Ch. 21

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Daryl immediately went and found Beth and told her what Carol had said. It took a weight off him to have someone to bounce things off, and while they were both upset that she'd kept it a secret, neither thought it would do any good to tell the group. Lizzie was dead, and Carol was dealing with the guilt of the whole thing while trying to keep Mika together. She didn't need any other troubles.

So Daryl and Beth kept her secret, but they also decided to keep a close eye on things where Carol was concerned. All the losses she'd experienced were bound to take a toll on her.

The two weeks following Lizzie's death were somber around the prison. It had been a while since they'd experienced a walker-related death—and the first death like hers. The only thing that perked Beth up was the picture Glenn had snapped of them all together. She took the picture of the three of them and set it on their bedside table. He liked waking up to that.

Since Daryl hadn't been back on watch, he walked the fence several times a day, taking care of the random walker that got past their defenses. He'd even started making regular trips into the tombs to make sure all the doors were secure.

It was getting warmer, and Daryl knew that they were going to start planting the garden soon. Georgia soil was good for planting just about anything, and he figured they'd need to make a run before too long to pick up supplies.

A few days after that thought popped into his head, Rick approached him about taking an extended run to gather up gardening supplies and more canning tools. He wanted the garden to be even bigger than last year's, which was a good idea considering they had a few more mouths to feed.

They agreed that they'd take a day to plan out the run with the map they had in one of the trucks and give everyone time to add things to their list.

"Ya think Odessa needs anythin' new?" Rick asked as they walked across the prison yard.

"I'm sure. She's still got plenty of clothes but could probably use some more baby stuff. Does Judith need stuff?"

"Clothes," Rick answered. "She's growin' so fast. Maybe a few toys meant for older kids, ya know?"

"Yeah, we'll get Beth to make us a list of all that stuff," he said and rubbed his chin.

"Probably could use some more of everything really. Just hate that it's so warm and they seem so active. That's a lot of risk-headin' out into it."

Daryl shrugged. "What was it Hershel yelled about when everyone was sick? 'Ya risk your life no matter what, but at least we can decide what we risk it for.' I'll risk it for my family. They need things to survive, and neither one of them are in the position to go out themselves, so I'll go. You'll go to take care of yours. Others will go because they're doin' their part to help someone they care about survive. That's all this is, Rick. Just gotta figure out what you're willin' to risk your life for, and then everythin' else just sorta falls into place."

Rick stared at him for a minute. "When'd you get so philosophical?"

"Always thinkin' shit like this. Just never say it."

"Ya should talk more."

"That was Hershel talkin'. I just took his words and made 'em work for this."

Rick looked him over once more before shaking his head. "Ya still don't take compliments well."

"Well, I gotta go tell Beth about this run and see what she and 'Dessa need."

Rick just smirked. "I'll see ya around."

Beth wasn't exactly pleased that he'd be leaving for a couple of days, but she didn't pitch a fit. It wasn't like he was running off to do something stupid. She was just worried about him coming back, which he knew and understood well.

He was worried about making it back, too, but he'd never let her know. Some things just needed to be kept close to the chest. He was sure Beth had a few things she didn't tell him, so he wouldn't worry more than he had to, as well.

The day of the run, Daryl woke up before he really needed to. His mind had been racing all night, so he hadn't got much sleep. With a sigh, he squeezed Beth to him and nuzzled into her hair.

He wasted no time skimming his hand under her shirt to cup her tits. She wiggled back against him as she turned her head.

"Figure you need a good sendoff?" she asked, smiling softly over her shoulder.

"Just want ya," he answered. "Always want ya." That one came out much quieter.

Beth hummed and kissed his jaw as he removed his hand from under her shirt and pulled off his jeans. When he rolled back into place, he took her leg and raised it up over his, wrapped his hand around her waist, and pulled her back flush against his chest.

"I like it when ya wear just my shirt," he whispered.

She almost spoke, but he sucked her earlobe between his lips and she moaned quietly instead. He slid inside her in one motion, causing them to drop their heads-his forehead against her shoulder and hers against his biceps.

