A/N: The Walking Dead is in no way, shape, or form mine. If it was, I'd have the cast wake you up every morning with kisses and hugs.

"Ooookay, little sister of mine. You mean to tell me that you and Daryl were making out like a couple of horny teenagers?" Beth could hear Glenn's laughter on the other side of the line as she spoke with her sister.

She rolled her eyes as she slipped on her shoes, regretting the second she picked up the phone to call her.

"Shut it Maggie. It was fun." Beth felt herself flush as she looked for her hair pins, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder.

"I bet. I remember those crazy make out sessions I use to have with George Glass back in the day."

"I'm still in the room" she heard Glenn call out, causing Beth to nearly drop the phone.

"And you, of course Glenn." Beth heard Maggie's muffled voice.

"So, did he give you his pin? Are you wearing his letterman jacket? Is he going to take you to the drive-in later this week?"

"Are you gonna make me regret telling you this stuff, Maggs?"

"No! I'm just kidding! Jeeze Beth, don't get all serious on me now." Beth switched the phone to her other side as she got out the leftover spaghetti Daryl had made her take home the night before. Just looking at it caused her to feel the butterflies.

"I'm just a little jealous," Maggie continued "I remember how great the beginning of a relationship is. I'm really happy you're finally experiencing it."

Beth had been scooping the pasta into her plastic container when she froze. "What do you mean? I've had relationships before."

"Yes, you have. But Beth," she could practically hear her sister breathe "it sounds like this is a bit different. Don't you think?"

Beth sighed heavily as she snapped the lid shut. "Yeah, as always, you're right Maggie."

She sat on her simple wooden table chair and stared at the plastic container of spaghetti. "I'm pretty sure it's more than that though."

Beth could picture her sister sitting at her kitchen table, focusing her attention on her younger sister. "How so?"

"As clichéd as this is going to sound…I just can't put it into words. He just," she struggled to come up with anything to describe what he meant to her.

What he did to her.

How much he affected her.

"It's like I can't stop being happy, no matter what I'm doing."

She shook herself and tried again "I'm always thinking about him, even when there isn't a reason to."

"Beth, I get it. I do. You don't have to say anything else."

"I'm pretty sure I love him."

There was a pause as the words settled. It was the first time she had said them out loud.

"Well Beth, enough said."

Beth smiled as she played with the container.

"Enough said."

Beth pulled into her regular parking spot toward the back of the library; her conversation with Maggie still fresh in her mind. She could always depend on her older sister to help make sense of the craziness that was her own mind, yet still give her the space to figure it out for herself.

She stepped out of her truck and reached for her purse and lunch, already looking forward to noon when she would meet Daryl.

She walked towards the library with a little extra pep to her step, still on a high from her conversation with Maggie as well as from her dinner with Daryl. It hadn't lasted long though, as she heard several voices from around the corner of the library, causing her to slow down and frown.

Something feels off

She couldn't put her finger on it, but after years of walking down that same path Beth was much attuned to her surroundings

As she turned the corner she saw a small crowd standing next to the entrance, a mix of officers, campus security, and people who worked in the library. Olga was gently patting Patricia's back as the older woman stood talking to one of the police officers. Both women looked spooked, and it appeared as if Patricia had been crying.

Before her brain was able to process what was in front of her, she moved towards the two women right before a hand gripped her elbow gently and pulled her back.

"Beth, sorry you can't go inside."

She recognized the voice, but was so distracted by the sight in front of her that she simply nodded and let herself be led away. As they moved closer to the crowd, Olga looked up and gave Beth a pained look. Beth opened her mouth to ask what happened, but stopped as soon as she made eye contact with Pat. A look of anger appeared on her face, one that Beth had never seen in all her years working with her. Watching the interaction, Olga quickly leaned in and whispered something to Pat, almost as if she was trying to calm her down.

"Patricia?" Beth said in a shaky voice. "What's going on?"

