A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

I can't say that enough. You guys are just so wonderful. I'm sorry that I'm so awful at returning messages to your reviews but please know I smile like a god damn fool every time I read them. You guys are incredible.

Thank you for supporting this story the way you have been. Sharing it, talking about it on Facebook and tumblr. I can't believe it sometimes, I'm just so glad I can write something y'all enjoy.

A tremendous THANK YOU goes out to Christy for this wonderful new cover I have for my story. My bae. My bethyl sister for life. Sister from another mister. You get the point.

LOOK AT IT. It's so beautiful.

I hope you've all been enjoying the happiness, because get ready. A storm's a comin'. *evil laugh*

this is by far the longest chapter I've ever written for any multi-chapter story. It's a beast. And I is proud. I is proud.

Love you guys, until next time ;)

-Stephanie

How to Save a Life

Chapter Ten - "Home"

Beth bounced her knee up and down nervously, the heel of her boot tapping anxiously against the ceramic tile beneath her feet.

She could hear the faint sounds coming from the next room over; The clicking of cameras and the voice of Mr. Porter speaking to the reporters even though she couldn't hear exactly what he was saying. She was nervous, and even though she knew what she was going to say, especially considering that she'd gone over it a hundred times with Maggie that very morning, her nerves were still managing to get the best of her.

"You're gonna do fine, Beth. Stop worryin'"

Daryl squeezed her knee supportively, sitting next to her on a plastic folding chair much like the one she sat in herself. Her nervous energy seemed to not have an sort of effect on him at all. He simply sat there supporting her the entire time.

"I know," she agreed, trying to sound confident even though her voice was betraying her. She sounded just as nervous as she really felt. "I just hate doing these things. People say stuff that's not true and I-"

"Don't pay 'em any mind." He said, rubbing his fingers across her knee that was exposed by the yellow dress she was wearing, "you know the truth, that's all that matters."

She nodded, not really knowing how a few simple words from him could make her feel suddenly back at ease. She leaned her head onto his shoulder as he continued the soothing strokes over her kneecap.

It was strange, how this whole thing had come together. And it was strange how she felt as though the void she had felt in her life for so long had finally been filled simply by having Daryl in her presence. It'd been three weeks since she'd woken up from her coma, and only one week since she'd been released. Of course, she'd been released with the strict orders of taking it easy for the next month or so. That really only meant one thing; No touring. After the doctor had released her and they had returned back to Nashville, Maggie had immediately postponed every concert she was expected to do within the next two months.

And it was funny, thinking back on the day of the accident. How she'd begged for Maggie to let her have just one night off. She'd gotten her wish, even though it wasn't exactly in the way she had expected it. But even then, she wouldn't have it any other way, even if she could.

She wouldn't change it for the world, because if she did, she never would have met the man she was sitting next to. Would have never felt the butterflies that seemed to permanently reside in her stomach every single time that she thought of him. Every single time he looked at her. Every single time he touched her.

What they were though, she didn't know. She knew that the way he looked at her, and the way that he touched her, was way more than any friend ever would. Sure, they were innocent touches; The twining of their hands together, a slight bumping of shoulders, an embrace that lasted just a few seconds too long, even. And although she considered Daryl to be her friend, she knew deep down inside that it was something more than just that. She wanted it to be something more than that. She needed it to be.

The door to the conference room opened slightly, and out popped Maggie's head and hand, beckoning her to come forward and step inside the room. With one more reassuring squeeze to her knee, and a nod of his head, she stood up, grabbing his hand to pull him right along with her.

But she stopped when she realized he wasn't moving, still holding her hand, but not standing up from his seat.

"Come with me, please?" She said, making it more of a statement laced with pleading more than the question that it really was.

"You can handle this, beth." He said, dropping his eyes somewhere between her eyes and her collarbone, making her shiver. "Ya don't need me in there, you're the strongest girl I know. It ain't got nothin' to do with me anyways."

"I know, Daryl. But please?" She said, stepping closer and squeezing his hand impossibly tighter in her own, "you saved me. You saved my life. You're more a part of this than anyone else in that room."

He dropped his eyes to the ground after she finished, seeming not to know what to say, seeming not to know how to tell her no.