This wasn't how they usually messed around. Daryl felt silly on his side, but he loved the view. She was spread wide open, and he could watch as he slipped in and out. Her mouth was so close, and if he leaned just a little, he could kiss her hard. And he did—frequently.

They couldn't move fast like this, though, and his body was screaming for him to roll her onto her stomach and pound into her, but her hand that reached up behind her and tangled into his hair kept him in place.

She liked it like this-close, his hand spanning her stomach and bringing her close as he pushed back in with slow, deep strokes that caused him to grit his teeth and narrow his eyes. He had to admit that he liked it, too. He could watch her face so closely as she came apart.

"Feels so good," she whispered and leaned back for a kiss.

He brought his hand up to her jaw, turning her head more as he thrust as deep as he could go. His reward was a gasp right before his lips met hers that went straight to his balls.

"Damn," he muttered. "Can't go much longer."

She nodded or tried to. His hand kept her locked into place. She broke their kiss and threw her head back against his arm and he put his hand back on her hip, looking down, watching as she used her other hand to play with herself while his bare dick moved inside her.

He watched in a daze as her wetness coated him, and she squeezed him when she came. "Daryl, oh God, go deeper," she whispered pleadingly as she tried to make her orgasm last longer.

All of a sudden, he was yanked back to a memory long before—they were in a similar position but in the library. He had planned to pull out, but she came so suddenly that he'd just hammered into her, chasing his own end. She'd fallen asleep nearly right after, so she never knew about his fuckup. The next day he went on a run and got caught by a herd, and he just forgot about it.

Now though, he remembered and tried to pull away, but her hand went back to his hair and she pulled him into a hard kiss, twisting her tongue around his and nibbling at his lips and making him forget his own damn name.

"Love you so much," she said and kissed his jaw until she couldn't reach anymore, then she just panted against his cheek.

"Condom," he said raggedly. "Need one."

She leaned over and reached into the drawer, and he followed, separating her knees and easing her forward on her elbows as she dropped her head to the bed. He rolled the condom on as quickly as he could with shaking hands and then sank back into her, kissing up her back.

Daryl buried a hand into her hair and groaned when she tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck to him. It was just begging to be sucked and kissed.

As he leaned forward to do that, her hand slid against her pussy and then further back to cup his balls, squeezing softly and rolling them around.

"Fuck," he growled and slammed against her. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, and he knew that they didn't have much longer before they woke up the baby.

Daryl let go of her hair and palmed her ass, spreading her cheeks before sliding his thumb up against her hole. Beth leaned away, and he laughed, pushing just a little against her.

She moved from playing with his balls to sliding her fingers against her clit again, occasionally she touched his dick as he slid out, and he could tell she was getting close again.

"Ain't ever done this," he said quietly. "It could be a first for both of us."

"When hell freezes over, Daryl Dixon," she gasped out when he pushed the tip of his thumb inside her.

"C'mon, let me," he breathed out.

Beth slid away from him and turned around, pushing him down on his back. He grinned up at her, laughing quietly. She sat astride his hips, but didn't take him in. After a few seconds of her scowling at him, he placed his hands behind his head, he said, "Let's see what ya got."

"You're such an ass." She laughed and took him in her hand before sinking down on his length.

He tried to look unaffected but failed spectacularly when she started rolling her hips with each downstroke. "Damn, Beth," he gasped. "Faster, baby. Ride my dick."

"Ya got such a foul mouth," she said quietly, and she leaned down to kiss him, dragging her tongue along his bottom lip. "I like it."

"I know," he groaned and gripped her hips, pulling her down hard twice before he pulsed inside her and lost all thought.

Beth rolled off him, but not before kissing a spot on his chest where a tattoo lay. She liked his ink, too.

Once they caught their breath, he cleared his throat, unsure of what to say or to even bring up what he'd realized earlier. It's not like he planned it or even really remembered it happening. They'd been a bit drunk from some wine Rick had brought back from a run that same day. It hadn't been much, but after not drinking or having a proper meal in a long while, it went straight to their heads.

