A/N well it had to happen eventually, everyone's wondering what was going on with Carol and Daryl...Beth is about to ask :D


Daryl was up, had clearly been hunting by the smell of fresh cooked squirrel and was nudging Beth to wake; she couldn't believe she had slept so long.

"What time is it?" She asked as she took the plate of squirrel.

Daryl shrugged, time was irrelevant in this world, there was either enough, or not enough time. There wasn't 9am and 12 noon and 3pm; times like that didn't exist now. There was dawn, the space between dawn and dusk, and then dark and that was it. There weren't even weeks or months of the year anymore; it was more, seasons and even that was a loose fit, as Daryl knew by his mis-judgement for how close winter was. It was so basic now, why did Beth even think of something as specific as time? "Early." He answered and she seemed happy with that.

"Gonna make a run to town today." He informed her.

"Good." She smiled. "I want to find some butter and fruit, maybe? Make pie." She stated simply as she bit off some squirrel meat.

"Hm." He stared at her. This too was new, waking a woman up, one that wasn't passed out drunk, and she looked gorgeous. The blue morning light filtering in through the cracks in the boarded windows made her look just stunning. "Y'grandma's recipe?" He asked.

Her eyes shot to his with a strange look. "How'd you know?" She asked.

He shrugged, in disbelief that he almost let it slip, her diary had two whole pages on the damn thing. "Hersh said you liked bakin' it." He lied.

"Oh." She smiled shyly.

"Eat up, girl, it's a long walk." He advised.

She did as she was told and they left soon after; she told the dog to stay and he obliged. It was such a strange thing to do, telling a dog to stay, she didn't think she'd do that ever again and, had it been any other dog, she would have worried that a walker would get him. She didn't worry about him, though, he'd survived before her and, to be honest he looked after her more than she did him, so he'd be fine. She walked with Daryl for possibly half an hour before she made conversation.

"You thought you might have found their tracks?" She asked.

He glanced back to her before answering/ "M-hm."

"Far from here?"

"Fair way." He answered. She looked over to him and he nodded. "I looked again…they've gone, no way to find 'em again."

"Why?" She asked.

"Time." He explained; this was a prime example of too much of it.

She shook her head, which flicked her ponytail across her shoulders, it was cute somehow; he looked to the ground, he wasn't going to pay attention to her ponytail or anything else.

He knew what she was shaking her head at and he volunteered to answer. "'Cause it was you." She stopped and looked at him and he realized what he said. "You know, on ya own... there's the three of them " He explained.

"But, Judith?" She answered.

Daryl didn't have a reasonable explanation, he knew he should've went for Judith, but it was Beth and he just couldn't; he stared at her, wondering if she could understand at all. She smiled eventually. "Carol will take good care of her. Maybe we could make a sign like Maggie for them." She suggested, thinking back to when she first saw Maggie's sign and knew she was alive after escaping from those men. She'd been so happy when Daryl said she found him, found Glenn; she understood what it meant to do anything for someone. That's why she didn't run to Terminus, she'd stayed; she had to go back to the house and see if he was there. She knew there was a possibility that if he got out he'd go to Terminus if he saw it, but she also thought he likely wouldn't; he was too skeptical to believe...she did know he'd look for her though and that was enough.

"Yeah." Daryl's grated voice croaked as he passed her. "C'mon."

"Do you miss her?" She asked. She asked it without reservation, it was what it was.

"Sure, miss her heaps." Daryl answered and it made Beth's heart sink a little. Why did he come for her instead of Carol? It would've been obligation; she was taken from him and he'd find her just because he was supposed to. "Miss those long nights with her, talkin' to her about raids, about life, just being with her y'know? I knew she din' understand everythin' I said, but liked doin' it anyway. Just liked holdin' her, feelin'… dunno close to sum'n like that, liked sleepin' with her...just felt peaceful 'n right havin' her in m'arms...ya know." He chuckled a little and Beth was more than surprised he'd admit that to her; she hadn't even been sure he and Carol were a couple until then. "Miss hearin' you singin' to her. Remember when she cut her first tooth?" He turned to her and he was actually smiling, not just that faint one, but actually smiling so Beth could see his teeth, a real smile, a completely un-Daryl smile.

"Judith?" She asked.

"M-hm." He wondered why he asked, who else would he be talking about?

Beth sighed with relief. "You stayed up with her?"

