Merry Christmas everybody! I love you all!
As she had been told, Beth didn't call or text Daryl for the next couple of days. The day of the fight had come and Daryl had been so busy before it that he didn't have much time to talk anyway. They had figured out a system of communicating through Maggie though, much to her roommate's chagrin. Daryl would text Maggie to let her know all was okay and Beth would relay her own words back through her. If Merle ever checked, he would think Daryl was just talking to some random annoyed person who cussed a lot.
Beth sat nervously in front of her computer, her fingers tapping on the keys without actually pressing down. Merle knowing about her research had incited a million worries in Beth's thoughts. Sure, she knew her secret was safe for now, but that wasn't something that was always guaranteed. With Merle, anything was possible, being that he was an incredibly impulsive and volatile individual.
Beth's stomach clenched painfully and she dropped her head to her forearms. She would have to tell Daryl. It was the only way she could ensure this wouldn't blow up spectacularly in her face. But, not tonight. She would wait until after Daryl's fight to be sure she didn't put his head in the wrong place. Also, Beth wanted to be the one to care for him afterward. No matter if he won, which he would, he would still be injured, and if he was mad at Beth he wouldn't let her near him.
Maggie showed up at her door with a displeased expression and a Cheeto stuck to her face as she held up her phone. "Loverboy wants you to meet him at his place right now."
Beth stood up and stretched his arms over her head, feeling surprised by the news. "Hmm. Alright, thank you. Tell him I'll be there soon, please?" Beth walked toward the bathroom and paused in front of Maggie to pat herarm. "You've got a Cheeto on your face..."
Maggie blinked and felt around on her cheek, finding the Cheeto and blowing on it before popping it into her mouth, biting down on it with a crunch and a smile. "Hey, thanks! I was looking for that."
Beth stared, dumbfounded as Maggie left the room.
_
"Isn't this a little risky?" Beth was tugged forward into Daryl's apartment by the end of her scarf which she had wrapped around her face in an effort to be low-key.
"Merle left the warehouse wit' some blonde bimbo so he will be occupied fer a while," Daryl gave a tired smile, unwrapping Beth's layers of outerwear with amusement. "Yer fluffed up like a marshmallow."
"It's cold out there," Beth stuck out her lower lip and blushed faintly at the way Daryl was staring at her. "What is it?" Beth rubbed her hands on her cool cheeks, blinking in confusion.
"Nothin', it's just.." Daryl reached up to brush the back of his finger along Beth's jaw. "I ain't used ta seein' ya without yer face all painted up."
"You've seen me like this plenty of times.." Beth murmured.
"Ya, but, usually right 'fore ya sleep so it's dark an'...I dunno, ya don' normally go out an' 'bout without anythin' at all on yer face," Daryl shrugged his shoulders.
"I, uh," Beth licked her lips nervously. "I just didn't want to stand out at your fight or draw attention," she shifted on her feet.
"Hey, ya look good.. Real good," Daryl produced a sweet smile, his arms slowly wrapping around Beth's waist and his nose finding her cheek with a deep inhale. "Ya smell good, too."
Beth slid her arms around Daryl, closing her eyes. She didn't mind going out without makeup, but when someone brought it up, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious. It was sort of her defense and her shield; it hid her vulnerability.
"But ya should know.." Daryl whispered against her earlobe. "Ya look jus' as stunnin' without it an' people will still be lookin' at ya."
Beth shivered and puckered her lips against Daryl's cheek, her heart warming. "You shouldn't be allowed to say things that make me feel like that."
"Like what?" Daryl's lips quirked up and he looked at Beth's face.
"Like my heart will beat out of my chest or make me do something stupid," Beth smiled softly, resting her forehead against his.
"Sorry, I'll try ta be more o' an asshole like I used ta be," Daryl cleared his throat and lifted a challenging brow.
Beth couldn't help but pout as she held Daryl tighter to her. "No, no, I.. Just have to get used to being treated like this."
"I have ta git used ta wantin' ta treat someone like this. It don' exactly earn me 'tough guy' points," Daryl twisted his lips.