"I need you in there. I want you in there. With me." She said, watching as his eyes slowly traveled back up to her own. "Please?"

"Alright."

Daryl stood on one side of Maggie, while Beth stood on the opposite. That was because as much as she wanted to stand next to him and hold his hand, she knew that she couldn't. Not here. Not in front of all of the cameras and questioning eyes.

"Entertainment weekly, GAC, CMT, Fox News." Maggie whispered into her ear, "And that's not even half of the list."

"You sure know how to make me feel better about all this Mags," Beth replied quietly, unable to resist her eyes as they rolled in annoyance.

"I just want you to be prepared. You went over what Mr. Porter told you again, right?"

"Course I did."

"Okay, good." Maggie said, returning to face forward, plastering her million dollar smile across her face. Beth herself couldn't seem to do the same for the life of her. Instead, she scanned the crowd, feeling uneasy.

"And now Ms. Greene, if you'd come on up here please." Mr. Porter said into the microphone, jogging her away from her trance. She glanced over at Daryl for the reassuring nod that she knew he'd give her before taking a deep breath and approaching the microphone.

There was clapping, for whatever reason, and the quiet whispers of the reporters and the other people around her before the room fell silent.

"Good afternoon, everyone." She said in her cheerful trademark voice, "I want to thank you all for coming out and for all of your support over these past few months. It's been quite a journey."

"Beth!" One reporter shouted before she could continue, "is it true that you were-"

Maggie grabbed the microphone before she could even manage to blink, twisting the coil of it to direct it to her mouth. "Any questions are to be directed to either Mr. Porter, or myself after she is finished. Any more outbursts, and were done here."

The man who Maggie had cut off visibly deflated, sitting back in his seat as Beth nervously pointed the microphone back to herself.

"As you all know, I was in a car accident a few months ago." She swallowed hard. "I was heading to stay with my father for a few days. As you all also know, my father suffers from Parkinson's disease, and whenever I can, I make arrangements to go and see him."

Camera lights flashed over and over again, making her blink and see dots cloud her vision. She felt uneasy again, almost as if her knees were about to go out from underneath her.

"I was on the highway 85 when I took an exit to stop at a gas station." She continued, her voice shaking right along with her hands that were fidgeting on top of the podium, "I lost control of the car during a storm that was passing, and I don't remember much after that,"

That part wasn't entirely true, but she was strongly advised to leave Daryl out of it all.

"I was found by a resident who had a flat tire on the bridge, and he saved my life that night. I'm forever greatful for him, and I'm not sure I'd be standing here talking to you today if not for him."

She knew she wasn't supposed to say that last part, but she didn't care. There was more truth to that statement than anyone would ever know.

"I want to apologize to the fans in North Carolina and Florida for the tour dates that have been cancelled, it will all be made up to you, I promise."

Beth inhaled one last time deeply, "thank you for all of your support, I hope to see you all soon."

Beth ignored the shouting of her name as she stepped back from the podium, allowing Maggie to step forward and answer all of the questions that she knew were coming. The ones that crawled so deep under her skin that she wasn't sure that she'd ever be able to force them back out.

"Is it true that Beth was under the influence at the time of the accident?!"

"Will this postpone the release date of her album?!"

"Miss Greene!"

"Beth Greene!"

She made her way back to where she had been before, back over and next to the rest of her management team, and waited for this nightmare to end.

She fought the tears welling in her eyes. There was no way these people were going to break her now, not after she'd come all this way. Not after she'd come close to dying in a car accident. There was no way in hell she'd let that happen. Not now.

"Thank you for your time." Maggie finished after what seemed like decades, snapping Beth out of her daze and dismissing the crowd in front of her, leading her back out of the door she came in through.

Maggie grabbed her shoulder gently, knowing that she had the intention of walking straight out of the building.

She turned around to face her sister; "I'm sorry, Bethy. You don't deserve any of this." Maggie said quietly, pulling her in for a hug that she returned desperately. She needed comfort in that moment. She honestly thought she was going to lose it.

She lifted her head from its spot on the hollow of Maggie's shoulder to where Daryl stood off in the background, speaking to her bodyguard Abe quietly. Beth pulled away from a reluctant Maggie, forcing a smile onto her face.

