We could have kept going! Beth showed her notepad and stifled a yawn.

"Sure," Daryl drawled and examined the cards he had tucked in against him. "Any fours?"

Beth tapped her pen against the picture of the fish she'd drawn earlier.

"Been doing a lot of fishin' lately. Starting to seem like someone might be cheating," Daryl grumbled half-heartedly as he selected a new card off the deck.

Beth batted her eyelashes and tried to look innocent while making sure the four she had definitely wasn't visible. Cheating wasn't particularly Christian but Daryl was unfortunately hilarious when he was losing cards. Besides, loser had to cook dinner.

They were barely a day out from Alexandria, their progress a lot slower returning than what they'd made on the way to Grady. Beth had improved a hundred fold but Daryl was still erring on the side of caution, pulling over to find shelter the second her eyelids began to droop.

And for her part, as eager as Beth was to get home, she wasn't exactly rushing. She was enjoying spending this time with Daryl completely alone without an audience. It was a badly kept secret that they cared for each other but that would become more apparent once they started sharing a bed. Neither of them had decided how things would work when they got back to Alexandria – would she move in with Daryl? Would she move in with Maggie? Would she move into a whole separate space? Regardless of the living situation, Beth felt fairly confident that things would be ok between them.

A warmth had nestled in her chest after his accidental declaration of love. And honestly, how else would Daryl tell her he loved her?

The smile had barely left her face since. And to her pleasant surprise, Daryl hadn't spiralled into self-doubt. Though there were occasions where he was over protective but Beth accepted it as it was intended, with good grace if not a few eye rolls.

"We'll be back home tomorrow," he pointed out idly, after losing the game and heating up a less than appealing can of beans. There were some cucumbers and tomatoes as well, gifts from Grady, that had started to go a bit soft and were on the wrong side of ripe but it was a pleasure to eat anything fresh so they ate them all them same.

I'm looking forward to it.

"You ready?" he asked, spooning more beans into her bowl than his. She scooped them back into his when his back was turned to get what remained of the vegetables.

Why wouldn't I be?

"Because you've been through a lot and I want to make sure you're prepared to be surrounded by people who can actually see and talk to you."

Talk? Beth wrote snidely and pointed at her throat.

Daryl shot her a withering look. "You know well and good what I meant. Besides, you'll be talking in no time."

Beth didn't necessarily share Daryl's confidence in this assertion. She was finding sounds easier and easier to manage, which Daryl interpreted as the return of her ability to speak. Beth wasn't as certain but she also minded less and less. She was able to write and as Daryl had put it, she had a plenty expressive face.

She'd miss singing though, and the one thought that gave her pause, was that she wouldn't be able to sing lullabies to Maggie and Glenn's baby.

I'm ready!

"Judging by the amount of exclamation marks you used, I'm guessing your mind is made up."

Beth added a few more exclamation marks for good measure.

"Ok, was just asking. And don't think I didn't see you sneak the food back onto my plate."

Beth shrugged and began eating, while Daryl shook his head in fond exasperation.

…

A year back, Daryl would have told anyone that asked that he didn't believe in magic or ghosts or hoodoo. Now, experience had made him slightly more open minded on the topic but he still would have told them that regardless, he thought psychics were a crock of shit.

But when he came across the fallen tree in the middle of the road, he experienced a premonition so strong it rattled his bones. This was no act of fate or nature but by design and he'd seen enough movies to know that whenever someone went around cutting down trees, it never ended well for the protagonists.

"I don't like this," he murmured to Beth, whose tense shoulders and cagey surveillance of the tree line indicated she agreed with him.

Beth pointed behind them, suggesting they go back the way they came and find a new path forward. It was frustrating. Alexandria was forty minutes ahead of them. Still, a delay was better than dead. Daryl would go another 100 days out of the way to ensure Beth's survival.

That might cause her to protest. She'd been infinitely patient with what could be called overbearing protectiveness. But people were mortal, they could be killed. She could be killed.

But Beth was a survivor and he knew better than most that she hated being treated like a helpless child. Maybe it was because she understood that he was trying to protect himself as much as her. His soul felt fragile after confessing that he was in love with her, as if his affection for her had made him so much better than what he was. It had spun him into fine crystal at risk of being shattered at any point.