"You're all man to me, though," Beth flashed a toothy grin and Daryl chuckled.
"None o' that.. I can' lose my focus," Daryl sighed slowly.
"Then why did you invite me over? You know I rarely do what I'm told," Beth wet her lips and Daryl couldn't resist giving them a little kiss.
"Ya calm me down an' I really need it right now," Daryl slowly led Beth over to the couch where he sat down and pulled Beth down against him.
Beth settled into his side and rested her head on Daryl's strong shoulder. "Mm, you make me calm too," she murmured and watched Daryl traced the tattoo on her forearm with a delicate fingertip.
"What does this mean?" Daryl whispered lowly.
Discomfort replaced the soothing atmosphere and Beth bit her lower lip, debating on whether to change the subject. Then she remembered her conversation with Maggie, and she realized this was a good time to make the first step of communication. "I got it when I was 17.. It means 'freedom' in Dutch. I have Dutch heritage, so.." Beth nodded slowly.
"Does that mean somethin' in particular ta ya?" Daryl pressed his lips to the top of Beth's head and continued to trail his fingers over the small, cursive black ink.
"Um.." Beth took a deep breath. "I got it when I moved out of my parents' house."
"Ya were only 17?" Daryl paused, wrapping his hand around Beth's.
"Yeah, things were.. Complicated," Beth closed her eyes with the word.
"I can understand that, definitely.." Daryl mumbled and Beth looked up at him.
"I know you can.. That's why I'm okay with telling you," Bwth managed a light smile before continuing. "My parents.. They weren't the easiest people to live with, to say the least. I ran away."
"Why?" Daryl creased his brow, looking at Beth intently.
"They weren't the most loving family. When Momma died, my dad started drinking," Beth gulped. No matter how long it had been since it happened, it still hurt when she talked about it.
Daryl was quiet for a moment before he wrapped both of his arms tightly around Beth. "'M sorry."
Beth inhaled sharply at the squeeze before melting into it, her eyes shut tight. "It's okay.. I'm so much better off than I was with them, I am."
"Did ya at least have any other family that ya got ta stay with?" Daryl questioned gently.
"No...not until Maggie found me a few years later." Beth said shakily. "But luckily, I had friends that I could stay with while I finished high school and worked to save up money. As soon as we could afford it, Maggie and I got our own place."
"So she's been with ya through a lot.." Daryl whispered understandingly.
"She has, she's been with me through everything so far," Beth nodded and lifted her head. It felt surprisingly good to get a little bit of the truth out.
"I respect her even more now," Daryl blinked softly, looking over Beth's face. "So ya don' talk ta yer Pa at all anymore?"
"Nope," Beth shook her head quickly. "And I don't want to. They're figments of my past, that's it. They didn't make me who I am today, I did that," Beth said confidently.
"I wish I had yer outlook.. My parents had a lot to do wit' how I am," Daryl admitted slowly and Beth had to keep her eyebrows from raising. She didn't want to scare Daryl off from talking about this.
Beth rubbed her hand over Daryl's thigh and asked quietly, "what do you mean?"
When Daryl's jaw went tight and his eyes drifted toward a random spot on the wall, Beth thought she lost the moment. But then, "My dad is responsible fer the bad parts o' me and my mom is responsible fer the good."
It was the first time that Daryl had mentioned his mother and Beth wanted desperately to hear more, but she wouldn't push Daryl. Not with this. So she stayed quiet and used her hands to hold Daryl's and show him she was there.
"My mom.." Daryl sighed quietly. "God, she was a great lady. She used ta stay up late wit' me an' let me watch scary movies an' eat popcorn. She always told the best stories, an' would come crawl into bed wit' me when it rained 'cause she knew I hated the thunder.." Daryl murmured with a wistful smile and Beth listened, riveted.
"There was jus' one thing that kept her from bein' the most incredible person alive.." Daryl closed his eyes.
Beth let her lips graze over Daryl's cheekbone and smoothed her hand up his chest. "You don't have to talk about it, Daryl."
"Na, it's okay.." Daryl flashed her a tight smile. "I.. I want ta," he breathed out and pursed his lips. "My mom was addicted ta heroine.."