"I'm alright, Mags. I promise." She said. Maggie rubbed her hands down her arms affectionately for a moment before she nodded, slipping her sunglasses off of her head on over her eyes as she let go of her slowly, and headed for the exit.

She looked up to find Daryl walking towards her, hands shoved into his front pockets as he approached her in his usual awkward manner.

"So." She said sweetly, trying to regain her composure after being so stressed out, "what're your plans for the rest of the day?" She turned towards the exit door, Daryl following right on behind her.

"I dunno." He replied quietly, raising his thumb up to his mouth to gnaw on it like he always did, "I ain't got a damn clue what's around here, probably just head on back, let ya do what ya gotta do."

Beth frowned halting in one of the hallways, knowing that Daryl would stop as well to see what she was going to say.

"Y'know," she started quietly, "you don't have to stay in that hotel. I have a spare room, and I also have a couch."

Daryl fidgeted awkwardly where he stood in front of her in the small hallway. She knew he wasn't entirely comfortable with the question, that was just how he was. She'd come to realize that over the time she'd known him.

She had all but got on her hands and knees to beg him to come to Nashville with her to begin with, at least for the first week. And it took some seriously agonizing convincing, (along with her puppy dog eyes that not even her father could deny) to get him to agree.

She didn't want to be alone, she had told him. And granted, she had Maggie and she had the rest of her team that had become family over the years, but she knew she'd feel lost if she didn't have Daryl around. Mostly because lately, she always felt lost when Daryl wasn't around.

"Ya already paid for a hotel for me, Beth. I can't ask for more than that from ya." He replied, still not looking at her, but at his boot covered feet instead as they scuffed against the ground.

"I know you're not asking." Beth replied, reaching down for his hand, silently congratulating herself on doing so because his eyes finally shot up to meet hers, "I'm offering, Daryl, there's a difference."

He didn't seem to hear a word she said, because he didn't answer. Just stared at her with those eyes. Those eyes that were inherently maddening. Those icy blue eyes that were so similar to her own, but so different at the same time. Those eyes that said absolutely nothing, and yet everything all at once.

"At least come over for dinner? Let me cook for you or something?" She asked, turning her body back towards the exit and tugging him along with her.

She headed for the exit and motioned for him to lead the way out towards the car. She didn't wait for an answer, and for once, he didn't seem to mind either way.

Maggie was going to be pissed, and she knew it.

But she really didn't care.

She had been careless, knowing all to well that she was being stalked by paparazzi. She was a headlining story right now, and if she was being completely honest, she knew better than to bring someone up to her flat downtown, let alone a man. Let alone someone she was holding hands with.

The photos that were snapped of them were already on the internet, she supposed. She was sure she'd have to deal with a red faced mr. Porter and a furious Maggie within the next few days.

But unfortunately for them, she wasn't really worried about it at all.

After driving around downtown Nashville with Daryl in the passenger seat for a few hours, showing him the city, she'd finally pulled into the parking garage and led him upstairs. She promised Daryl dinner, and she intended on making sure she'd follow through with that.

And So, here they were. Daryl on a stool with his hands splayed on the countertop, and beth slicing up chicken and vegetables next to stove, facing his direction.

"You gotta be shittin' me." Daryl replied after she finished her story, smiling like an idiot at just how inadvertently adorable he really was.

She pursed her lips as she chopped up the garlic on her countertop, giggling like a fool as she noticed his mouth was hanging open.

"Cross my heart." She said coyly, laughing at her off hand and typical joke. She took her free hand and made a crossing gesture for emphasis across her chest.

"Pft." He scoffed at her, shaking his head.

"You mean to tell me that you had a beer with George Strait? George fuckin' Straight?

"Yes!" She exclaimed, flailing the knife around in the air, "Why is that so hard to believe?" He looked at her like she was insane, yet again. Sometimes she thought that he did it on purpose because he knew it'd make her laugh.

"Ain't that," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair, "Just crazy s'all. Weird to think about."

"How so?" She asked, dropping the finely chopped pieces into a mixing bowl.

