Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking.

If Beth and Daryl grew up together.
If they met before the apocalypse.
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl.

Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.

Part 10
The life and Times of Carl Grimes

Daryl's been carrying himself like a dead man. Rick notices it, Glenn notices it, hell even Carol notices it.

Everyone sees him sulking more than usual and staying as far away from the group as he can manage. Carl is the one that finally says something about it.

"I think Daryl and Beth are fighting," Carl mentions to Rick one day.

They have been searching for Sophia at all hours. Sending out search parties to scope areas of the woods. No one has found her. Out of all of them Daryl is the one who stays out the most. Doesn't come back until it's dark and then leaves again when the sun is just rising.

Rick looks down at his son and raises an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

Carl looks over to where Beth is doing laundry. She has a focused look on her face, her nose scrunched up as she vigorously scrubs at a blood stained shirt.

"Well," Carl begins, "When they found me in the woods they got into a huge fight. They screamed at each other. Beth grabbed me and we walked off when it was finished."

Rick nods in understanding. He didn't get the odd pair. Beth was like a breath of fresh air. A light breeze on a summers day. And then there was Daryl. Who resembled a lone wolf. A crack in the fire in the dead of night.

Rick looks over to where Beth is cleaning. It makes sense that they had fought. It happens, is what Rick thinks to himself, him and Lori have gotten into spats. Nothing that they couldn't get over in a few days.

Carl leans forward and Rick is drawn back to look at his son.

"Daryl told Beth that he doesn't care what happens to her," Carl says softly. There isn't anyone around to eavesdrop on them. There is something about an 11 year old boy gossiping that makes Rick want to smile.

"It was bad," Carl concludes. He leans away from his dad and then scans the area around them.

"Is love that complicated?" He asks shyly, "I mean... When you love someone. Do you fight with them?"

Rick scratches his chin in thought. Yeah, you fight. Sometimes over the little things. Sometimes over the big ones. But in this world there could be a million more reasons. Fear. fear could drive anyone to say anything.

Rick leans downward so he is eye level with Carl.

"I think," Rick says, "That when you love someone as much as Daryl loves Beth you would do anything to protect them. No one lives forever, especially now. Life is something that can be taken quickly- suddenly."

Rick lets the seep into his son's brain before continuing, "I don't think he yelled at Beth to hurt her, Carl. He's just afraid."

"Are you afraid?" Carl asks looking at his dad seriously.

Rick thinks about that. Of course he does. How do you tell someone that looks up to you that you are terrified? Scared out of your mind?

Rick nods then, because it's better to tell the truth than to lie. "Of course I am, son. Everyone is afraid. Just depends on what you do with that fear that matters."

Carl nods and accepts that answer for everything that it is.

"Do you think they will make up?" He asks looking over to beth once again.

Rick shrugs, "I don't know. They might need to figure it out on their own. Or they might need a push."

Csrl looks at his dad and then a smile grows on his face.

"Do you think we can help them?" Carl asks excitedly.

"What you want to set them up or something?" Rick asks in amusement. Carl nods feverishly.

"Son, there are a lot more things that need to be done on this farm other than setting Daryl and Beth up together. What about Sophia? She is still missing out there," Rick states.

Carl's face falls suddenly and Rick knows that he said the wrong thing.

'He wants to keep his mind off it,' Rick thinks, 'He's just a kid. He's scared.'

"We will find her," Rick says with conviction. He pats his son's shoulder. "Why don't you go play matchmaker? I can call you over if I need help. Okay?"

Carl nods slowly and flashes his dad a half smile before taking off in the direction of beth.

'He's just a kid,' Rick reminds himself again, 'Just a kid.'

XxxxXXXxxCcCcCCXXZZ

Beth is pretty sure that if she rubs the shirt in her hands any harder than it will rip apart.

She's frustrated. Of course she is. Daryl is being a dick, Sophia is missing, her dad seems to be onto her secret, and Maggie is definitely fucking Glenn behind everyone's backs.

It's complicated. It's getting really complicated.

'When did my life become a daytime drama?' Beth wonders as she looks down to the shirt in her hand.

Probably the moment she walked out her front door and met Daryl Dixon.

She sighs heavily and drops the shirt into the bucket of soapy water. It thuds against the plastic and sinks to the bottom.

"Hey, Beth," a small voice says from beside her.

Beth looks down to see Carl Grimes standing next to her. His eyes are wide and happy and a smile is playing on his lips. He almost looks like he has a secret hidden in his little brain.

"Hey, Carl," beth replies. She plucks on her best fake smile as she looks at him. "What's goin' on?"

Carl sways back and forth. "Oh nothing. Just wanted to see what you're up to," he replies.