Beth's heart broke as she watched Daryl's face fall, his lips turning downward and his eyes shutting so tight. "That's enough, you don't have to.." Beth closed her arms securely around Daryl and tucked her chin against his shoulder.
Daryl shook his head roughly against him. "I can handle this.. I need ta handle this," he said resolutely and Beth didn't argue. "My dad, he's always been this asshole o' a guy. He used ta beat on my mom, me, an' Merle when he'd git drunk, which was a lot. I'd try ta stop him an' git the shit beaten outta me," Daryl sighed.
Beth rubbed the back of Daryl's neck and waited for him to continue. "My mom used ta tell me ta run, ta leave an' never look back.. But I couldn' leave her there, not alone wit' him," Daryl forced out.
"Of course you couldn't," Beth replied softly, her heart shredding more.
"She had no money er anywhere else ta go, but she did try ta leave wit' me a few times. He always found us though.. Those were some o' the worst fuckin' moments o' my life," Daryl's tone was a mixture of anger and despair and Beth wanted desperately to piece him back together.
"My mom had gotten into heroine as a way ta escape. In our town, it was easy ta come by drugs an' I don' even want ta think 'bout what she had ta do ta afford 'em.." Daryl cringed and his body shuddered. "When I was 13, she.. She did too much," Daryl shook his head and bit his bottom lip hard.
"Oh my God.." Beth murmured and held Daryl tighter. "You mean she..?"
"I found her lying on the kitchen floor.." Daryl's voice was barely there.
Beth was on the verge of tears and she lifted her head to look Daryl in the eyes. "I'm so sorry.. I'm sorry."
"Don' be.." Daryl muttered. "I was crushed, scared an' so alone, but.. I was relieved fer her. She had found her only way ta escape. She was free," Daryl smiled sadly and tears rolled down Beth's cheeks. "I could take care o' myself, ya know? But I couldn' protect her like she needed, even though I tried so fuckin' hard," Daryl's lips pursed as he held back incoming emotion.
"I.. I love you," Beth whispered, feeling entirely inadequate with her words. She had studied people who had been through traumatic experiences, but she had never known one so personally. It made her own struggles seem so easy and blown out of proportion.
"Hey, I love you too.. Please don' feel bad fer me," Daryl shook his head firmly and shifted his position, clearly uncomfortable with pity. Beth knew that feeling all too well.
"Did you ever try to run away after that?" Beth asked quietly,
"All the fuckin' time," Daryl sighed. "But I ain't ever git far 'fore he found me. I'd try ta go stay wit' a buddy an' he'd come an' drag my ass home ta work in the shop. The only reason I stayed wit' him fer so long was 'cause I couldn' afford ya go anywhere else an' he hurt me bad every time I tried ta leave...Merle got away though. Didn' speak ta him fer almost 10 years."
"So.. How did you end up getting involved with Merle and his guys?" Beth felt bad for asking so many questions, but she knew now was the time to do it. Daryl was being open and at any moment he could close up on her again.
Daryl scratched the back of his neck and shrugged a shoulder. "I started sneakin' out an' partyin' tryin' ta find an escape from how miserable I was.." Daryl nodded and popped his lips. "One night, I was playin' poker wit' a group o' guys, right? And one o' 'em thought I cheated him out o' a bunch o' money, so he swings at me. Well, I was used ta being punched, so I knew how ta block him an' all. After I did, I hit him wit' all the anger an' frustration that I was holdin' in me, an' knocked him clear out," Daryl smiled wryly.
"Anyway, I was jus' this skinny kid but I had a powerful punch from the beginnin'. Next thing I know, Merle's callin' me, sayin' he heard 'bout the fight an' wanted me ta join his team." He shook his head, laughing bitterly. "The first thing he said was, 'Darlina...I see daddy finally knocked some sense into ya."
Beth listened carefully, saddened yet captivated by how everything was coming together.
"We started talkin' an' he told me he wanted ta see what else I could do," Daryl nodded and laced his fingers.