Daryl scratched at the hair on his chin and whispered, "I know when we made her."

Beth smirked. "Oh really?" Clearly she didn't realize he wasn't playing.

"That night we got drunk. In the library," he said, pushing the hair off her shoulder. "'S my fault. I didn't have any rubbers, and I didn't stop."

He watched as realization dawned on her and she nodded. "Wow."

"I'm sorry." He chewed on his lip. "Not for her, but for, ya know, accusin' you of shit when it's really me that's to blame."

"I'm not sorry about her, either," Beth said, then she kissed him softly. "Since you admit to bein' an ass, you can repay me by bringin' me back a present."

"Whatcha want?" he asked without hesitating.

Beth sighed and looked around the room before settling back on his eyes. "Something bright yellow."

"I'll get it for ya."

"More condoms." She kissed his cheek.

Daryl smirked. "Already on the list. Apparently, more and more people are fuckin' around here."

Beth giggled and cuddled closer to him. "Are we gossipin'?"

He felt his face heat up and nodded. "Guess so."

"So who's hookin' up with who?" Beth asked and leaned over his chest, her hair making a curtain around his face.

"You and me."

She rolled her eyes. "Maggie and Glenn."

"Those married people," he said, though he didn't remember their names.

"Carol and Merle were."

He tickled her side. "That one don't count no more."

Beth bit her lip and leaned closer. "Rick and Michonne," she whispered.

Daryl tilted his head to the side. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yup. Let's just say that I got an eyeful yesterday while trying to go into the laundry room."

"Oh shit." He laughed. "All right, then. Ain't gonna be able to top that," he said and started to sit up.

"Right? I was shocked at first, but then it sorta makes sense."

"Guess it does. They're close. I knew that, though."

"Well, they're very close now."

She watched him fish his pants out from under the covers and pull them back on right as Odessa started fussing.

"We ain't gonna be able to mess around like this when she's a bit older," he said as he held her to his bare chest.

"I know." Beth nodded and pulled up her own jeans.

"Guess we'll be screwin' in the bathroom." Daryl laughed. "Sneakin' around again."

She wiggled her eyebrows at him and said, "I kinda like the mirror."

They set out in two trucks about an hour later. Michonne, Rick, and Tyreese in one and Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn in the other.

Hershel was in charge while Rick was gone, but Daryl didn't like leaving Beth and Odessa so unprotected. They were taking nearly all their fighters with them on the run since it was so long and required them to split up. Everyone needed to be able to hold their own, so the prison was left weakened.

They were leaving early enough so that they could do a lot of scavenging the rest of the day and the next and then be back at the prison the following evening. Only one night away from his family.

Still, it made his chest ache to walk away from them when it came time to get into the truck.

Daryl drummed his fingers on the steering wheel to some old rock CD Glenn had found in the glove compartment as he followed behind Rick. He needed to get his mind off that and stay sharp. It wouldn't do for him to be so worried about them that he got himself killed. Besides, Beth knew that if something were to happen, she was to take Odessa and run, leaving a trail he could follow, and hide. He'd find them as soon as he got back.

With a deep sigh, he mentally went over the list of things for Beth, Odessa and Judith, and the others that he kept in his shirt pocket. After that, he wondered what else he could pick up that might help but realized Beth was pretty thorough-even when jotting down luxury items.

Glenn nudged his shoulder and said, "So, ya gonna get Beth a ring any time soon?"

Daryl glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before looking back at the road.

"Y'all are together, right?" He pressed the issue. "Y'all have a kid."

Daryl reached forward and turned the radio up, effectively ending the conversation. Glenn just shook his head and looked in the backseat at Maggie, who had been sleeping since they left the prison. Truth was, it had never crossed his mind to get Beth a ring. What good what it do? What would it prove?

If he got her one, it wouldn't be for her, it would be for everyone else. She knew how he felt, and he knew what was in her heart. That was all that counted.