'Little liar.'

"What is it Carl? It looks like you have a something you wanna say," Beth says this lightly and teasingly.

Carl looks horror struck at her words.

"Oh... Um... It's nothing!" He says quickly. Beth almost smiles at the way his cheeks turn red.

"What is it?" Beth asks sweetly, "I won't judge. Honest! Ask me anything."

Carl considers this for a moment. He scratches his chin just like his father does when he is in thought.

"Do you and Daryl love each other?" he asks nervously.

Beth's eyes widen at that.

"Well..." She begins and then falls silent.

Carl speaks up for her, "Well my dad told me that sometimes when you love someone you get into fights because you're scared."

Beth gets it then. Immediately it clicks. Carl is worried about her. Worried about how she feels after the way Daryl yelled at her in the woods the other day.

Sure she's upset. Yeah, of course she is. But she gets it. That time that she was alone she was terrified. Scared out of her mind that everyone she knows was dead. Even Daryl. And that was the worst part.

Beth bends her knees and lowers herself in front of Carl.

"A smart man told me recently that love is really complicated," she says this softly and with a small light smile. She takes one of Carl's hands into her own and squeezes it gently.

"It can make you feel a lot of things. Maybe he's just scared," Beth says with a shrug, "I don't know. But you don't have to worry about it. If I've made it this far then I think I can deal with Daryl Dixon." Beth winks at Carl before releasing his hand and standing up.

"Is it true you grew up together?" Carl asks, "I heard Maggie say something like that to my mom."

'Damn that girl really loves talking.'

Beth nods, "I did grow up with him."

She returns her attention to the bucket of clothes and continues to clean.

Carl moves closer to her so he can talk to her as she works.

"What was he like?" Carl asks, "before?" Before Beth can answer that question, he is asking another loudly, "What were you like before?"

Beth smiles over to Carl then says,

"I was a wild child. Used to run around the forest in my spare time. Daryl beside me. We grew up next door. Thick as thieves. My.. My mom wasn't too good to me, so Daryl and his daddy used to take care of me a lot."

Carl nods beside her and continues to watch and listen as Beth scrubs clothes rhythmically.

"A lot can happen in a few years. Daryl and I fell apart. I made a mistake. Jumped a gun and said something that really hurt him. Scared him even. I lost a good friend," Beth says with a shrug, "It happens."

"Is that why he is angry?" Carl asks tilting his head up to beth.

She shrugs, "I don't know. There is a lot to be upset about." She pauses her cleaning. "I think that.. When you grow up and watch someone you love fall apart and eventually die, it changes you. And when you lose another person not far after that it really changes you. Plus, the only adult figure in your life is a bad person. Getting into trouble left and right. It can make it hard for you to feel things. You just go numb after a while."

Carl quietly asks, "Is that what happened to Daryl?"

Beth looks down to the boy with sad eyes. She nods and then returns to her clothing.

"Everyone is different, Carl," she states, "Everyone deals with pain differently."

Carl nods as if he gets it. He probably does. He may be young but he sees it. Sees the way people are. He sees the way Andrea is, standing off from everyone, flipping like a coin on Dale or Lori. He understands it as well as any adult would.

"Are you two gonna make up?" Carl asks.

Beth looks down to the boy and nods, "yeah. We will. Not before I give him a piece of my mind, of course."

Carl smiles wide at that. He thinks that's a good idea.

xxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXx

Carl doesn't find Daryl until it is dark outside. Rick side eyes him as he crawls out of his tent to go confront the older man.

"What?"Carl asks innocently, "I have to pee."

Rick shrugs comically and then waves his son off. He knows perfectly well that Carl does not need to use the bathroom. But he isn't worried. He trusts Daryl as much as he trusts himself.

Carl scurries off into the night to where Daryl and Beth have their tents set up. He runs up to the small fire and sees Daryl sitting in the dark by himself.

The gruff man looks up to Carl and nods.

"Beth ain't here," he says roughly, "Probably up at the farmhouse or somethin'"

Carl sits down across the fire from Daryl and ignores the confused look the older man gives him.

"I actually wanted to talk to you," Carl says.

"Shoot," daryl grunts out. He chews his thumb as he looks across the fire to Carl.

Well, shit.

He didn't think he would actually get this far.

He can't be as blunt with his questions as he was with Beth. Daryl is like a feral cat. You stroke it the wrong way and the thing goes wild.

Carl scratches his chin in thought. Then an idea comes to him. They think he's just some kid right?

'I'll just play the role' he decides.

"Are you and Beth together?" Carl asks trying to sound innocent and curious.

"What you mean?" Daryl grunts out.

Carl smiles wide internally but keeps his face as straight as he can.