Daryl shrugged. "Yeah, remember when she went through that colicky stage? Well, when you were sleepin' only Carol 'n me could settle her and Carol was carin' for Lizzie and Mika so Rick would bring her into me. I'd rock her in my arms, 'n talk to her, y'know, 'bout stuff, 'n she'd look up at me like whatever I was sayin' was important... not many people did that and then she'd close her little eyes and I'd lean back and sleep. Funny, I was s'posed to be keepin' her here 'n safe, didn' feel like that though."

Beth smiled. "Yeah we had it good, hey...at the prison? Never would've thought I'd have the best time of my life at a prison." Beth answered.

"Never thought I'd land my ass in prison, I was never gonna." Daryl admitted.

Beth had to ask; she didn't want to know the answer but she had to. "Did you love her?"

"Lil' Asskicker?" He looked at her.

"Carol?"

He paused; he was shocked, why would she think that? "No!" He exclaimed as he soldiered ahead, annoyed that she could even think that…why would she? What sort of person did Beth think he was? How could he? He could never love someone like Carol. He knew what he was, and he knew what Carol was and he most certainly knew what Beth was, but really? She had to ask? "Why would you even think that, girl?" He snapped as he threw an arm in the air. "Stupidest thing I ever heard!"

"Sorry, I thought...I mean... you looked for her little girl until it almost killed you... she followed you around and said stuff like…." Beth thought of the times she'd heard Carol suggest a quickie in hushed tones, or mentioned that Daryl was man enough for her. She even had pet names for him when she thought no one was listening; Daryl would scoff and walk off, sure, but he did it like maybe he'd take her up on it. The times Carol would rub his shoulder while he nursed Judith and he'd let her and Carol had said he'd given her flowers and even a bracelet once. Sure, he'd brought stuff back for Beth and Carl and Patrick, even Michonne and Glenn, but she just thought that Carol was...different.

"Like what? Said stuff like what?" He snapped. Beth looked to her boots and shrugged. "She tell ya what she told me when I was lookin' for that little girl? She tell ya she told me not to go?" He was shaking his head as if the memory still disgusted him. "She din' wanna lose me? Stupid bitch!" He spat. "Give up on her kid for some peace of shit she just met?! She tell ya that she tried to pay me like some whore for protection? Tell ya that she thought she owned me? Any friend I ever made, she'd remind me she was there first, stupid skank. She tell ya she killed Karen and David?" He bit back; he had a lot more to say about Carol, but didn't need to say it, that was enough.

"Why'd you let her then?" Beth didn't know what she meant, why'd he let Carol flirt with him, let people believe there might be something?

He shrugged, losing some of the hardness to his face. "Nice, I guess...knowing someone wants ya around, don' matter why. She was the first one that told me, din' believe her then, not sure I do now, but she said it and that was worth bein' nice you know?" Daryl's voice had lowered and he seemed more open to talking now.

"Told you what?" Beth questioned.

Daryl raised his bow and took out a stray walker before walking over and retrieving the bolt. He squared his shoulders "She said I was just as good as Rick, every bit as good, ain't never had someone tell me I was worth somethin' 'fore that." Daryl answered.

Beth smiled, is that all it took for him to put up with someone he so disliked? "She's right, you know? We all knew it, just thought you knew it too."

Daryl had stopped at that and she smiled sweetly as she passed him; he looked so surprised that she'd say that… why wouldn't she? Course he was...better, she thought.

Daryl smiled and quickly caught up and overtook her, he couldn't stand walking behind her watching her long legs not while she was giving him compliments, he'd rather lead. Stupid girl, thinks he's all that, he scoffed a little at the thought and her voice broke into his thoughts again. She knew he didn't believe her, not really, but she wanted him to, that's why she decided to tell him. "I told Daddy I wanted to go on a run once... I know we all had our jobs, but sometimes, I felt mine wasn't enough and you know what he said, Daryl?" Daryl was silent which gave Beth the go ahead to continue. "He said he'd think about letting be go with you... he didn't say Maggie or Glenn or Michonne, or Eddie, or David, or Tyreese or Sasha or Leo or Bob. They were all capable, but he didn't say any of them, he said 'I'll talk to Daryl, if he's willing I'll think about it.' I told him Michonne was going out, and he said 'Wait for Daryl, Beth' I know he never got to ask you because the next morning we had that flu outbreak, but it was you he trusted most. That says something about what he thought about you; what we all thought about you. It's not like anyone of them were that much less capable, he just knew that if he let me go with you, you'd die before you let anything happen to me, and not just me, it's anyone, you'd die for any one of us and you wouldn't even think about it. We'd all think about it, but not you and that's what makes you better. Daddy knew that."

