shoulders, and had and a cup of steaming coffee in her hands.

"Thanks, Beth. Appreciate that …"

"Anything to help. I know you can use it during these long night shifts." She handed him the mug.

"Careful! It's hot." She added.

"Ah! Sure is." Daryl smiled slyly at her, with a glint in his eyes. "Thanks, Bethy."

She didn't have to bring me and the others coffee every night, but I thought it was awful sweet of her to do so.

We stood in silence for a while, just looking out over the yard. Even though all we had had was the moonlight, we could see there were some walkers trolling around the front fencing.

"Damn things never sleep!" I grunted and shook my head. I hated those god forsaken creatures; they never gave us a moments rest.

"Well, the guard watch isn't really for them … now is it?" Beth hinted; referring to The Governor.

"Can't be too careful these days, I guess." I paused to drink my coffee, and tried to change the subject.

"This is real good Beth … real good."

I drank my coffee and found myself getting lost in thought.

It wasn't just for the walkers. Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Hershel and the rest of us had all decided it was best to keep guard at all hours, and to make sure at least one member of their original group from the prison was on guard at any one time. With the Governor still out there somewhere, the new residents, and even other groups of survivors - they couldn't be too careful.

Beth nodded. She looked out over the yard and finally chimed in, "You think he'll come back?"

"Nah, I don't think so …"

I could see her eyes squint and her mouth crook to the side. She was troubled by that reality. She really hadn't been the same since everything had happened with The Governor.

"An, even if he does … we're ready for him. No need to worry bout that, Beth. Ya hear?"

I tried to ease Beth's fears. I did my best, but she wasn't convinced.

"I think he's gonna come back. Just don't know when, or what he's gonna do …

… But, he'll be back."

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Several hours passed and, thankfully, there wasn't much more going on than those few walkers at the fence. A couple of walkers Tyrese had already dispatched of by sticking a pole through the fence; the rest wandered around the perimeter.

"See that Beth? Just aim for an eye; hard to miss the brain if you do that."

I liked to give her and the others advice whenever I could. I might not always be around, so I figured I should pass down any tips I had. But, Beth seemed to have other things on her mind tonight; more so than usual.

Beth toed the ground with her boot; brushing dirt back and forth. I couldn't help but notice her listlessness.

"Ya alright?"

I was concerned by the distance I saw in her eyes. I leaned over and bumped my shoulder into hers, trying to nudge her out of her funk.

Beth crossed her arms and looked up slowly; gradually meeting my eyes.

"You ever wonder … you know … what the future is going to look like for us?"

My eyebrows furrowed; I wasn't used to answering questions like these, but I did my best to try and reassure Beth.

"I try not to think about that. Jus focused on the day to day, really. Survival, an all that." I paused. "Why? Whatch you worried bout?"

"I just worry sometimes … that this is it. That this is all life is ever going to look like. Surviving day to day, in constant fear of the living … and the dead. Wonderin' if we're going to all make it to tomorrow. It's exhausting …

… And, it worries me."

"You don't have to worry, Beth. You know you're safe here."

Beth's tone turned a bit melancholy. "Yeah, I know I'm safe … for right now. But, what kind of future do I have to look forward to?"

"What kind of future did ya want?" I questioned her.

"Well … I had always wanted to go to college, get married, have a family … all that kind of stuff. I'm mean, obviously, college is completely off the table, but ..."

"You can still have that, Beth. You can have all of that." I reassured her.

Beth felt a little irritated at my answer; I could tell by the way she was biting her lip. She only bit her lip when she was angry and was physically keeping herself from saying something. And then she let it out …

"Really? An how's that gonna happen? College! Marriage! Kids! In what universe, Daryl?"

All I could do was just look back at Beth – I was a bit stunned. My eyes widened; my lips parted, leaving my mouth agape. She kind of bit my head off and I really didn't know what to say, so I just braced himself and waited to hear what she had to say next.

"Seriously, Daryl … where am I gonna meet someone? Here at the prison? On a supply run? How's that gonna work out?"

"Listen, Beth. I didn't say I had all the answers, jus that you could have that one day …

… Hell, that's what we all want!" I started to get a little fired up, which actually seemed to calm Beth down. She had wanted a real answer for her real concerns, and I guess she felt better knowing that I knew exactly what she was feeling.