"We'll go back," he announced both to her and nobody in particular.

The truck rumbled backwards a few paces before there was a small explosion of sound and the truck dipped on the back left-hand corner.

Daryl cursed, it was the wheel of the truck. They could drive with one wheel blown out but nowhere fast. And if there were vehicles patrolling what he was fairly certain was a trap, then they might need to get out of there quickly.

Daryl was weighing his options frantically, knowing they couldn't stay there much longer when a piece of paper was shoved under his nose.

Bike?

"Can you hold on?"

Beth grimaced but nodded.

"Alright," Daryl agreed tersely and the pair of them went into action. Beth grabbing backpacks and weapons, while Daryl jumped up on the back of the truck to lower the ramp.

Beth let out a small yelp of pain and it flooded Daryl with so much adrenaline that he basically materialised by her side.

"What?"

Beth used his shoulder to balance and then studied the underside of her boot. She had stepped on a nail but the sole of her shoe had prevented the brunt of it. With a hiss, she yanked it out and mouthed 'what the fuck?'

Daryl wanted to fuss around her but knew he couldn't. He squeezed her shoulder and went back to work but he'd barely taken a step himself when he saw another nail on the ground and the more he stared, the more he saw. The road on their side of the tree was not as bad, a few stray nails and screws here and there; but on the other side of the tree they caught the sun in the thousands.

It seemed like the trap was set up to target any one leaving Alexandria. The tree was to make them stop, the shrapnel would ensure they wouldn't retreat very far.

"We have to go, Beth," Daryl grunted as a piercing sound whistled through the trees, forcing him to duck. It was a bullet and it passed over their heads safely.

Another shot echoed and Daryl swore again and loudly. They'd finally attracted the attention of whoever had designed this snare.

Beth was pressed against the side of the truck taking cover while Daryl tried to assess where the bullets were coming from. Whoever it was, they weren't a great shot. The bullets were flying erratically past them with no thought to aim or conserve ammo. Not that it made Daryl less worried – all they needed was a bit of dumb luck and he and Beth would be injured or worse.

Their assailants had the upper hand and they were making enough of a ruckus that walkers would be heading in their direction soon. It was possible it might attract assistance from Alexandria too but Daryl couldn't afford to wait. They needed to get back in the truck and drive. If they followed in cars, they could deal with that problem then.

"Back in the truck!" he called to Beth, who was already scrambling at the door handle without his shouted instructions.

He was waiting until there was a pause in the shooting to make his break for the driver's side when sheer mathematics steered the odds in the gunman's favour. A bullet tore through the windows of the truck and struck Beth.

It happened in slow motion. Daryl heard the noise and he saw the pain on her face as her shoulder jerked back, spinning her to the ground. Daryl's vision swum red as he watched her crumple before him.

He snatched up his crossbow and stood upright, sighting into the trees with no regard for his own safety. A bullet ripped the air above him, lack of skill keeping his head in one piece but he spotted the gunman. He could only see one though he was confident there were more people with weapons in those trees.

Sighting down the weapon, an icy numbness rising inside him, Daryl released an arrow and saw with furious satisfaction that it struck his target.

There were howls of despair as the gunman went down and the woods came alive with surging attackers, shrieking and brandishing weapons. Daryl was ready to take them all on until sanity came rushing back to him in the form of Beth grabbing his elbow, dragging him back towards the truck.

She was bleeding from her shoulder but it had cut into the top of her skin only. She was hurt but she would be fine. Beth's mouth was sealed into a thin line of pain and determination as she shoved him forcefully towards the driver's seat and clambered into the passenger's side.

Daryl slammed the truck into reverse and it squealed and puttered and protested but they moved. People spilled out into the street, and even from a distance Daryl would see the Ws etched into their foreheads.

They had to warn Alexandria somehow but they weren't going to do that until Beth's wounds were treated. She wouldn't abide being left behind and the smell of blood would have walkers on them like sharks in the ocean.

Daryl drove them to a place Aaron had showed him during one of their many scouting trips. It had been a research facility to study wildlife. It was easy to go past, it blended into its surroundings by design. Upon first seeing it, Daryl had scoffed. How were you supposed to come to understand animals if you sealed yourself away from them? Still it proved an effective place to hide additional supplies, weapons and a medical kit or two.