Even though he believed all that, he wondered if it was something she wanted and she just didn't say anything because she knew it would make him uncomfortable. Daryl didn't like the idea of wearing a ring, but he'd never done it before so it might not bother him at all. If he wore a ring, maybe it would just show everyone else that he was taken and they wouldn't fuck with him—Ally specifically.

If he gave Beth a ring, it would be an outward sign to any asshole that showed up that she wasn't available. Then if they pressed it, he could kick their ass for being so damn disrespectful.

Daryl chewed his thumbnail, thinking of all the different scenarios where a ring could be good or bad. It would be better than any other piece of jewelry that could get hung up or yanked off. Maybe earrings? He shook that thought out as quickly as it came, though. He'd like to have something if she had something.

This would be the last run they made for a while, so he wouldn't have time to go back to the prison, ask, and then go on his own to look. Wouldn't want to waste gas like that anyway.

He cursed Glenn in his thoughts and made a note to look over some rings—maybe—before they headed back.

When they made it to the first town they'd planned to stop in, they separated into groups of two. Maggie and Glenn went left, and Rick and Michonne went right; both groups were looking through the houses for food. Daryl and Tyreese were supposed to go up and down the main street, looking for anything on the lists.

They looked down one end, and Daryl pointed over to the right. "I'll go down that way, you take the other side. Holler if ya need any help."

"Be safe, man," Tyreese said as he went left.

Daryl made it through nearly all the stores before he finally found something he needed. Tyreese seemed to have better luck, but the left side held the town's pharmacy, which accounted for nearly all the things in one column on the list Beth had given him.

By the time everyone made it back to the trucks and the town was officially cleaned out, they'd managed to get a good bit of food and supplies along with putting down several walkers.

The rest of the day was spent going from town to town, gathering up stuff and dodging walkers. They didn't see a single living soul the entire time, and while that worried Daryl a little, it mostly put his mind at ease. People were terrible now, and the fewer he had to deal with, the better.

In the last town, Daryl found himself nosing through a ransacked jewelry store while Tyreese went through shops on the other side of the street. Before people realized that shit wasn't going to get better, they'd looted stores, robbed banks, broken into houses. It was complete anarchy in the days leading up to the end of the world.

This little mom-and-pop store had been hit, too, but it looked like walkers had crashed the party before they got away. The looters were mostly bones now, but the bags of necklaces and bracelets spilling out beside them led him to believe that's how things played out. After a few minutes of poking around, he found a case of rings that hadn't been disturbed. He looked it over for a minute, trying to ignore the ring that his eyes had immediately landed on. Daryl didn't know much about this sort of thing, but he figured it was never the first ring.

After looking around the rest of the store, he went back to that one case and sighed. It looked perfect to him. Delicate and pretty, like Beth. Without another moment of hesitation, he broke the glass and pulled out the platinum ring with a small square canary yellow diamond that had a few smaller regular diamonds framing it.

He found a gunmetal band for himself. It had a dark finish and wasn't something that would draw attention. It didn't really bother him when he tried it on, and he even raised his bow and took aim, seeing how it felt.

When he met back up with Tyreese, they put their haul in the back of the truck and waited for the others. He knew Tyreese had seen him in the jewelry store, but he didn't mention it to him or any of the others. He didn't know too much about Tyreese, but he appreciated his silence more than he would ever be able to say.

The following day, they split up into groups again, but since they'd gotten so much the day before, they didn't plan to go to more than two towns before heading back to the prison.

Daryl was nervous to go back—but excited, too. That ring was burning a hole in his pocket, and he knew Beth was going to love it.

Even though he was looking for supplies to fill their lists, his mind stayed on her, and he wondered just when he got so fired up about giving her a surprise. He tried to stay focused as he searched through a few stores on his side of the street, but it wasn't until he heard raised voices outside that he went into survival mode.

Once he and Tyreese made it down the street, he saw Rick and Michonne in a standoff with a group of five men.

To Daryl they looked like family, and that scared him.

He drew his bow and walked up to stand beside his group. Maggie and Glenn made it to the standoff nearly the same time he and Tyreese did.