"So, I started trainin' with him an' he would tell me all 'bout these fights an' how tons o' people would come an' cheer ya on.. But the most appealin' part was the money. Fuck, I ain't ever heard anyone talk 'bout that much money 'fore, darlin'." Daryl rubbed his lips together and swallowed.
"I realized.. It was my way out. If I could fight fer Merle, I could save up money an' get the hell out o' there. I didn' need an education an' I didn' need a proper job. I could just use what natural an' learned skills I had as well as my motivation ta git the fuck away from it all. So, I did. I spent five years fightin' fer him an' savin'.. Then I came here. I finally got ta leave," Daryl leaned against the couch with a sigh.
"Was it horrible..?" Beth questioned shakily, feeling overwhelmed by everything Daryl had been through.
"I was fuckin' miserable," Daryl scoffed. "Sure, I was gettin' paid, but I was getting the hell beaten out o' me in fights an' I was gettin' beat up by my ol' man, too. I could fight him back but he was still stronger than me fer a long time.."
"You are the strongest person I know, inside and out. I mean that," Beth said sincerely, her eyes watery.
"Like I said.. Who I am is a product o' what I went through wit' my mom and dad," Daryl rubbed his chest with a sigh.
"So.. Merle really was your ticket out of there?" Beth questioned.
"Ya, he was. I did the legwork but he was the reason I had the opportunity ta leave. Fer that, I owe him. Only that. He made my life almost as terrible as Pa did, but at least now I git ta live on my own an' pretty much have my own life apart from fightin'.. As long as I do what Metle wants, he can offer me protection from our dad. If I fuck up, then all my money could be taken away from me an' I'd have ta go back ta live with that fucker."
"But.. If your dad ever tried to find you and beat you up again, you would win that fight, Daryl. I mean, it'd be self-defense so if you accidentally.." Beth mused out loud and then shut her mouth at the thought.
"Ya think I want ta kill him?" Daryl raised his brows. "I thought 'bout it, sure, but killin' him would be lettin' him off easy. He deserves ta live the rest o' his life alone an' miserable. Plus.. I don' think I have it in me ta stoop so low. I don' want ta have that in me," Daryl shivered and closed his eyes tiredly.
"Is it okay if I hug you for a little?" Beth asked sadly and it spurred a smile from Daryl.
"It's more than okay.. Com'ere," Daryl held out his arms and Beth slid into them. "I...I ain't ever talked 'bout this shit ta anyone. Not like this. I jus'.. Feel like I can trust ya. I know I can, so it all jus' comes out without me even thinkin' 'bout it.
Beth felt a huge wave of guilt inside. She wasn't being fully honest with him about everything, and here he was, spilling his guts and being completely and totally sincere. Even if she hadn't planned it, she knew she had to tell Daryl about her thesis project and now. It'd be cruel and wrong not to.
"Daryl...I need to-" Beth started and was cut off when Daryl's phone went off. Daryl quickly pulled it from his pocket and read the message.
"Fuck, I have ta go," he cupped Beth's chin and kissed her lips. "Merle wants me ta meet him an' if I don' leave now then he'll come lookin' fer me," Daryl sighed sadly and looked at Beth with tender eyes. "Thank ya... So fuckin' much fer listening ta me an' sharin' yer own shit wit' me. I know it was hard fer ya"
"Thank you for talking to me about this.. Really," Beth forced a smile and kissed Daryl's lips again. "I'll be there tonight, just.. Maybe you won't see me, okay? But I swear I'll be there."
"I know ya will.." Daryl flashed a wide smile. "God, I feel so much better now that ya know all o'vthat. It's like a huge weight has been lifted," he stood up and went to grab his bag from the table while Beth followed after him timidly.
"Good luck tonight.." Beth murmured and kissed Daryl's cheeks and lips softly.
"Yer all the luck I need," Daryl whispered against Beth's lips and handed her his keys. "Lock up after ya go, okay?"
"Okay, I will," Beth produced another smile and watched Daryl walk away and shut the door. "Fuck, fuck, fuck.." Beth put her hands to her face and shook her head.
Daryl needed to know but now she couldn't call or text him because Merle would be there and that would ruin everything.