"Got all his CDs back at home. Grew up on that shit." She smiled over at him, sitting on top of one of her bar stools at the island countertop a few feet away.

"I did too. Couldn't bring myself to ask for his autograph, though." She confessed with a shrug of her shoulders. "Felt weird enough as it was."

He shook his head again at her, and smiled. A tight lipped and barely existent smile, but still a smile nonetheless. She vowed to herself that one day she'd understand why he felt so afraid to let a grin spread wide across his face. Hell, she did it enough. When he was around, anyway.

She turned back towards her dining table and grabbed the remote to her stereo, clicking it on and lowering the volume because she knew she had it blasting the night before. She let the sound filter through the silence that fell between the two, knowing it wasn't something that made her feel awkward, but music was something that always was a part of her day. Especially while making dinner at home, no matter how rare it was that she did so.

"What's this?" He asked, gesturing his head upwards towards the stereo above him. She gawked at him for a moment, trying to determine wether he was screwing with her or not.

"Oh that?" She said smartly, gesturing to the black box above him with the knife that she held in her hand; "Well that there is what most folks call a speaker. You hook it up to the-"

"Smartass." He rolled his eyes.

"Just a mix I threw together, nothin' special." She said, smiling and shrugging her shoulders in reply.

She looked up every now and again as she prepared the food, watching him, analyzing him. Watched him as his eyes flitted across her apartment, occasionally catching his eye from time to time.

It was easier being with Daryl, she found. Easier than it'd ever been with anyone in her life. Sitting in a comfortable silence when she knew no words needed to be exchanged, smiling at how different he was in contrast to the bright colors that decorated the interior of her flat.

"That your brother?" Daryl asked her just as she finished washing her hands. "Shawn, right?"

Beth walked around the countertop to stand next to him, eyes catching the array of picture frames that were set up off to the side. The photo in question, the one that he had pointed out, was one of her favorites. She had pushed it in front of the rest of the pictures for that very reason.

It was a simple one, really. One that she was sure other families like hers had framed somewhere in their own homes. Beth was standing in the driveway just out of sight of the house where she had grown up. She wore a powder blue prom dress, hair done up neatly in a bun, and her arms draped loosely over Shawn's much larger figure. He had been similar to Daryl in that way; Much larger and taller than she was. But that wasn't saying much now that she thought about it, most people always were, anyway.

"Yeah, that's Shawn." She said quietly, picking up the photo frame to get a better look at it.

"Prom?"

"Yeah." She said, even quieter this time, taking one last look at the photo before placing it gently back in its place. "Junior year. He made damn sure he scared the hell out of Zach that day." She added, laughing slightly at the memory.

Zach had sauntered up onto the porch with his typical 'I'm the shit' attitude, and that likely was the first red flag in Shawn's mind. Ever since that day Shawn was more than vocal about his displeasure and blatant disapproval of the guy. He'd always told her, back when he was alive, that she could do better. That she deserved better.

"Where the hell you think you're going?" Shawn growled out of the darkness of the house, and Beth cursed herself inwardly. She was sure that everyone in the house had fallen asleep hours ago. She'd told Zach to meet her at the end of the driveway around midnight to pick her up that Saturday, mostly due to the fact that Shawn was back from college and was sleeping in the spare room. She knew that if Shawn caught a wiff of his scent, the whole plan would crumble to pieces.

"Out." She said quietly, not wanting to alert Maggie who was also home on break, or even worse, her father.

"Like hell you are. What the hell's the matter with you?" Shawn said, grabbing her house keys out of her hand and placing them back on the hook.

"Shawn, I get it. You don't like him." She said, knowing there was no point in denying what her intentions were when she walked out the door, "But I'm eighteen, I'm more than capable of making my own decisions. I'm not a child."

Shawn's eyes grew wide, and he scoffed loudly at her, shaking his head furiously; "I swear, Beth. Sometimes you're so god damn dense."

"Dense?"

"Yeah, dense." He said, the venom in his voice as strong as ever. "I cannot believe that you're still seeing that guy. After what he did to you? Did you hit your head on somethin'?"