"A bow man!" the man in the middle said loudly. "See, I know he's real 'cause not everyone can shoot a bow. Bow man's a bow man through and through."

Daryl just stared at him.

"I think I'll talk to him from now on, Officer. Never really got along with your kind."

Rick stole a quick glance at Daryl before taking a step back and allowing Daryl to take his place. He eyed the men behind the leader carefully. Each man was armed and looked like he knew what he was doing. Odds weren't good for either side if it went to a fight.

"Name's Joe," the man said, holding out his hand. He had a full beard and long hair that were graying.

"Daryl." He looked down at his hand and back up to the man, never dropping his aim. "Whatcha want?"

"Ya ain't exactly friendly, are ya?"

"Not particularly."

The group laughed and Joe smirked. "We're ain't lookin' for a fight. We were just wonderin' if ya'd seen a man passin' through here."

"Only seen us."

Joe looked at his men briefly before looking Daryl over.

"We've been followin' his trail a few days now. He killed one of our men then ran."

Daryl shrugged. "Sorry to hear that, but we ain't even from this area. We just came out to look for supplies."

"Ya track?" Joe asked, staring him up and down.

Daryl lowered his bow. "Not for y'all."

"You're my kinda people, Daryl."

He knew Joe was right, but he stayed silent. After several seconds of tense silence, Joe sighed and held up his hands. "Well, we done wasted enough time talkin'. We gotta keep movin' if we're gonna catch up to him. Ya see some redneck asshole with a knife for a hand, just go ahead and put a bullet through his knee and slow him down for us."

Years and years of keeping his face a blank mask paid off, and Daryl just shrugged. "Ain't doin' your dirty work."

"Ya know, I think you'd fit in pretty nicely over here," Joe said. "I'm sure ya could find us if ya change your mind."

They all stared as the group of men walked away, each of them eyeing Daryl and his group, their eyes straying to Maggie or Michonne for too long. Once they were far enough away, Daryl turned to Rick and said, "Get the fuck outta here now. Don't even bother with that other town, ya hear me? Those assholes ain't gonna drop this, and the prison is far enough away they won't venture that way. If they do, we got a better chance there."

"Daryl? What are ya doin'?" Rick asked as Daryl shouldered his bow and checked his gun.

"Goin' to get my brother before they find him."

"Ya can't do that," Maggie said, pushing his shoulder. "Ya ain't gonna leave my sister again. Not gonna leave Odessa like that."

His chest ached, but he shook his head. "She'll understand."

Maggie's face was turning red as Glenn wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back to their truck. He didn't look too happy, either, but he wouldn't say anything.

Daryl looked between Rick, Tyreese, and Michonne. "I gotta do this. Can't let him die like that." Each avoided meeting his eyes, and he knew they didn't think he'd make it back. He would, though. He knew he'd survive this.

"Can I steal a minute with ya, Michonne?" he asked, nodding his head to the sidewalk a few feet away.

She followed behind him and pinned him with her intense stare. "Don't do this," she said quietly. "I know he's your brother, but you're riskin' somethin' too important here."

Daryl ignored her and pulled Beth's ring out of his pocket. "Ya tell her it's the only yellow I could find."

"No." She shook her head and pulled her hand back. "I can't do that for ya."

He swallowed hard. Michonne must have seen it because, with a heavy sigh, she took the ring.

"Don't tell them, all right?" he asked. "Ya just get her off to the side and tell her I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't forget about the yellow thing, okay? Might make her smile a bit before she decides she's gonna kick my ass."

"Please be safe, Daryl. I don't even know how she'll survive if somethin' happens to you. How we'll all be able to survive."

"Ya sayin' ya got a soft spot for me?" he joked, trying to make her smile.

"Yes." She squeezed his hand. "That's a lot comin' from me."

He nodded and sighed. "See y'all around."

With a nod of his head to Rick and Tyreese, he slipped down a nearby alley and started on Joe's trail.

A/N:

Don't kill me.