Daryl

Just a little after dusk when me and Glenn got back from our run, couple days after we left. Took longer than we wanted it to, a big ass herd cut us off and we had to back track and take a different route home. Had to leave the new car we got a few miles down the road from the prison. Walkers everywhere. Didn't see anyone when we came in the fence except for Rick and Michonne in the guard tower. Rick came down and greeted us and then went back up to the tower with Michonne. We went inside, hauling our shit. Everyone in his or her cells for the night already. I took all the stuff Glenn was carrying and he took off to go see his wife, while I went and found Hershel in his cell. I half expected him to be in the other cellblock with the sick instead of resting.

I tapped on the bars of his cell to get his attention. He sat up on his bed and motioned for me to come in, reaching for the bags in my hand. I handed them over and leaned against the wall as he went through them. "Why don't you take a seat, son," Hershel nodded at the spot next to him, setting the bag on the floor in front of him and turning to face me as

I sat down. "Have you seen your brother and Bethie yet?"

"Nah, ain't seen anyone but ya an' Rick."

Hershel smiled at me, "You have time to talk to an old man for a few moments?"

I nodded, watching him from the corner of my eye.

"I've seen the way you and Beth interacted before this relationship business and I see the way you two interact now, how all three of you interact, now. You don't let anyone near you, emotionally or physically, yet my daughter has managed to find her way into yours and Merle's lives."

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him full on. "Ya got a point?"

Hershel laughed. "Patience is a virtue," He chided.

"I ain't got much patience," I admitted.

"I gave you and your brother my blessing to be with my daughter but I have concerns."

Is he going to change his mind about us being with her, has he finally realized neither one of us is good enough for his baby girl?

"Relax, son. You look like I'm about to tell you that you and your brother are to stay away from my daughter and that isn't what I want to say to you."

Goddamn mind reader.

"I know my daughter isn't…innocent. Your brother has a reputation as a bad boy and I'm sure you have had your exploits."

I may not be the brightest but I know where he's going with this shit. "Ya think we're takin' advantage o' her or something?" Takes all I got in me not to stand up and start pacing or hitting something, let alone yelling. "Ain't doin' nothin' she doesn't want. She's in charge o' movin' forward fer anything, we ain't askin' shit from 'er. Least, I ain't. An' Merle ain't like that."

"That's all I needed to hear."

Set my bow and shit down right outside the door to the tower before tapping on the door once, waiting for Beth or Merle to unlock the damn door. Merle opened the door a little ways and grinned when he saw me. "She's asleep," He said, keeping his voice low, and opened the door for me to come all the way in.

"Figured she would be. Didn't 'xpect the run ta take that long, planned on bein' back this afternoon. Ran into a couple o' herds." I grabbed my stuff and went inside, putting it away as I talked quietly.

"Get what the ole man needed?"

"Yea, we did. Got a helluva load. Had ta leave some in the car down the road a few miles."

"Get it in the mornin'."

I nodded in agreement and stripped down to my boxers and tank top, and climbed into the bed next to Beth and Merle climbed into his spot on her other side, suddenly bone tired. She scooted herself so she was close to me as soon as I was in the bed and I felt her legs brush mine before tangling with Merle's. Her body adjusting to ours automatically. I wrapped my arms around her. I haven't slept well the last couple of nights. I know why, now. Cause she wasn't in my arms. I pressed a kiss to her forehead and fell asleep within moments. Her in my arms feels like home.

I woke up to feather light fingers tracing my face, but I stayed completely still, keeping my breathing even.

"I know your awake, Dar." Her voice came out just above that of a breath being let loose.

I opened an eye a little bit, peaking at her, a smirk starting to come into play.

"Ya sure 'm awake?"

"Yea, I'm sure. I know your wake up tell."

"What the hell's a wake up tell?" I opened both eyes to look at her.

"Ya know, the one thing that a person always does as they wake up."

"Everyone's got one, huh? What's mine?"

"Ya sigh real quiet and than you kind of nuzzle your cheek against your pillow for a second."

I looked around the room for Merle, noticing he isn't in the bed behind her; his shoes aren't at the foot of the bed either.

"He got up a bit ago. Said he was gonna go see Glenn." She explained.

Don't know why he went off to see Glenn but I'm not going to try and figure out my brother and his motives behind doing anything. Couldn't figure it out before I'm not going to make any breakthrough now. Figure I might as well enjoy this time with her. "Merle got a tell?" I said, bringing her back to wake up tells.