Shawn's voice was growing louder and louder with each word, and she nervously flicked her eyes towards the staircase and back at him. She was ready for her sister or her dad to come barreling down that staircase any minute.

"Shawn, he's really not that bad," Beth started, "maybe if you just gave him a chance you'd see that he-"

"I ain't interested in anything to do with that prick. You shouldn't be either." Shawn said, running a hand through his short hair. "Christ, Beth. He cheated on you."

"You think I don't know that?" She spat back at him.

"Sure as hell ain't acting like you do. Sneaking out this late at night to fuck around with that piece of shit. What if dad found out about this?"

"So what if he did?" She said, pushing past him to grab her keys back off of the hook. "I ain't a little girl anymore, Shawn."

"You deserve so much better than him, Beth. You know it. I know it. Hell, everyone in this damn town knows it."

"Maybe you're right." She replied softly, reaching for the door handle, "but you're gonna have to let me figure this out on my own."

"Hey." Daryl said, shaking her away from the memory. "Ya alright?"

"What?" She said as she came out of her daze. When she glanced over at the sound of his voice and saw the concern in his eyes, she realized she probably had looked upset unintentionally .

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." She waved her hand up lightly. "Sorry, just spaced out there for a second."

She fiddled with her hands that were on top of the counter, trying to push the memories out of her head. Ever since the accident it seemed as though all the memories of the deaths of not only Shawn, but her mother too, were coming back more and more frequently.

Get a grip, Beth. She chastised herself.

A very warm and very strong hand stopped her fingers from fidgeting when they were placed on top of her own slowly and gently. She looked up to his eyes, only realizing just at that very moment just how close in proximity they were to each other. Her heart began to race beyond her control, and she suddenly forgot how to breathe.

He looked as though he was going to say something, and she could have sworn that he very well might have already and she just happened not to catch it, but that wasn't in the forefront of her mind as she watched his eyes as they slipped from their focus on her own eyes and down towards her lips.

And God help her, she wanted to close the distance between them more than anything in the world. But she was afraid. Afraid because of everything that had happened between her and any guy in the past. And that wasn't to say that Daryl was like any of them, because he most definitely was not. Not by a long shot.

Daryl was different and more special to her than anything in this world right now.

And that might very well be the reason why she ducked her head away and began to move back towards the kitchen. Back where her eyes and hands and mouth were occupied by something other than the need to touch him. The need to feel him. The need to taste him.

Because the very last thing she wanted to do was to cross that invisible line that was drawn in the sand between them and scare him away. And she feared that would be exactly what would happen.

She didn't get far, though. Honestly, she'd barely made a step in that direction before he had reached down and grabbed her chin, directing her eyes and face back at his own. She watched as his face turned serious, concentrated. Almost as though he was searching for an answer from her without any words.

She seemed to know what he was silently asking. So she nodded slightly, her eyes turning into slits as Daryl kept the hold on her chin tightly between his fingers and placed his lips upon hers.

It was gentle, and sweet. Closed lipped and absolutely perfect. She felt her heart flutter as his hands moved from her chin up to cradle the side of her head, turning his own head slightly to slant his lips over hers. He was soft, apart from the delicious burn of the scrape of his beard stubble against the softness of her skin. Something she'd never experienced, and something she'd never known she'd been missing.

Her hands lifted from their place by her sides, finding a home on Daryl's chest just underneath the flaps of his ever present angel winged vest. Losing herself in the moment. Losing herself in him.

And just as quickly as it started, it was over. She felt him lean away slightly, placing his forehead on hers.

After a moment, she opened her eyes to find that icy hue of blue staring at her, cutting her open and staring straight through her irises and into her very soul. His breath hot as it flowed from his mouth and brushed against the small blonde hairs on her upper lip.

And she suddenly felt ridiculous for putting it off for so long. The more she stared back into Daryl's darkened eyes, the more she realized how stupid she had been to do so. He wanted her. He wanted her probably just as much as she did him.

And in that moment she felt safe. Safe with her pelvic bone pressed against the wood of the stool between his legs, and wrapped up in his tight embrace. She felt happy. Happy that she had finally just stopped letting her mind go into overdrive and keep her at a distance. And most importantly, for the first time in a very long time, she felt like she was home.