"I'll tell him after the fight," Beth spoke out loud with a nod. "I'll help take care of him and I'll tell him everything. It'll be fine," she tried to assure herself.
She just felt so sad and angry about what Daryl had to deal with. Daryl was a fighter in every sense of the word. But, he didn't try to make Beth feel like what she went through was any less hard. He listened and comforted her through the little bit she told and Beth was so grateful for that.
Nobody should have to go through what Daryl went through, yet somehow, even after all of that, Daryl still had hope. When Beth saw Daryl's steel eyes, she could see a light that still burned. All Beth could do was pray that she didn't diminish that by showing Daryl that she wasn't as trustworthy as he thought.
_
"Wow.." was all Beth could muster as she edged up to the back of the massive crowd that gathered in the middle of an old outdoor arena. It was obvious that it was used for some kind of competitive horseback riding because there were tattered hurdles and barrels here and there. How they found these places was beyond Beth.
She was wearing her sunglasses and a hood to cover her blonde hair. Her face remained makeup-less and she even took out her ear piercings to not be as immediately recognizable if Merle caught sight of her. Beth felt relieved that the crowd was so large because she could blend in better.
"Hey, Beth," Carl's voice came casually from next to her.
Beth did a double-take and froze. "What the.. What are you doing here?"
"Heard there was a big fight and I wanted to check it out. I texted you to see if you wanted to come, bro.. Isn't that why you're here?" Carl raised both of his brows and took a sip from the giant fountain soda he had in his hand.
"Y-yeah, of course that's why I'm here," Beth shrugged and nodded, clearing her throat and having no idea what text Carl was talking about.
"Why are you dressed like the uni-bomber, though?" Carl chuckled and tugged on the string of Beth's hoodie.
"I just didn't want to stand out, that's all," Beth said vaguely and straightened her posture.
"I recognized you from pretty far away, man," Carl laughed lightly.
"Well.." Beth sighed, feeling like a failure with her disguise and completely stressed out. It wasn't safe for Carl to be here if Merle recognized Beth, but what could she do? They would just have to stay as far back as possible from the action.
"I heard that one of the guys is that dude we saw in the alley a while ago," Carl nodded with an excited smile. "The other one is supposed to be fucking hard to beat. That's all they will say! It's all mysterious and shit."
"Who do you even talk to when you find this stuff out, Carl?" Beth cast him a sideways glance.
"You know I meet a lot of people in my hobby," Carl smirked and Beth rolled her eyes.
"That's true, you do know some weirdos," Beth peeked over the crowd nervously, looking in the center for any sight of Daryl.
"You seem pretty keyed up. Wanna hold Larry a bit?" Carl offered lightly.
"Did you really bring your lizard to an underground fight?" Beth widened her eyes, parting her lips.
Carl held his jacket open and Larry lifted his head out from an inside pocket. "Yep, he's digging the vibe of the crowd, I can tell."
Beth honestly had no words in response to that as she stared Larry in the eyes and watched his little tongue flick out lazily. Looking between Carl and Larry, Beth couldn't help but see the similarities in their looks and personalities. They were both pretty small and so incredibly chill. They adapted to whatever environment they were in and Beth kind of envied that.
"Oh, look!" Carl pointed and stood on his tip-toes. "I think they're bringing one guy in but.. Fuck, I can't see. Let's get closer."
"No, no," Beth shook her head quickly. "You can if you want but, I kinda wanna stay back here."
Carl looked at her in amusement, his eyes squinty. "Are you scared or something?"
"Uhh.. Yeah," Beth lied, figuring it'd be easier to make herself look silly than to make up another elaborate reason.
"Oh.. I'm sorry, dude. If it helps, I'm really scared of the ice cream truck," Carl shrugged lightly with a laugh.
"Wait.. Why are you.."
"Best not to ask," Carl looked at her seriously and slurped at his drink. "I'm gonna get a closer look. Keep your phone on you so we can meet back up if we lose each other, yeah?"
"Yeah, I will," Beth nodded in agreement, feeling a little guilty for her plan to get as far away from Carl as possible as soon as he left. They were both safer that way.