"'Course he does. His is easy. He scrunches his nose up right before he wakes up." Now that she mentions it, I can see him scrunching his nose up before waking up, as far back as when we were kids and we shared a room, the few times I got up before him. "I missed you." She tucked her face against my chest.

"I missed ya too, baby."

"I was startin' to get worried about ya. I'm glad your home again."

Merle

Me and little brother are the ones who had to take care of the dead in the other cell block. That little blonde kid, always hanging around Mouse and Sugar came running in from the other cellblock, tears running down her face and into Beth's arms, crying that Hershel needs help people died and came back. We left Beth and mini Beth there and took off as she comforted the kid. Little brother and me put down one walker and kept anyone from getting bit, and helped the old man secure all the cells over there. Hershel said he must have been to far gone for the medicine little brother and short-round brought back the other day to have helped him.

Beth

Everyone's quiet and sad. We lost one of the Woodbury folk today cause of that flu. Daddy's been doing research; he thinks the pigs Rick was raising might have caused it. Daddy said he remembered something similar happening awhile back, and found a book on it in the library. Daryl and Rick slaughtered them, feeding them to the walkers. They used the pig's blood as bait and led them really far into the woods away from our fences that were going to give. It gave Ty and the other guy's time to support the fences. I watched from the guard tower. I was so scared for Daryl and Rick out there with the walkers and I was worried about Merle cause the fences weren't holding up very well at all. Daddy's was doing his rounds with the sick, and Carol was taking care of Judith, so I kept an eye from the tower with Carl.

After dinner, we all just kind of say around, not really talking or anything. Me, Merle and Daryl sat together like usual, but on the floor against the wall, my head on Merle's shoulder and Daryl holding my hand loosely. It was starting to darken in the common area when daddy cleared his throat and looked at me, "Bethie. Why don't you sing something for us?"

I looked at him like he was crazy. No way anyone wanted me to sing! I said as much and Maggie and Merle both agreed with daddy, asking me to sing and Daryl squeezed my fingers gently. I looked around at everyone in the room and saw them all nodding or just looking at me. I let my head roll back from Merle's shoulder to be against the wall, staring up at the ceiling while I think of a song. It wouldn't be right to sing something overly happy but I don't want to sing anything sad, either. I finally settled on a song that always reminds me to keep my head up, to keep climbing, no matter what.

"I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying

Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it

But these are the moments that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong

Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!"

I didn't finish singing before Mika left Carol's side to come and sit on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face into my hair. I pulled my hand away from Daryl's, sat up from Merle's shoulder and wrapped my arms around Mika. She hasn't been far from my side or Carol's since what happened while she was visiting Lizzie in the other cellblock. I wish I could protect her, Lizzie, Judith and Carl from seeing the world the way it is now. I wish they could grow up normally. I kept singing once she was settled in my lap.

"There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing

Keep the faith, baby

It's all about, it's all about the climb

Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa"

I felt her tears on my shoulder and eventually her body relaxed as she fell asleep. As Mika fell asleep people started talking quietly to each other and there was even laughter every now and then.

I started to fall asleep after awhile, and I woke up to Merle taking Mika from me amazingly gentle. I blinked wearily at him as Daryl replaced Merle in front of me and before I knew it Daryl was scooping me up in his arms and carrying me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and mumbled, "love you," before falling back to sleep. I think I heard him say it back and kiss my forehead.

A/N: This chapter is a little longer and it has a bit more in it than usual. I hope you guys like it as much as I like it.

This one is especially for my dear friend Beyondmythought-s, who has my back through everything and is seriously the sweetest person I have ever met. Like always this chapter wouldn't be written if it weren't for her and her pushing and prodding and boosting my ego, and telling me that my writing is in fact NOT crap like I keep convincing myself. Thank you for everything! Love you! Thank you for everything!

Oh. Keep an eye out. I'll be posting a two-shot story titled The Call with in the next few days, a prompt from the wonderful Princesspears. And there should be a 3rd chapter for my fic A Little Time In The Tower (also just known as Tower). Keep an eye on my tumbler jazznsmoke for updates and information about all of my stories.

Beyondmythought-s is legit the only reason why I'm posting this. I'm having a bad case of writers block so, I'm sorry if I don't update for a while. I'm getting back into the swing of things again.