Daryl parked the truck in the least obvious spot he could find and rushed around to help Beth out but she was already stumbling on her legs.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and ignored the groaned protests as she tried to swat him away.

"Don't be stubborn," he chided, trying to stay calm as her blood made her shirt sticky to touch. That admonishment earned her cooperation.

He locked the door behind him and was relieved to see not much had changed, a little less food than last time maybe but the first aid kit was still on a bench next to a bunch of obsolete computer equipment. He opened it and was disappointed to find it was basic. A couple of ice packs, a few bandages, some baby wipes, and not much more.

Beth slumped into a chair, eyes closing much to his panic. "Beth, stay awake."

Shock and possibly blood loss were taking their toll. He cracked a bottle of water and made her take a few small sips.

"I'll stop the bleeding and then we'll get some food in you."

Daryl washed the wound as best he could, hoping any dirt would be flushed out, and then he pressed one of the larger Band-Aids against it. The gash was neat as far as these things went and if she got stitches the scar might be barely noticeable.

Beth winced in pain and as much as that struck at Daryl, he didn't let up until he'd tied a bandage tightly around her shoulder and bicep. Between the bullet and his tugging and ripping, the shirt she was wearing was a mess.

Daryl retrieved their backpacks from the truck, which had a few new holes to brag about. There were some spare clothes in the pack and he handed Beth her pen and notebook.

"I want you to eat something if you can manage it." He had riffled around in their food supplies for a candy bar.

Beth took it without objection and started to eat, scrawling something with her other hand.

I'm ok, she insisted.

Daryl's pounding heart rate said differently but it was beginning to even out now that they weren't being shot at and now she was still alive.

I just want to get this blood off me. Standing, Beth wrinkled her nose and tugged at the shirt, lifting it over her head as best she could.

Daryl passed her the wipes from the first kit and gingerly took the ruined shirt. "Should I just burn it?"

Beth was too preoccupied with cleaning herself to respond. Now that the immediate medical situation had been taken care of, perhaps this was unnecessary but Daryl found that for every bit of blood she wiped away from her skin, he could breathe easier. He did not like seeing her like that; it reminded him too much of how she'd felt in his arms, unmoving with blood streaked across her forehead.

With shaky hands, Daryl brushed hair back from Beth's face cupping her cheek in his palm. Her eyes were bright now and she was trembling against him.

Daryl started to mumble some comforting platitudes when her lips crashed into his, taking him entirely by surprise. He rocked back on to his heels, arms falling by his side as his senses were assaulted by all things Beth. Her hair against his face, the smell of her, the heat of her chest against his.

She broke the kiss and began pulling at his shirt. Overwhelmed and mind reeling, he tried to capture her wrists in his hands. "Beth, what-"

He didn't get to finish that sentence as her mouth slanted over his again, fingers tangling in his hair. Unable to think straight, he abandoned logic and leaned into her, winding his arms around her waist, feeling the curve and slopes of her body. Her skin was hot to the touch where she had scrubbed it clean. At some point his shirt had joined hers on the ground.

She kissed down his neck, nipping at his pulse point hard enough to make him gasp. Her fingers found his belt and grappled it free.

Daryl wanted nothing more in the world than to follow her lead but she'd just had a near brush with death and she was injured.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he managed to rasp, creating a few inches of space between them.

Her eyes flashed with frustration and desire. Of course she couldn't answer but she pushed him back into the chair she had been sitting in. She was stronger than Daryl expected or maybe he just hadn't wanted to put up any resistance.

Beth locked her eyes with his and then her bra fell to the ground. He couldn't summon any will to stall for time. Her pants followed soon after and then she was in his lap, using the unexpected height advantage to kiss him so thoroughly his lips burned.

She had a completely willing partner in Daryl, his fear and worry wilting away in the face of the wonder that was Beth as their adrenaline, life and need for each other urged them on.

With fumbling hands they both navigated the zip and button of his pants, impatiently pushing his underwear out of the way.

When Beth wrapped her hand around him, his head fell backward. One hand was digging tightly into Beth's thigh while the other grasped at the chair. She was completely in charge of him and Daryl would have gladly worship the ground she walked on as she slid down the length of him.