Beth took a few steps closer to me, shuffling her feet as she walked. She uncrossed her arms and started to fiddle with the tips of her hair, spinning them in between her forefinger and thumb.

"I'm sorry, Daryl. I guess … I guess I'm just worried I'll end up alone, you know? All this stuff with the Governor. Him taking Maggie and Glenn. I just feel like there is a real possibility I will end up completely alone in all this. And, if that's the case …

… Then, what the hell am I fighting for everyday?"

I could see the tears well up in her eyes. She was frustrated and mourned the loss of the life that could have been. She'd always been very positive, but to me it seemed like this whole Governor business had obviously really thrown her for a loop.

"I feel that way too sometimes … I wonder if I'll jus end up alone. I mean, Hell – I am alone. My brother's dead and I ain't got no family left."

Beth turned to me, "But we're your family now. You know that, right? We're all family. You're not alone, Daryl."

"Ya know exactly what I mean …

… I mean like a real family. You got your Dad, Maggie and I guess Glenn now, right?"

She smiled, "Right."

"But, I ain't any of that. So, I do understand how ya feel. Not knowing what your place in the world is; who you belong to."

"You still miss Merle, don't you?" Beth asked quietly.

"Course I do! What kinda question is that?" I felt a sharp pain in my heart; a physical pain in my chest.

"Just askin' … I didn't mean anything by it." She quickly added.

"Course I miss him. He was my brother. Killin' him was the hardest thing I ever did …

… worse than anything I ever experienced in my life … and that's sayin' a lot!"

I turned and faced away from her; feeling the lump in my throat and feeling my face flush with blood from the emotions. The tears were on their way, and I didn't want Beth to see me cry.

"Better get back to my watch, ya better head in."

I tried to brush her off, and get off the topic but it was too late. She didn't leave and as we just stood there in silence, I began to feel overwhelmed.

"The hell?"

I reached for my face and could feel the tears that had spilled out of my eyes and had started to roll down my cheeks.

"What? You alright, Daryl?"

Beth reached out to and grabbed my arm; trying to pull me towards her. I pulled away defensively. I quickly tried to wipe the tears away and hide them from Beth. I just didn't want her to see me like this. I'm supposed to be making her feel better and here I'm doin' all the cryin', I thought to myself.

But, I couldn't hide them from her. She grabbed my arm again, and pulled me towards her; she stood right in front of me. And, in the moon light she cupped my face and reached up and wiped one of the tears from my face with her thumb.

She looked at me for awhile before she said a thing. We were both hurting. But, this is the first time she had opened up about these things and definitely the first time she'd ever seen me like this.

"It's okay to cry, you know?" She looked up at me, her eyes wide and starting to fill with tears.

"Yeah, I know. Jus not used to all that emotional shit." I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

"Well, we all need a good cry now and again. I think we've earned it." Beth smiled.

Beth had always thought it was so amazing that Daryl had always tried to be so strong for everyone. But, she had always known he was a sensitive guy underneath it all. And, there he was … Daryl Dixon, with tears in his eyes; overcome by the reality of this life they were living and what the future may or may not hold. Overwhelmed - just like her. And, she felt honored that he showed her this part of himself, even if it was just for a moment.

She wiped the tears from her own face and smiled, "Promise I won't tell anyone … wouldn't wanna blow your cover."

"Thanks, Beth." I smiled and laughed; grabbing her around her arms and bringing her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around my waist, nuzzling her head into my chest

I tried to push the thoughts of Merle and everything else out of my head, as we stood there in the quiet of the night; holding onto to each other.

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Beth broke the silence; looking up at me from within my embrace. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

Beth's smile left her face and she backed a way a bit.

"You think I'll ever have a family? I've been thinking about it a lot lately."

I closed his mouth tight and winced, and knew that we had wondered back to that topic; the one I had tried to run away from earlier. And for good reason … that was a hard question to answer. Things were complicated now days.

"What do you mean? I thought you said we are all family now. What're you worried bout anyways, you got your family here."

"I mean … a family of my own, Daryl. Not just Maggie and my Dad."

I tried to reassure her. "Well, sure … of course ya will, Beth …

… you'd make a great mother."

It was a hard question to answer, but I thought that if anyone should have a family and be a mother - it was Beth. I'd seen her with little Asskicker. She definitely had a way with the baby and the other kids here at the prison.