"Are you two.. You know... Like my mom and dad?"

Daryls eyes almost pop out of his head.

"We ain't married if that's what you're askin'?" Daryl grunts out.

"Hm, so you wouldn't mind if beth and say... Shane got together?"

It was the first person to pop in his head. Of course he knows that Beth and Shane aren't going to get together. In fact, he is doing all of this so that Beth and Daryl will finally get together. He just hopes he does it right. He is only 11.

Daryl's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "Whats that mean?" He asks roughly.

Carl continues to play innocent.

"Well," Carl says, "I saw them talking today" (which isn't true) "and they both seem pretty close."

Daryl's eyes narrow more and more with each word.

"She can do what she wants," he grunts and then chews on his thumb with a new intensity.

"You sure?" Carl asks dragging out the last syllable more than he should.

Daryl stops chewing his thumb and looks at Carl. Something close to amusement is on his face.

"Boy," Saryl starts, "you tryin to make me jealous or somethin?"

Carl realizes that he just lost his chance to do this subtly.

He sighs loudly, "I just think that Beth deserves to be happy. She's been pretty upset since that thing that happened in the woods."

Daryl stills and his face falters.

"I can't make her happy, kid," Daryl states.

Carl shakes his head in disagreement.

"Why are you doing that?" Carl asks as he continues to stare at Daryl over the fire.

Daryl raises his eyebrows, "What?"

"Acting tough. Like you don't feel anything. It's just one person out of the whole world. I think everyone will still think your a badass if you date Beth."

"Don't swear, boy. And there ain't no such thing as datin' in the end of the world," Daryl drawls out.

Carl sighs loudly.

"That's all the more reason! You could die tomorrow! Beth could die tomorrow! I could do tomorrow!" Carl says loudly, "Why fight?"

Carl feels himself growing more and more upset by each word.

"I just want everyone to be happy," Carl says darkly. He looks down at the ground sadly.

Daryl sighs, "I was a dick,I know."

Carl looks back up to Daryl across the fire.

"I'll fix it okay?" Daryl asks looking Carl in the eyes, "Okay?"

Carl nods his face lifting from its earlier sad expression.

"Get some sleep now," Daryl insists, "Go on. I'll take to Beth. I promise."

Carl looks at Daryl as if he doesn't believe him.

"Promise?" Carl asks.

Daryl sighs loudly and stands from the fire. He kicks some dirt over it shrowdkng them in darkneS.

"I'll go right now. C'mom," Daryl says before nodding in the direction of the farm.

Carl smiles brightly and nods.

They start walking across the field Carl keeping step beside Daryl.

When they get to Rick they stop.

Carl looks at daryl, "You gotta talk to her, okay?"

Daryl nods before ruffling some of Carl's hair.

"I'm goin," he says. He nods towards Rick before walking away from the tents and heading towards the farmhouse.

Carl smiles happily and sits down across from his father.

"What was that about?" Rick asks a knowing smirk on his face.

"Just wanted to make things right," Carl tells him with a shrug.

Rick wonders when his son became an expert in love.

XXxXxXxXxxXxXxXx

Beth is sitting in the living room of the farmhouse when there is a knock at the front door. Maggie, who is sitting beside her with a cup of tea in her hand, looks up in confusion.

"Wonder who that is," she says looking over to Beth.

Maggie stands from the couch and places her cup of tea on the coffee table. She makes her way over to the front door and pulls it open.

"Oh," Maggie says lightly, "Hey, Daryl."

Beth stands from the couch and peaks around Maggie to see Daryl. He grunts out a response.

"Can I talk to Beth?" He asks looking over Maggie's shoulder towards the blonde girl in front of him.

Beth nods to him.

"I'll see you later, Maggie," Beth says. She walks past her sister and gives her a reassuring look before stepping out of the farm house and onto the front porch.

The night is quiet and warm. The buzzing of cicadas is the only sound accompanying them.

Daryl leans against the porch railing and shoves his hands into his pockets.

"I've been an idiot," he says in a low grunt, "an asshole."

Beth tilts her head to the side and watches him.

He brings one of his hands up to his lips and chews on his thumb.

"I've been... I've been treatin' you bad since you found us," he says gently. He shakes his head and let's his hand fall to his side.

"When you left," he says gently, "I went off with merle. You know? After my dad died. We just took off. Spent our time driving around Georgia. Doing whatever Merle wanted to do that day. Sellin' drugs, breaking into stores, bein' fuckin' stupid."

Beth doesn't make a move to say anything as she watches him.

"I'm a dick," he says, "I know."

He looks up to Beth and let's out a long low sigh.

"I didn't mean to treat you so bad," he says darkly, "Just don't know how to be with you anymore."