At the same time his brain registered they had bypassed foreplay completely, it assured him they would more than make up for it another time.

There was nothing romantic about the way they clutched at each other's bodies, or the urgent ebb and flow of their movements. It was simpler than that. It was primal and intense. There was love there but survival more so.

They had cheated death again and they were celebrating their aliveness in the oldest way possible.

Beth's nails dipped into the skin of his shoulders as her hips bore down on his.

It was over faster than either of them would have liked, Beth's climax dominoing into his as she moaned her pleasure against his neck.

Beth was breathing heavily, lashes damp with tears as Daryl lined her cheeks with soft, adoring kisses.

"Da-"

He froze with his mouth against her ear. He shifted back in the chair to stare at her with wide eyes.

Beth licked her lips and tried to speak again. "Daryl."

Nothing more. Just his name but it was the most perfect sound in the whole world.

…

Beth's shoulder ached and her legs were shaking as they lay on the ground. Daryl's jacket had turned into makeshift blanket. They'd been in the little hide away almost an hour now and they needed to head back to Alexandria.

But they figured they were allowed to take five minutes to process what they'd done. She was completely naked but he had his pants on. His fingers were gently tracking through her hair, occasionally brushing against the scar the bullet had left in its wake.

Beth had attempted more words after saying his name but they proved elusive. She would settle for this tiny bit of progress.

"We should go," Daryl suggested for the seventh time. Neither of them moved. Beth suspected it was because both of them knew that stepping outside would be putting them both back into danger. There was no telling where else those assholes has set up traps.

There were a few different ways to get to Alexandria but the township only had one entrance and while the trap had been rudimentary and sloppy, if their enemy had a half a brain, they'd be watching it closely.

Beth let out a low sigh. Delaying it wouldn't make the situation any better. She was reaching for her shirt when the door flung open.

Daryl scrambled for the crossbow at the same time Beth reached for her knife, knowing that whoever the intruder was they had the jump on them.

"Daryl?" the voice was more confused than aggressive and Beth quickly realised she was looking up at Aaron.

She immediately abandoned the search for her knife and instead focused on covering her body with the jacket.

"Aaron, what's going on?" A second person followed Aaron in. Beth recognised him as Heath, a scout from Alexandria. Spotting Beth for the first time, he turned his gaze immediately towards the ceiling.

Aaron was a little more taken back by the sight of the blonde to think to give either of them privacy.

"Aaron!" Daryl finally snapped.

"It's really you?" Aaron grinned. "It worked!" While Aaron's delight was obvious, Beth would've been more pleased to see him, if she was wearing underwear.

"Can we get a minute," Daryl growled, throwing his shirt on and gathering Beth's clothes.

It finally occurred to Aaron that she was naked and he had the grace to look embarrassed, taking his cue from Heath who was trying to edge out of the room while staring determinedly at the roof.

"Of course!"

Beth dressed quickly while Daryl muttered to himself. "Never gonna hear the end of this."

He was right. Aaron was still grinning when they finally emerged clothed. "You guys couldn't even wait to get back to Alexandria?"

Daryl glared at Aaron but he was too busy hugging Beth to see it.

Beth returned the embrace with vigour. It was strange to finally be there with someone she'd grown to know so well, who had never known her with a pulse before now. She had a million things to say to the man who had been her friend and they all sat on the tip of her tongue.

"You're even prettier in 3D," he teased, releasing her eventually.

"We were headed back to Alexandria but remember those fuckers from the attack?" Daryl interjected. "They put a tree across the road and ambushed us."

"Are you alright?" Aaron asked with concern, finally catching a glimpse of the bandage on Beth's shoulder. She nodded and squeezed his arm reassuringly.

"I should explain–Beth can't talk very much at the moment," Daryl announced with no lead in. "Side effect of being shot."

Beth wrinkled her nose at the tactless way Daryl told everyone.

"What?" Heath finally spoke, obviously perplexed by this new girl and her medical issues.

Daryl barrelled on as if Heath hadn't said anything. "We need to get inside Alexandria without being seen."

Aaron's eyebrows drew together in consideration. "I think I have a perfect way in."