Beth thought about it; and she knew she'd make a great mom. She just didn't see how that was ever going to happen. This was the reality she'd been wrestling with and she just could not see the forest through the trees.

"How the hell is that ever going to happen?" She calmly asked. "I mean, really?"

Beth looked up at me longingly. Whether it was sadness, confusion, melancholy; whatever it was … it was written all over her beautiful face.

"Well, I don't know how …" I paused. "I jus know it'll happen for you. You'd be a great mother."

Beth had more questions; I could see it in her eyes.

"How about a wife? Would I be a great wife?" She looked on eagerly.

"How the hell am I supposed to know somethin' like that?"

I didn't mean to insult her, but I laughed a little bit at the question, which seemed to really irritate Beth. But, I couldn't help it; it was a funny question.

"The hell, Daryl? That wasn't a joke. I was being serious!"

"No, I know you were. Its jus relationships are complicated and I'm definitely not the person to ask about whose got a good relationship, who's a good wife or who's a good husband."

I paused and tried to think of what advice to give. Then, I thought of Glenn and Maggie - they were good examples of a good relationship. They had always seemed so strong, and they always had each other's backs. They worked well together, even though you'd never guess it by jus lookin' at them.

"Well, look at Maggie and Glenn … they're married now, right? They seem to be happy. I think they are good to each other and treat each other right. Guess they'd be a good example for ya."

"I think I can be a good wife … I was just asking you if you thought I would be a good wife."

"Christ sake, Beth. I guess …

… I mean, yeah … I think you'll be a great wife."

Beth smiled and started to twirl her hair around her fingers again. Feeling like a school girl; butterflies raced through her stomach. "You think so?"

Then, I added to my previous statement. "I do … someday, of course."

"Someday, huh?" Beth smirked a little and then she continued. "It's hard to think about that, when life can feel so short sometimes and people can be taken away at any time."

She continued and her tone became more serious. "I might die tomorrow, Daryl. There's no guarantee with anything these days …"

"I'm sure you'll find that someone, who just sweeps ya off yer feet. You're a beautiful girl; I am sure you'll end up with someone great. You deserve someone great."

I wasn't just telling Beth that to make her feel better, he really did believe that. She was a pretty girl and couldn't be sweeter. She could have anyone she wanted. Just a shame there weren't a lot of guys to pick from. Either way, she deserved the best of them.

"I don't know, Daryl. You know … I've only ever kissed a boy?" Beth's eyes wandered to the ground, as she continued to tell me about her experiences – or lack thereof.

She kept her eyes on the ground, seemingly a bit embarrassed to talk about these things.

"I'm still a virgin, for Christ's sake! So much for saving myself for marriage … how stupid was that!" She grumbled.

She crossed her arms and then looked up at me … waiting for my response. The question made me a bit uncomfortable. I didn't know if I should be giving her any advice on sex. I knew I certainly didn't have a lot of experience myself. Growing up without a mother and having Merle and my father as role models; I really never had that much luck with women.

"I don't think it was stupid for you to wait. Not at all. When you find your guy, you'll realize it wasn't stupid at all. It's supposed to be special … but, I don't gotta tell you that."

"I guess." She paused. "I just wish I at least had kissed a few more boys. That wouldn't have been so bad." She smiled and raised her eyebrows a bit.

Damn! If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Beth was flirting with me. I had never looked at Beth in that way, or at least I would never have admitted that I ever looked at her like that. I mean, I had always thought that Beth was a beautiful girl. 'Girl' being the appropriate word here. But, I guess she was over eighteen now and she wasn't a girl anymore; she was a young woman now. I didn't really mean to, but I continued the conversation. Beth's flirtations had intrigued me a lot more than I wanted to admit to myself.

"Yeah, I suppose. Kissin' would've been alright. I mean … it's a lot of fun." I smiled slyly, and ran my hand through my hair. "Would've been alright if you had kissed a few more guys before all this, I guess."

I could feel my cheeks get red and my heart start to race a bit. All this talk about kissin' and sex had really started to get me all riled up. Sex hadn't been somethin' I'd thought about in a while. Shit, these days you just don't get time to think about things like that. Hadn't thought about kissin' a girl in what felt like ages!

Beth giggle a little, "Yeah, shoulda woulda coulda, right?"

But, then she got real serious on me again. She had a way of doing that sometimes; going from happy to sad in an instant. This would be something that would take a long time to get used to – if ever.