Carl waved and promptly bumped into a large bald man and almost fell over. Beth was about to make sure he was okay but then Carl and the man started talking like they were old buddies. That guy could get along with anyone.
The further away Beth got from Carl, the more relieved she felt. That was, until she remembered what she was doing there in the first place and all the nerves and stomach pains came back.
She got to a place where she could see the opening in the middle of the crowd but she was concealed enough to not be automatically seen by any scanning eyes. Sure enough, Daryl was already out. Beth's heart clenched as she saw him warming up and looking so tough. Knowing what Daryl had gone through made Beth yearn for him even more and want to protect him.
Merle stalked into the center with a wide smirk on his lips and excitement in his eyes. It made Beth feel disgusted. Merle held up a megaphone to his lips and began his charismatic introduction.
"We got somethin' real special fer ya folks, t'night," Merle called out and the crowd hushed. "Ta my right is someone we all know an'.. Well, not love, but someone we can count on ta pound shit into the ground!"
The people started cheering and yelling and Beth watched them with interest and let her gaze drop on Daryl, who looked fucking stoic and strong. His jaw was set tight and his eyes were hard. He wore dark jeans and a gray wife beater, his hair hanging loosely to his shoulders. His shoulders were broad and even from Beth's spot she could see the pumping veins down Daryl's lean but muscled arms.
"God.." Beth murmured and had to shake her head to clear it from the inappropriate thoughts that were encroaching. It just wasn't the time or place for that.
Merle motioned Daryl over and Daryl walked slowly and smoothly, a full-on swagger in his step. He was putting on a show for the people and they loved it. He lifted an arm in greeting, letting it drop and crossing his arms firmly over his chest, scanning the crowd with dark eyes.
Beth slipped her sunglasses off briefly, not calling any additional attention to herself but wanting to see if she could gain Daryl's focus. A few seconds later, Daryl's eyes stopped on her face and Beth saw what was almost a faint tug of a smile on the corner of Daryl's lips. Thankfully, Daryl caught it before it spread further. He simply nodded his head in acknowledgement of Beth before he looked quickly away.
Beth blew out a breath and pushed her sunglasses back on, her heart nearly beating into her chest when Merle started speaking again. "We have a very special guest joinin' us to'night. He is undefeated, like Dixon is, but the difference there is.. He has fought almost triple the amount o' times that Dixon has!"
The air felt like it had been knocked out of her and Beth's mouth dropped open. This wasn't a fair fight, this wasn't the way they did it. "No.." Beth muttered and she saw Daryl's eyes anxiously search for her while he kept his body firm and tough.
Beth caught his gaze and shook her head softly. Daryl kept his chin up and lightly shrugged a shoulder in response. There was no backing out now. Daryl had to fight and he had to do his best. If he failed, it'd be Merle's fault just as much as his, even if Merle didn't see it like that.
"What the fuck is Merle thinking.." Beth mumbled to herself and a woman next to her slowly edged away from the crazy girl talking to herself.
"I'd like ta introduce...THE GOVERNOR!" Merle yelled and the crowd had reactions of excitement, surprise and recognition.
Through her panic at the name alone, Beth overheard a conversation between two men nearby.
"Ohh, this guy is good!" the taller one announced.
"Is he the one that broke that guy's jaw in three places?" his friend asked.
"Yeah!" the man replied casually, as if he weren't talking about living, breathing people.
Beth put her hands to her cheeks, staring directly at Daryl who was doing so well with keeping his cool, but Beth could see the slight panic creasing his features. He would never show it, but Beth knew if she were close enough, she'd be able to hear Daryl's heart racing. Shit, she thought over and over in her head.
When The Governor actually walked out, Beth's fear increased by ten. The man was fucking huge with brown hair, an eye patch and leather clothing.
Maybe Beth was imagining it, but the ground seemed to slightly shake with his every large step as he stalked toward Daryl.
"God, look how tiny Dixon looks next to him!" a woman laughed and Beth shot her a dirty look.
Nobody was gonna talk shit about her.. Whatever Daryl was. "He can handle himself, you'll see," Beth replied firmly and the woman cowered a bit at her tone. "Sorry," Beth said tightly, not really meaning it but not liking to be rude.
