Hi guys. So in those few weeks that I didn't update, I cranked out a few chapters, and so I'll be uploading those periodically, while still continuing to write. Thank you so much for your positive responses to the last chapter. It was a little controversial, so I was worried about your responses. But thank you so much! I hope you guys enjoy this one. I don't know why I'm so into a sorrowful Daryl right now, but good things are coming for our man, I promise.

Just as a side-note, the title of this is obviously based on the song from last season, and I've been absolutely in love with the Season 4 soundtrack lately. Just a fun fact about my thoughts during this chapter. :)

CHAPTER TEN

The next day Merle woke up with a bone to pick with his brother, to say the least. He had been glad his brother was safe, but that happiness lasted a short time when Beth told him about their kiss. He cornered him after breakfast, before they were planning to leave.

"Got somethin' you wanna tell me?" Merle asked his brother.

Daryl looked at him, confusion on his face. "What're ya talkin' about, Merle?"

"Talked to Beth last night."

Daryl's eyes widened. "Hey listen, it was nothin', man. We were just havin' a fight, nothin' bad happened-"

Daryl's words were cut off when Merle decked him across the face. Daryl's head cracked to the side, and he rubbed his cheek. He looked at Merle incredulously, then his fist slammed into his brother's nose. He hit him fast, and Merle was not expecting it. The stunned man took a step back and surged forward, knocking his brother to the ground.

Merle punched him mercilessly, until Daryl got a hold on his mechanical hand and pulled the older man off of him. He stood up and wiped his mouth that was now dripping blood from a split lip. Merle wretched himself up, and the brothers stared each other down, waiting for the other one to make a move.

The sound of the fight had drawn the attention of Rick and a few others that were outside getting ready. The group watched warily as Rick asked, "What the hell's goin' on?"

Daryl answered, "Nothin' important." He broke eye contact with Merle and walked away. "Let's just get out of here," he growled under his breath.

Merle followed him, feeling the bruise already rising in his cheek where Daryl had hooked him good. "Hey. We're good now, brother. Just needed to get that bit a anger out."

Daryl stared at him angrily. Merle was the one person Daryl was genuinely scared by. His brother, when he was doped up, drunk, and pissed off, had enough anger to burn a city down. But his expression softened as he realized that this display was the closest thing to their old life that they had experienced since the start of this whole thing. Which was pretty pathetic if you asked him. "Yeah. 'M sorry."

"Me too, brother." Merle clapped him on the shoulder, and they went back to readying the cars.

They hit a snag at noon when Glenn's car started pouring black smoke. They stopped the convoy and after further inspection, determined that the car was shot.

The sound of the truck was heard before it was seen. The survivors panicked momentarily, until they silently slid under the cars, closing the hood of the car and pulling their guns under with them. They prayed that the truck would pass them by.

Much to their dismay, the truck rumbled to a stop next to the line of cars.

A powerful voice rang out. "Alright, we search the cars fast and get on our way!" Three pairs of boots dropped from the army vehicle.

Merle had his arm around Beth under the tank, and Daryl was pressed against her other side. They saw a large pair of boots approach the truck and wretch the door open. There was a rustling of the bags and then a water bottle fell from the cab and rolled under the truck. The three's eyes widened and they reached for their guns.

The man's knees were on the ground, then his thighs, then his chest, and finally he was staring the three survivors in the eyes. There was absolute silence for a second, then the man gave them a puzzled look and said, "Now what the hell are ya doin' down here?"

The only answer the man got was Merle's gun in his face.

"Well now I ain't lookin' for trouble. Why don't you folks come out, and we can talk," the man suggested, getting up and offering a hand. Merle didn't take his eyes off the stranger and refused his hand. Daryl and Beth crawled out the other side, and Daryl stepped in front of Beth protectively.

The man was tall, and buff, in an abused army uniform. He was a redhead, with a heavy mustache and commanding eyebrows. "I just wanna talk. Ain't here to hurt ya." Still, he had his hand near the pistol on his hip. He had the audacity to continue, "I'd feel much better if you lowered your guns, though."

"Nah, don't think that's gonna happen," Merle scoffed humorlessly. "Who're you?"

"Name's Sergeant Abraham Ford, US Army. And yours, stranger?"

Merle's gun lowered slightly at the mention of the man's army experience. The man looked like he didn't intend to harm them. Merle didn't answer his question, instead asking another. "What d'ya want?"

The man answered without missing a beat. "Food. Shelter. Safety. But mostly, I want you to answer my question before askin' any of yer own." Tension hung palpable in the air.

A man and woman emerged from behind the vehicle, and Abraham gestured to the cars. "Check under 'em." They pulled out the rest of the group, but did not use force. Rick and Glenn came to stand next to Merle and Daryl.

"Well you aren't gettin' any of that here, so you best be on yer way," Daryl said with force.

"Hey now, I said I didn't want any trouble. Just maybe a mutual gain sorta situation," Abraham suggested. He went on to introduce his two companions. "This is Rosita Espinosa." She was a thin woman with dark hair pulled up behind her head; she couldn't have been more than 25.

"And this man here, is Dr. Eugene Porter. He knows the cure to this shitstorm we're livin' in." Dr. Porter was a larger guy, awkward, with a black mullet that looked straight out of the seventies on a good day.