"Look at what you did Beth. Look at what you did!" Pat's words cracked as she spoke, and Beth couldn't make out if it was due to anger or grief.

Beth quickly turned to Olga who only shook her head, prompting her not to address Patricia any further.

Beth suddenly remembered the man next to her and turned to him. His eyes were immediately on hers, a look of concentration on his face.

"Shane, what happened here?"

He sighed and looked away, eyes now focused on the library.

"There was a break-in" he said as he led her towards his cruiser.

"A break-in?" She whispered.

"Yeah, they fucked things up pretty badly inside." They stood by the cruiser as Beth looked at the crowd, Patricia still staring daggers at her.

"They stole laptops, computers, took a couple of television sets. Some of the more valuable first editions you all had locked up in there" he continued.

"The fuckers pretty much trashed all the offices. I'm afraid yours was no exception." He opened the passenger side of the car and gestured her to sit down.

"My office was trashed?" She practically whispered as she sat sideways in the seat, both feet planted on the pavement. He squatted in front of her, putting his hand on her thigh.

"Yeah, sorry Beth." She was too much in shock to register how close he was. She barely felt his hand on her, not that she would have cared. She had no idea what to feel at the moment.

"What did Patricia mean?" She looked up at him. "She said 'what I did'…why did she say that?"

Shane narrowed his eyes as he watched her and then turned to the crowd forming outside the library.

"Shit, Beth." He ran his fingers through his hair a few times before turning back to her.

"According to Patricia, you were the last one here last night. When she got here, she noticed the doors were unlocked. " He narrowed his eyes at her again. "Is that true?"

Beth brought both her hands to her mouth and closed her eyes.

I was in such a hurry to get to Daryl's house.

She felt her stomach drop, and her heart sped faster than it had a few moments before.

I just wanted to get out of there so quickly.

Her breathing picked up, and she felt the tears begin to form in her eyes.

I didn't lock up. I forgot to lock up. I didn't lock up.

She felt her body begin to shake, and suddenly she felt nauseated.

This is my fault.

"Oh my god, Shane." She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Beth, don't cry." His voice was firm, but kind. She felt him squeeze her thigh in a feeble attempt to comfort her. That made her want to cry more.

Beth took a deep breath and looked up at Pat and Olga again. Both women were being led back inside the library by a police officer. Beth stood up and made a move to go follow them.

"You shouldn't go in right now," he took hold of her elbow again.

"They're going to want to ask you some questions," he continued. "You'll need to stick around."

Although the sun was out and there wasn't a breeze anywhere, Beth began to shiver.

I have to go apologize

She made another attempt to walk towards the building, but her legs gave out and she ended up falling into Shane.

She thought she heard him talking to her. She thought she felt his arms come around her and lead her back inside his cruiser. She thought she heard him tell her he was going to take her back to his office. She may have nodded in agreement, but she wasn't sure. She settled back in the seat and pulled the seatbelt across her chest. Somewhere in the distances she heard Shane settle in next to her and turn the engine on. She leaned on the passenger side window and watched the campus roll past her. She shut her eyes and felt a panic start to rise.

How could I be so stupid? What the hell Beth?

It's your fault. It's your fault. It's your fault.

Her chest started tightening, as if some unknown entity was squeezing her lungs, and suddenly she started to panic at the thought that she would stop breathing. She forced herself to gasp as she opened her eyes, right at the moment they passed the theater.

"No." She said

Shane turned to look at her. She took a deep breath, trying desperately to stave off a panic attack, or hyperventilation, or whatever the hell her body was trying to do.

"No," she shook her head and met his eyes "can you please take me to the science department?"

A look of confusion passed through his eyes before he recovered. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead he swallowed and nodded. She turned back towards the window as he made an awkward U-turn. She smiled and closed her eyes as they passed the theater again.