Beth steps forward then hesitates.

"I regret it," he says gently, "all the shit Merle and I did. I kept thinkin' maybe, maybe we'll run into Beth again. Maybe she'll kick my ass into shape. Maybe she'll see what we're doin' and she'll force me to come home with her."

He goes silent at that. Beth steps forward again and reaches out to him.

Her hands fall onto his wrists and pulls his hands up and into her own.

"I'm sorry," he whispers so softly that Beth isn't sure if he actually said it, "Don't hate you, Beth."

She nods and smiles weakly up to him.

"I know. I know you don't."

"Scared the hell out of me, girl," he says gently looking into her crystal blue eyes, "When that walker fell on you..."

Beth nods in understanding.

"I know." She whispers out.

"Scared I'd lose you again," he rumbles.

Beth nods and takes another step forward, "I know."

She kisses him. It's nothing really, just a kiss. But in that moment it means everything.

And, it's almost like they have done this their entire lives. And maybe they have. The looks, the touches, the whispers. Maybe they have been kissing each other ever since they met. Maybe it just took until now for both of them to realize it. For Daryl to realize it.

She drops his hands and brings her arms up to hold onto the front of his shirt.

Her lips are warm and soft against his. He isn't sure what to do. He's kissed girls before yeah, but not Beth Shay. No- no girl like Beth Shay.

He raises his hands hesitantly and brings them up to cup her face. It's slow and hesitant. And it takes several moments before Daryl begins to ease his lips against hers.

Soon their opening their lips against each other. Beth sighs into his mouth and Daryl's head begins to swim.

He's kissing her and she's kissing him, and it feels like everything finally makes sense. Like all of the fighting and yelling and hurting, actually meant something.

He may not be able to say what. Maybe not now, but he knows that if he has the ability to love anyone, which he is still trying to figure out, then he is indefinitely in love with Beth.

He rubs his calloused thumbs across the soft expanse of her cheeks.

When Beth slips her tongue into his mouth a fire starts in his veins. As if she has just breathed life into him.

He kisses her back. Hard and soft all at once. Warm and intense.

He pulls her closer with his hands and Beth digs her fingers into his chest. Like if she let go then he would disappear. Maybe he would. Maybe he would float away into oblivion if he stops kissing her.

When they slowly pull apart their lips remain inches from each other's. Daryl rests his forehead against Beth's and let's out a shaky breath.

"You're all I got left," Daryl whispers.

Beth smiles and then presses her lips up against his again.

"I know," she responds.

And Daryl thinks that she's always known. And she will always know. No matter what.

He pulls back to wrap his arms around her shoulders tightly. She falls into his chest and melts against him.

She wraps her arms around his waist tightly and rests her cheek over his heart.

"I told Carl I would give you a piece of my mind when I saw you," Beth whispers against his chest.

Daryl lets out a rare chuckle that vibrates his whole body.

Beth smiles and pulls back slightly so she can look up at him.

She pulls out of his arms and then lifts her hand to smack his arm.

He raises an amused eyebrow at her.

"That's for yelling at me," she says a small smile on her face.

He shrugs, "I'm a dick."

"I know," Beth giggles out.

Daryl rolls his eyes. He lifts his arms to her waist and lifts her off of the ground in a swift motion.

Beth lets out a small shriek before dissolving into laughter.

Daryl hoists her onto his shoulder and starts to carry her back to their tents.

"Heavier than you look," he grunts out teasingly.

Beth smacks his back lightly and then laughs loudly.

xx

Rick sits by Carl as they watch Daryl and Beth on the porch.

"Did good," Rick says gently nudging his son. Carl smiles wide and shrugs at his dad.

"Just needed a little push, right?"

Rick smiles at his son and ruffles his hair.

A shriek comes from the porch followed by a laugh. They both look towards Daryl and Beth.

"Gonna wake the dead," Rick says jokingly. Carl laughs happily.

Suddenly another scream draws them all up from were they are sitting. Rick looks to Daryl who has brought Beth back down the the ground. He places his hand onto his knife readily.

Glenn comes into view running full speed towards the camp.

"Walkers in the barn!" He yells as he sprints towards Rick.

"They're keeping walkers in the barn!"

Ricks mouth falls open in shock.

The farm isn't safe... The farm isn't safe.

ahhh finally!
I know alot of people were upset with the fight in the last chapter but I think that it was really necessary. There are years and years of feelings between the two of them that needed to come out. Plus they both feel like the other betrayed them so they needed to understand the other person, you know? Anyway, the fighting is mostly over and now we are moving onto romanceeee and some bad stuff. (:

Let me know what you think!

Shout out to my amazing beta: yourroyalyaverageprincess