The survivors' eyes widened at the mention of a cure. They eyed the group warily, and then Glenn lowered his gun. The rest of the men followed suit, seeing that these strangers did not mean any harm.

Rick was the first to speak, telling the new group his name. They went down the line introducing themselves. Abraham offered them a box of granola bars as a peace offering, and they relaxed.

Rosita smiled at Carol holding Judith. "That's a beautiful baby," she commented. The new people acclimated to the group quickly, talking about their time on the road and what had just happened with the prison. Rick asked, "Dr. Porter, you know a cure?"

The man looked startled that someone had addressed him. "Uh, Eugene is just fine. And yes, I've been in contact with DC for a month now. But the radio went dead about a week ago."

"You folks got a plan of your own?" Abraham asked, seeing the obvious distaste in Rick's expression.

"Yeah. Fort Benning."

Abraham was shaking his head. "I was stationed down near there when this all started. Heard wind of Benning gettin' overrun pretty early. We sent out a team of 10 to assess the damage, ya know? Three came back. Wasn't even enough left of the others to bring back. So if I were you, I'd stay the hell away from there."

The group visibly deflated at this information.

"Like I was sayin' before, we're headin' to DC. But its a long trip. And we need people. Firepower. Strength. We could use your group. And it's looking like your best option if ya ask me," Abraham said.

"We'll think about it," Rick said, dubiously. "As for now, we're needing some supplies. You got any gas you can spare?"

Abraham shook his head. "'Fraid not. There's a store a few miles up, could prob'ly syphon some gas from the cars there."

"Alright, we'll head that way in the morning. We'll sleep in the cars tonight," Rick said, acknowledging his group.

They nodded and settled in for the night. Daryl grabbed a blanket from the cab of the truck, and not wanting to sleep inside with Beth and his brother, made himself comfortable in the bed of the truck. Beth glanced at him sadly before crawling into the truck with Merle.

It was the middle of the night when Daryl felt the first few drops of rain. Within minutes the skies had opened and a torrential downpour was soaking the man. He pulled the blanket up over his head and covered his bag. The truck door opened with a loud creak and Beth yelled, "Daryl come in! You're getting soaked!"

Daryl ignored her; the rain was already letting up. He stared out at the road until he felt the truck bed dip and Beth crawled up next to him. He could feel her eyes on him, but he refused to look at her. She put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Hey."

Daryl grunted; technically that wasn't saying anything.

Beth didn't say anything else, just sat next to him while the rain continued to drizzle slowly. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, and soon she began to shiver. But she was not moving until Daryl acknowledged her. She wasn't mad at him; his anger at her was justified.

Her body shook with the chill of the rain until her teeth were chattering. Even if Daryl was a stubborn bastard, he couldn't let the girl freeze out here. He shrugged off the blanket, which was soaked with water, and gave her his warm jacket with an almost inaudible, "Here."

"Thanks," Beth said, smiling lightly at him. Still they did not talk.

But a little while later, Beth felt a light touch on her hand and stiffened to feel Daryl's hand leaning awkwardly against hers.

"I, uh, didn't mean what I said to ya the other day," Daryl said after another minute.

"I know."

"Just tell me. What you said that night, d'you remember it?"

"Merle told me." Beth cringed at her unconscious carelessness. "But if I had known before now, I wouldn't have put you through all that."

"Oh." Daryl took a deep breath. "But you, uh, you meant it for my brother, right?" He trailed off to a mumble, and Beth looked straight ahead, her mind racing on what she should say.

"Daryl.." Beth started, but her voice faded when she saw his expression

"I gotta know."

He looked scared, more scared than she had ever seen him when they were fighting walkers or running for their lives. He deserved the truth. "The truth is, Daryl, I don't know. I love him; I'm sure of it. But you…" Beth reached up and touched his cheek lightly.

Daryl turned away, her hand dropping back into her lap. Their hands were still touching between them, and now Daryl looked down at their fingers. "Yeah." He removed his hand.

Beth gripped his hand, not allowing him to let go. "Daryl. Look at me." He lifted his head level with hers. "I don't what we are. But whatever it is…" Beth sighed. "It's something. Can't that be enough right now? Can't we just hold hands and be friends, but at the end of the night go back to our own beds and not label whatever this is?"

Daryl didn't answer, just pulled his hand from her grasp for real this time. He nodded almost imperceptibly. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

Beth reached after him. "Daryl."

"It's fine. I got it. I'll be back before dawn."

Beth sat alone on the truck bed for the rest of the night. She woke up when Merle got out of the truck and shook the frame. No one else was awake yet; Merle was used to waking up before dawn.

"What are you doin' out here, angel?" He asked, giving her a kiss.

Beth stretched, noticing that Daryl still wasn't back beside her. "I just wanted some air. It gets stuffy in there at night."

Merle nodded and kissed her again before walking into the woods to relieve himself.

Daryl walked out a few yards down from where Merle walked in. He didn't acknowledge Beth climbing out of the back of the truck; instead he walked past her and into the drivers seat. But when Beth turned back around, a small yellow flower was set on the bed of the truck.

What does it all mean?! I wanted to make somewhat of a happy ending to this chapter, and I feel like Daryl is good at subtly saying, "I forgive you." At least for now... ;D Thanks guys!