Quick Update: Daryl and Beth stayed away from town after they left three bodies there. They've been cleaning up their house and talking about Beth's past.

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Daryl was happy to sit on the balcony with a cigarette and his book that night. Papillon was planning another escape attempt, but the amount of the book he had left proved that he probably wasn't going to get out of jail anytime soon. The usual urge for another cigarette played on his mind so he went inside, where he wouldn't let himself smoke.

Beth was sitting cross legged on her bed with a look of concentration on her face, she was surrounded by a couple of books and notepaper.

"You look busy?"

"I'm trying to make a bread recipe from the ingredients that we have. I'm not sure how this will work out, but I'd rather plan it than waste flour."

"If we take the car out tomorrow we can bring back whatever stores we find."

"That's good, but I still doubt we'll ever find yeast that's still usable, it will all be growing it's own community by now. Please don't expect a risen, crusty loaf of white bread."

"I won't, I'll just be the guinea pig who tries anything." Daryl left her to her plans and lit himself a candle by the sofa so he could get back to his book.

It was a little while later that Beth came and sat by him. Daryl immediately realised that she was sitting just where she had been when she kissed him, but Beth didn't seem worried.

"I'm gonna get some sleep in a second, but I wanted to show you this. Mrs Grant had a diary that she hadn't used in her bedside cabinet." She showed him a pocket-sized book with a flowery cover. "I thought I might use it to keep track of the days. I'm getting a little lost, seems like a week ago since we painted the sign, but it was only the day before yesterday. I don't suppose you know what date it is?"

"I could guess at a month. I'm not even sure what year it is," he admitted.

"Thought not, so I started at the beginning. I got New Year's Day as the day we climbed over the garden wall. I noted when we made our sign and how many walkers we saw, what we found and where." Beth also thought it would be a good idea keep a track of her period, but she wasn't going to discuss that right now.

"It's a good idea," Daryl looked at her neat notes. "It does feel like we've been here a couple of weeks already."

"Tonight's only our fourth night here."

"So while I was having a smoke, you created a calendar?"

"Kinda."

Daryl had seen her cell at the prison, so he knew the answer to his next question. "Were you the type that made lists?"

"All the time. At school, I was the one who spent hours making beautiful revision time tables, but never left any time to revise."

He was pretty sure there was more she wanted to say, he was sure she would spit it out soon. He only had to wait a moment.

"There's something else I wanted to write, but I don't know if I should." Beth began hesitantly and Daryl put his book down as she sounded so serious. "I'm worried that we will forget people, we've lost so many and we don't have a way to remember them. We don't have graves to visit. I'd like to try and record their lives another way."

Beth paused as her voice got shaky, but she saw Daryl nodding and was able to continue. "I'll make a record of their name, what we know of their family, what they did before. It could be useful to know where people came from, where they went after everything started? Could you help me with that? I know you found lots of people, you would know them better than I did."

"I'll help..." Daryl nodded.

"I was thinking about Otis and Patricia, we lost them so long ago. I'm sure you lost people before you arrived at our farm."

"Plenty. You're right, we shouldn't forget them. I didn't even know Otis."

"He was a good man, I think you and he would have gotten along. Swapped hunting stories, maybe." Beth was smiling but she still looked a little edgy. "I don't want to cause any offence."

"Sweetheart, I can't imagine you offending anyone." Daryl grinned and watched Beth lower her face, she tried to hide her smile and he realised what he'd said. "Sorry, I know you don't like me calling you that..."

"I don't mind," Beth said in a quiet voice. She raised her eyes and caught his gaze.

Daryl was uncomfortable with the quick change of atmosphere, the last time he called her sweetheart had been just after she had kissed him. She was clearly remembering, he was desperately trying not to. "It's a habit, I'll try not to call you that again."

"I only didn't like it, because you were pushing me away." Her voice was low and sultry again.

"I didn't push you away." Daryl tried to defend himself.

"You weren't pulling me closer!"

"Beth!" Daryl didn't want to snap at her, but he couldn't stop himself. He stood and walked away, because distance seemed like a really good idea. "We said we we're going to slow down. You agreed!"

"I did and that's why I haven't mention this since yesterday morning. Remember how you felt behind me on the bike? I remember..."

Daryl slumped in the armchair. "See this isn't right. It's not you to be flirting like this!"

"Maybe you don't know me that well..."

"Maybe not." He kept his eyes on the coffee table, refusing to catch her eye.

"I think we should try and live a little while we can. I wanted to let you know how I felt... It' s not unheard of for a girl to let a guy know she likes him. Before Jimmy and I got together, I told him that if he asked me out on a date, I'd say yes." It felt weird to be discussing her ex, but fitting at the moment.

Finally Daryl looked up. "A date. Just a date, that wasn't what you were suggesting the other night!"

"Well, it's different now."

"Beth, it's not that different."

Beth scrambled around for a solution. "So maybe we should go out on a date?"

"We need to concentrate when we're outside, I told you that." Daryl was being purposefully obtuse and Beth knew it.

"So you would prefer us to stay in on a date... We could work something out."

"Beth..." Daryl sighed in exasperation.

She stayed quiet for a moment, then began again, "If you tell me to stop, I will. If you really think you and I are a really bad idea, then I'll stop badgering you. You have to tell me to stop."