She rubbed her hands together and steeled herself for what was next. The Governor held out his hand for Daryl to shake and Daryl gave him a 'what the fuck?' look before slowly putting his hand into it. The muscles in Daryl's neck tensed and Beth could tell that The Governor was squeezing hard.
Daryl quickly pulled his hand back, shaking it lightly and spitting harshly on the ground near his opponent's feet. A large grin spread over his opponents face and the crowd laughed. Beth did her best to give each laugher a dirty look but there just wasn't time for that.
"Let's see what these two have got, yeah?" Merle's voice crackled through the amplifier.
The people shouted their agreement and Merle yelled, "GO!"
Beth brought her hands to her mouth nervously, bouncing on the balls of her feet as Daryl and The Governor started circling each other in a predatory way. Hell, Daryl really did look super small next to this beast of a man. But hey, Daryl had fought big people before. Beth thought back to Flesheater who she saw Daryl take down that night that seemed so long ago. Daryl could do this.
The Governor swung a heavy arm and Daryl quickly ducked under it and slipped behind the man's body, using the flat of his foot to shove him on the back, making his large form stumble forward. For any regular sized man, that would have knocked them on their face.
Daryl didn't show any sign of being worried by that, instead he swiftly moved back around the man, driving several punches to his abdomen while The Governor tried to swing at him, missing every time because Daryl was so quick.
"Thank God.." Beth mumbled. Apparently Daryl's opponents trick wasn't that he was a good fighter, it was that he was sturdy and could hardly be knocked down. "Save your strength, Daryl," Beth urged, though she knew her advice would go unnoticed.
The mutterings and cheering of the crowd had once again become white noise, and Beth was thankful that she could tune them out and focus purely on Daryl. Even though it made her cringe to watch, she couldn't take her eyes off of him with his perfect form and execution. It was pretty fucking spectacular.
The Governor growled loudly when Daryl snuck through his grasp once again. It was great to see that Daryl could escape him, but Beth knew that sooner or later something was going to have to happen or else the fight would go on forever.
Beth glanced down only for a moment when her phone buzzed; a text from Carl asking where she was. She sighed and was going to type a quick reply when she heard a sickening smack and the entire crowd go, "ooooohhhhh."
She snapped her head up and couldn't see Daryl. "Fuck, fuck," Beth pushed past a few people, trying to stand taller to look at the ground. Daryl was wiped out on his back but still moving. He held his hand to his ribs and his face was tight with pain.
"Daryl.." Beth murmured helplessly and thought she honestly might start crying when Daryl struggled to get to his feet, standing up and feigning that he was completely fine. He still rubbed gingerly at a place on his side and Beth knew there had to be broken ribs.
The Governor looked entirely too pleased with himself and Beth could see that frustrated Daryl as much as it did her when Daryl ran full-force toward his opponent and used the shoulder and elbow of his good side to ram into his chest. The power and determination behind it actually caused him to stumble and fall onto his back with a big thud.
Daryl hopped up onto his broad chest and did one of the coolest things Beth had seen. He jumped and did a full 360 turn in the air over the one eyed man, ending the spin by landing on his knees directly on top of the fallen man, his knee bone jabbing straight into the sternum. The crowd went wild for it.
The Governor started flailing his arms in pain and knocked Daryl hard in the side of the head, making him fall over to the side. But Daryl wasn't giving up. He kicked his legs and tried to get a piece of his opponent even as he held his head in his hand on the ground.
Beth's heart was breaking and her nerves were completely shot. Daryl was hurting and Beth couldn't do shit about it. This had to be the worst position she'd ever found herself in; not being able to help the one she loved.
Merle yelled at the top of his lungs for Daryl to get up while The Governor awkwardly got to his feet, his thick limbs staggering a bit. Daryl attempted to push himself up with his hands and fell forward on the ground, which gave The Governor the opportunity to kick him in the side. Daryl yelled out in pain.
"He's gonna kill him!" Beth tried to scream above the crowd but her voice was washed away.