Daryl couldn't deal with the compliments, it wasn't something he was used to. "I'm not better." Daryl grumbled.

Beth shrugged. "Doesn't matter what you say, Daryl, I know."

Somehow she was leading again and he could do little more than follow, she'd silenced him again.


They got into town and headed to a gas station where Daryl and Michonne had hidden a stash of loot last timewhen they couldn't fit everything; Daryl had told her where they were going. When she finally spoke againshe asked. "What's in them?"

"Canned food, spam, peas, some of that powdered mashed potato, a comic for Carl, hair ties..." Daryl stopped, remembering people had put in various gift requests for Hershel's birthday, most of them useful. Beth probably wouldn't recognize what they were, but there was one. They'd gone to the hardware and he'd found some packets of seeds, Michonne had thrown him a Hershey's bar and crossed out the Y and drawn a messy 'L' on it with a Sharpie and added Happy B-Day from Michonne + Daryl. Daryl had smiled and wrapped a hair tie around it to keep the bundle together. They'd known his birthday had been coming up soon at the time; Beth had only mentioned it a dozen times or so. When they'd run out of room the gift bag had been left behind and Daryl thought he'd best find the bag before Beth saw it; there was no need to remind her that her dad never made that surprise party she'd been planning.

"Can we scout around?"

"Days are too short; won't have much time, wanna get in and out." He answered.

She didn't know how to broach the subject, so she just went for it. "Daryl...there's something I need."She said quietly.

"Chocolate?" He asked.

"No..." She said, still looking at her boots.

"What?" He asked as he spat on the ground and sniffled… great, getting caught in the rain out hunting must've made him sick.

"Just stuff." She answered. "Don't want to say." She shifted her boots.

He stared at her for a minute, caught sight of a walker and took his crossbow off his back just in case it got close enough. "Well we ain't gonna find it if you don't tell me what it is." He said.

She felt stupid, but spat it out anyway. "You know, girl stuff..." She looked up to see him staring at her.

"Ya need it? Got hair ties 'n shit, buncha make-up in that cupboard." He looked confused.

Beth blushed and refused to look at him. "Tampons...sorry, it's just I'm due soon and I've got nothing."

Daryl was still staring. That walker over her shoulder was close enough now; she knew it was there, but she knew he had his eye on it. His arrow went flying past her and she decided to go and retrieve it, mostly because she felt uncomfortable. She handed it back to him and he was still staring at her; it was not that he thought it was weird, or that he was uncomfortable, it just occurred to him that since this whole thing started he had never thought about it. Obviously the girls sorted the girl stuff, no one had made a request to him for it; kind of made sense though, there had been more than one or two times he'd been on the end of Michonne or Maggie's grumpy side. Of course all that still happened, even in an apocalyptic zombie world, it just never occurred to him. He must've read her questioning look because he finally spoke. "Well it ain't nothing t' be embarrassed about, just a part of nature. Y' need some'fin just speak up." He said as he turned to walk off. "What do ya need... a pharmacy?' Daryl asked.

Beth nodded and then realized he wasn't looking. "Yeah." She was a little surprised, in the past she'd tried to get Maggie to ask Glenn and would see him blush and look all embarrassed, but Daryl took it in his stride which just made her all the more comfortable about the whole thing.

"There's one right across from the gas station." He told her. Beth followed him and, after he cleared the pharmacy, he finally spoke. "Have fun shopping, I'll go grab the bags." He figured at least that way he could ditch Hershel's gift before she had to see it and he wouldn't have to stand around looking at the women's section.

Beth didn't say good-bye, just continued searching, she found some pain killers for it too which was a wonderful bonus, luxuries like that just weren't something she'd had for a long time. She stuffed them in a bag happily, when she heard footsteps behind her; she didn't need to turn around, walkers and people sounded so different. She smiled, she wouldn't have noticed that before Daryl pointed it out to her. "I'm all done, Daryl, no need to worry." She said as he turned around and then her face fell.


A/N oh no what sort of trouble has Miss Greene found herself in now? Please review :D