Beth almost held her breath. Daryl stayed still for what seemed to Beth like an age, then slowly he looked up from the coffee table to her. He held her gaze, just for a moment, and he didn't say stop.

It took a moment for Beth catch her breath and say something else. "Maybe we could take some time to be together, kinda like a date but just getting to know each other better? We don't have to talk about anything too personal," Beth added quickly. She had heard rumours about Daryl's past but never heard him talk too much about it, she didn't want to pry.

"No more talking tonight, it's late."

"Tomorrow night? We could have dinner together."

Daryl nodded, or he gave a very slight movement of his head which made Beth believe he had agreed. She was quite amazed, decided not to push her luck and ran off to the bathroom to get herself ready for bed.

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Daryl was working his way through Mr Grant's expensive whiskeys from the bar. At least he assumed they were expensive, he didn't recognise any labels and they were all pretty old, so far they had all tasted great. He was allowing himself just one large glass per night; there was no way he would get drunk. This world wasn't safe enough to get drunk in anymore and the temptation that Beth was becoming certainly wouldn't decrease after a few too many.

The drink had helped him to sleep for a couple of hours, but now he was wide awake listening to Beth's regular breathing and mulling over this 'date' idea.

His original plan was to make the date so disastrous that she would forgot all about this crush that she thought she had. He was sure it wouldn't be difficult; smoke at the table, pretend to drink too much, swear a little, ignore her conversation and tell boring stories of his own. He found it easy to be obnoxious when he wanted to be. It seemed Beth had pretty high expectations, he could disappoint her without even trying too hard, then maybe could get back to normal.

The more he planned how to spoil the night, the less he wanted to. Daryl had never been on a proper 'dinner date', why shouldn't he see how it went? It might work. Maybe not, but why shouldn't he try?

As the room became lighter he went to wait for the sun come up on the balcony, the view was still beautiful, but that morning there was an addition to the view that thrilled him.

Collecting his crossbow, he crept silently through the bedroom but the key in the lock made a loud click. Beth made a slight huff in her sleep, Daryl knew that if she woke and he wasn't here, she would be horrified. He needed to tell her where he was going. He whispered her name from the door, but she didn't stir, so he stepped closer.

Why'd she have to look like a Disney princess when she slept? Pale and beautiful even with her bright eyes closed, hair fanned out on the pillow which was still crisp and white.

Why was he thinking about sleeping princesses? In an attempt to keep his brain quiet, Daryl hissed "Beth" a little too loudly. She woke with a start and began to get out of bed, while asking questions and clearly panicking.

As she was half out of bed, Daryl saw a long leg, the side of white panties and the curve of her bottom. The t-shirt she wore to sleep in had twisted around her, showing more gentle contours. He stared for a moment, stunned at the sight.

"What's wrong?" Beth's voice was high pitched enough to shake Daryl, he stepped back from her awkwardly, his hand up to try and block the unexpected view.

"It's okay, it's okay. I didn't mean to scare ya, but I'm going out. I'll be back really soon."

"Out?" Beth sank back down to her bed.

"I saw a couple of rabbits. Gonna see if I can get one for dinner."

"Rabbits?" Beth was clearly confused. "Wait, I'll come with you."

"No, you looked really comfortable. No need for you to get up, just cos I can't sleep."

"We've seen walkers out there..."

"Not many, I'll be careful. Go back to sleep, you won't even notice I'm gone." Daryl had to get out of there now, before the temptation to push her back onto the bed became too strong.

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Beth knew there was no one safer out there than him, but still her heart raced as he left. Wide awake now, there was no chance of her being able to sleep again. She padded on to the balcony and watched Daryl make his way through the overgrown meadow at the back of the house. There were no walkers in sight, no rabbits either but if he said there were rabbits, she was sure there would be. As he disappeared amongst the trees she knew it was pointless trying to watch out for him. The barbecue was cold so he hadn't even had a coffee, she decided to prepare for breakfast to occupy herself.

When she saw Daryl reappear, she could tell he had been successful just from the way he walked, impulsively she jumped to her feet, waving her arms above her head. Daryl held up his catch in a sort of salute and Beth became aware that she might look like an idiot, but really didn't care.

He remembered feeling the same way when he returned from a run to the prison, it felt as if he were coming home, which wasn't something he'd ever been used to. People would gather to see what he had found and meet anyone new that he had brought back with him. Although he didn't think any reaction had been quite as excited as Beth's was now, and he'd only been gone half an hour.

As he tramped through the long grass in the meadow behind the house, he had to remind himself to keep an eye out for any stray walkers because he was concentrating on her so much. She was clearly watching him, but checking on the barbecue too.

He thought she looked like a princess locked in a tower and he had to he remind himself that he was no Prince Charming. Or was she Juliet? Searching for her Romeo but she had only found was him.

As he unlocked the front door of the house, he made his decision. He'd see how this date went, he wouldn't try spoil it, he'd even try to live upto Beth's expectations. Maybe she was right, they should try and live a little.

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Thanks to a review from ALCzysz17, I realised what has been missing from the last couple of chapters... Fluff! I hope this chapter had enough to make up for it, I even added a rabbit!

I have reminded myself that I'm writing a Walking Dead Romance, not a horror story and I'm really looking forward to writing their date this weekend.

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Huge thanks to everyone who reviews – This story has just reached 100 which was such a thrill! Please let me know what you think of this.

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21st February 2014 ~ FanOTheFang on Twitter and Tumblr