They sat in front of the science department for a few minutes, Beth watching some students walk down the front steps of the building. Beth wanted to make sure her legs were secure so she wouldn't need Shane's help getting up the steps. She took a few deep breaths before turning to him.

"Thanks for bringing me here."

He smiled at her as he shook his head.

"Of course," his smile was warm and sweet, probably more so than she'd ever seen from him before.

"Just stick close by. I, um" he chuckled and ran his hands through his hair again "I still have your number so I'll call you when we're ready for you."

She quickly nodded, not looking forward to that. She opened the door and went to step outside before he gently grabbed her arm.

"Hey," she looked at him and was surprised to see him blush "we'll sort it out."

She smiled again as he released her, allowing her to get out of the car. She took a few steps towards the building as she heard the car drive away. She turned back to see that he had gone back in the direction of the library. She felt the tears brimming, but refused to let them flow. Rather, she took a deep breath and turned back towards the building, looking up at the glass double doors. Right at the moment she took the first step, she saw the doors fly open as a figure burst out in some kind of hurry.

It took her less than a second to realize who it was, and when she did, she finally allowed herself to feel the dread that had been edging its way out of her all morning. Daryl locked eyes on with her when he was a few steps down. She saw the moment he registered it was her, and then he started taking two steps at a time to reach her, pulling her into his arms when they were close.

She allowed herself to sink into him, burying her face in the crook of his neck, and finally let herself cry.

Like much of her morning, Beth didn't remember being taken into Daryl's office. Yet there she was, in his little corner of the building, sitting on an old loveseat, facing his desk. Daryl had left her to go find some coffee, leaving her in there to admire the office that was so distinctly his. She was staring at a poster he had above his desk. It was Van Gough's Starry Night with an inscription written on the bottom "I don't know anything with certainty, but seeing the stars makes me dream." She smiled as she read it, finally starting to feel a little warmth.

"Here you go, Beth" he walked in with two mugs "sorry it's not so fresh."

She reached out for it, grateful for the gesture "It's okay, it's actually how I prefer it anyway."

He lifted a brow at that as he handed it over "You like your coffee stale?"

She gave him a tight smile as she nodded. At that moment she really didn't care if she was drinking tar. She just needed to do something. Drinking day old coffee in Daryl's office was good enough for her.

She leaned her head back on the cushion and sighed.

"I just," she felt bile rise up her throat and her body began to shake again. "I just can't believe I did that."

He sat by her on the loveseat and placed a hand on her thigh, moving it up and down in a comforting gesture. For a moment, she felt the warmth again.

"It's gonna be alright. I promise you" he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against his chest, brushing his hands up and down her back. She closed her eyes and let him comfort her.

"I might get fired" she whispered into his chest, causing him to hold her tighter and press his lips to the top of her head.

"You don't need to be thinking about that right now." He kissed her again and she nodded, though she couldn't get rid of the thoughts.

"You hear me, Beth?" He seemed to have sensed it.

"I hear you" she said quietly, closing her eyes and forcing the thoughts away.

"But Daryl," she pulled back and looked at him. "How could I have been so careless?" She buried her face in her hands. "How could I have been so, so…fucking stupid?" The tears began to fall again.

"I'm responsible for thousands upon thousands of stolen items! And Shane made it sound like my office, my precious little space, has been destroyed." She didn't realize she had been rocking until she felt Daryl put his arms around her and hold her still.

"It's my fault that…orders are going to get backed up, the library will probably be closed for a while and with school starting up who knows how that's going to impact the students," she rambled as she took her hands away from her face and looked at him. "I'm going to be the cause for so many delays, and holds and-"

"Shh," he pulled her near again and pressed his cheek against hers "shush now girl," she felt his words being whispered into her ears. He rubbed her back again and felt his stubble against her face.

"What is it you always say?" He caressed her cheek with his own "Just breath."

She did as she was told, trying to slow her breathing down. She was close to hyperventilating again, so she focused on him, trying to match her breathing to his.