"But, that time has come and gone for me ...

… There won't be any dates or prom or meet-ups in my future. Just killing walkers and takin' care of other people's kids. Taking care of the important people in other people's lives."

"Hey, Bethy … I didn't mean to upset ya."

I knew where she was coming from. Hell, I would've kissed a few more girls if I had known I was going to be living in a Zombie Apocalypse. So, I walked over to her again and put my arms around her and gave her a big bear hug. She burrowed her face into my chest and I could hear her whimper a bit. So, he let her cry it out for a few minutes. Girls … that's one thing I did know about them. Sometimes they jus gotta cry a bit and let it out; then they're back to normal.

"It's never too late, you know?" She looked up at me from within my embrace; batting her eye lashes and letting her lips part. I could sense her innuendo; her invitation for a kiss.

The butterflies came rushing to both of their stomachs. Beth's cheeks flushed and Daryl felt light headed all of a sudden.

"What … what'd mean, Beth?"

"You could kiss me, Daryl." Beth knew she had wanted to kiss Daryl for sometime now; it was just that tonight, she finally got the nerve to ask.

I was stunned. We had gotten real close over the last couple of weeks especially, but this wasn't a simple request. I was still holding on to her, so I pulled her away a little so I could see more clearly into Beth's eyes, which looked back at me longingly.

"It's just a kiss Daryl; not a marriage proposal. I just want to feel close to someone in that way."

"I …. I don't know what to say." I mumbled.

"Ya don't have to say anythin', silly. Ya just have to kiss me!" Her eyes widened, searching my eyes for my answer.

"Yeah, right? I'm old enough to be your father!"

"My father is in his 60s, and you're what … 35?"

"Try 38."

"So, that doesn't mean you can't kiss me. No laws against that." She said very matter-of-factly.

She was right there weren't any laws against it, but I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. Especially, with her.

"Nah… we can't."

She just looked up at me and continued to stare. And, I found myself giving in a little. What could it hurt? Who would it hurt anyways? It's just a kiss.

"Come on … I definitely need a little more experience before I meet this mysterious prince charming I'm going to meet one day. Doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to …"

That last part stung a bit. And, I started to think. What if I wanted it mean something? What if it meant something to her, to me or to both of us? What then?

"Daryl … just a kiss … one kiss." She closed her mouth and made it ready for my lips, tilted her head back a bit and closed her eyes.

I looked down at her, with her soft blond hair swept up in a messy bun on top her head. The moon lit up the sky, and I could see her lips which looked so soft still. And, something inside me stirred that I hadn't felt before. So, I wrapped my arm around her tighter and brought her close to me … brought her face close to mine with my other hand and I kissed her.

We stood there in night, and lost ourselves in each other. Our tongues swirled around each others, passionately, sucking in each other's breath. We didn't break our kiss for several minutes, until I heard the outer door of the prison shut behind someone. It was Michonne and she was on her way out to relieve me from my watch. I pulled myself away from Beth, my lips felt swollen from kissing her so hard.

"We can't … I mean … I can't do this. I'm sorry."

I stared back down at Beth for a moment and walked away leaving her at the lookout. Michonne just stared blankly at me as she passed. I couldn't tell if she had seen us when she walked out, or if she had just missed the kiss. Michonne wouldn't be one to care anyways, but I still worried if she saw us or not. I walked back into the prison and laid down on the cot in my cell and looked up at the ceiling.

"What the fuck was that, Dixon?" I whispered to myself.

I spent the rest of the night thinking about Beth, the kiss, and what I was going to say to her the next time I saw her. I would just end it right away. No more kisses, and maybe no more midnight talks too. I wasn't any good for her, she deserved her prince charming and I was definitely not that. I'd end it tomorrow when she comes out to give me my coffee for my watch. I'd end it tomorrow … it's the right thing to do.

END CHAPTER NINE

So … what did you all think?! Like it, love it, hate it ... tell me what you think about Beth and Daryl.

Obviously, you know Beth and Daryl end up together, but as you can see; their start was a little bumpy … at least in the first few days ;) Gonna explore the back story with Daryl and Beth and of course get back to Glenn and Maggie for just another chapter or two and then … dun, dun, dun … The Governor will be back, and you know that this will mean trouble for - everyone!

So, you know I LOVE to hear from you all, so please leave a comment or review for this Chapter on your way out.

Thanks,

Dahlia