Together we're an anchor

They stayed close like that for a few minutes, enough for Beth's panic to recede.

"Wanna hear what I think?" His chest vibrated as he spoke.

"Mm?"

"Patricia can go fuck herself."

She pushed herself closer to his chest while grabbing a fistful of his shirt, smiling despite herself.

"And if this little incident is enough to shut the school down, then the school's got some serious shit to work on." He continued.

She desperately tried to keep from giggling, taking deep breaths instead.

"You know what would really be a blow to the library?"

Her face still buried in his chest, she shrugged.

"If they got rid of you." He slowly pulled away and looked at her.

"So I don't need you worrying about nothing right now, you got that?"

She nodded. His confidence in her was enough to erase some of her fears.

"Come on," he stood and reached down for her.

"What do you say we get out of here? Go to the greenhouse and relax a bit while you wait for that tool to call you."

"His name is Shane, Daryl" she scolded, as she took his hand, feeling like herself the more they spoke.

He grunted and turned towards the door, accidentally knocking over his mug of coffee.

"God damn it." He groaned, letting go of her hand to pick up the mug that had fallen from the desk.

She giggled a bit as she saw him stumble around his office, trying to find something to soak up the coffee with.

"Ah Daryl, am I rubbing off on you now?" She smiled fondly at him as he found some wet hand wipes.

"There's the sass," he commented as he pulled out wipes and began to clean.

Rather than help him, she just watched him clean. He was wearing a dark gray t shirt and jeans, something she was very grateful for considering she was able to watch his arms flex as he wiped down desk.

Yes, think happy thoughts…

That morning's events were making her emotions go all over the place. Right as her mind was beginning to wander about the benefits of having a boyfriend with such lovely arms, a realization hit her so hard she let out a gasp.

"What?" He froze his cleaning to watch her.

"It's Wednesday." She wasn't looking at him as she spoke, rather at the coffee spilt on the desk.

"Yeah?"

She knew he must have been staring at her with confusion, but she kept her eyes on the mess.

"Last night was Tuesday."

"You okay, Beth?" The worry in his tone made her snap back and focus on him.

"I didn't lock up last night." She said it with too much enthusiasm, causing Daryl to narrow his eyes and tilt his head.

"Tuesday nights are when the cleaners come to the offices. I never lock up on Tuesdays"

Daryl lifted a brow as if processing what she was saying.

"It wasn't you who forgot to lock up?"

Beth looked down at her hands "No, it wasn't" she whispered, feeling a mix of relief and sadness.

"Call Shane," he threw the stained wipes in the waste basket by his desk "let's clear this mess up."

She quietly nodded, and turned to sit again.

"I will. I just," she wasn't sure what she needed. It was strange, going from one extreme to the other. From believing without a doubt that her job was on the line, to having that fear removed almost as quickly.

"Hey," he knelt in front of her, and cupped her face with his hands. "It's alright. There's time for all that." He gave her his half smirk, the one that she decided was just for her.

"How about you help me water the new snapdragons we just got instead?" He whispered as he looked into her eyes. She lowered her hands and placed them on his knees, wanting as much contact as possible. She smiled at his request, grateful that he knew exactly what she needed before she did.

She moved forward and placed her lips on his, knowing he understood she was thanking him.

It was a slow, soft kiss, simple yet fulfilling. It was the type of kiss Beth had pictured when reading fairytales, the kiss that every girl wished she could have one day. It would make sense that she would share it with him here. After a crazy moment when he comforted her, after she found peace.

It was a kiss she shared with the man she loved. A man she knew would love her back.

She didn't need the stars, she knew it with certainty.

A/N: This chapter came from an idea my spirit animal and I had about Daryl comforting her from her boss. Plus I wanted one more chapter with our pair where we see how much they've grown.

So, we're getting to the end of our journey. We have about three more chapters left. Oh dear… I think I got a teary eyed just thinking about this. Don't look at me!