Trying to be as strong as ever, Daryl got up on his knees and attempted to get up that way. The Governor leaned down and wrapped his huge arm around Daryl's neck, securing his head in the crook of his elbow and pulling him to his feet, squeezing firmly.
Daryl kicked his legs and scratched at The Governors arms, struggling as much as he could. Beth kept waiting for Merle to call the fight because Daryl had obviously lost, but Merle kept yelling for Daryl to fight back, over and over. All the while Daryl was losing consciousness.
Beth couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't just stand by and watch this. She ducked and weaved her way through the crowd until she was at the front lines.
"MERLE, STOP THIS!" Beth yelled out desperately. Merle's eyes snapped to her and a look of shock and then pure hatred covered his face.
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Merle shouted. "HE CAN COME BACK FROM THIS!"
"HE'S FUCKING KILLING HIM! LOOK AT HIM!" Beth pleaded desperately, tears rolling down her cheeks and the people around her staring at her in alarm.
Merle gritted his teeth and cracked his knuckles before turning his attention away from Beth, cursing loudly and holding up the megaphone to speak. "It's done. Drop him!"
The Governor did immediately as asked and Daryl crumbled to the ground. Beth, uncaring if Merle saw and knowing he had fucked their deal anyway, ran over to Daryl and got down on her knees next to him.
Merle stepped up to Beth and grabbed her by her shirt, pulling her back to her feet. "Ya git the fuck out o' here, now. Ya already made me look like a fool an' made yerself look like some obsessed idiot!"
"I'm not leaving him, he needs help," Beth replied firmly, shoving hard at Merle's chest, "and I know you're not going to give it to him. Asshole. What were you thinking putting him against that guy? You knew he would lose!"
The crowd had started to gather closer in curiosity and when Merle noticed he screamed out, "unless ya wanna end up like Dixon, ya need ta leave. NOW!"
People scattered faster than you could imagine, but one person hung behind.
"Beth?" came Carl's troubled and confused voice.
"Oh, no," Beth mumbled and turned toward him. "Carl you need to go now, please."
"I'm not leaving you here, man. What the hell is going on?" Carl shook his head.
"I.. I can't explain it, please you have to go, now. I'll talk to you about it later," Beth urged and groaned when Merle spoke up.
"Well, well, well. Who is this? I ain't ever met one of Priss' friends," Merle had an evil look in his eye and Beth could see what was coming.
"Carl, if you care about you, if you care about me, you'll go. Now," Beth pleaded desperately, stealing glances to Daryl on the ground and sniffing hard. "I beg you.. Run and don't look back."
"Ya shut the fuck up!" Merle yelled out roughly. "Ya don' call the shots. If I want yer friend ta stay, he stays."
Beth gave Carl one last, desperate and serious glance. "I'm going to go get help," Carl said quickly and put his hand protectively to his pocket where Larry was hidden as he took off running.
"Hey, git the fuck back here!" Merle was so angry that his voice was crazy.
"Uh.. Can I go now?" The Governor drawled.
"Yes, leave, git the hell outta here," Merle huffed. "Ya git paid tomorrow. Obviously I won'!"
The Governor blinked and slowly backed off, clearly feeling uncomfortable. Beth thought she'd want to beat the shit out of him, but it wasn't The Governors fault that this happened. It was Merle's.
Beth went back over to Daryl and carefully put her fingers to his neck, terrified to not feel that warm and pulsing beat. She sighed out in relief when she felt it; faint but there. "I have to get him to the hospital."
"Ya ain't goin' anywhere! Ya cost me a lot o' money an' yer goin' ta earn it back fer me," Merle paced back and forth angrily.
"No, you did that. You put him against someone he could never beat, you fucking son of a bitch! Seriously, what the hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinkin' that I could have gotten twenty grand if Dixon won!" Merle tugged at his shirt in frustration.
"Oh, so you were just seeing dollar signs, as always! You didn't even stop to think that it was impossible for him to actually win. No wonder you kept his opponent a secret! If Daryl knew he would have told it to you straight and said he couldn't beat him, fuck. Money really is all you care about. Pathetic."
Tears streamed down Beth's face as she struggled with wanting to pull Daryl into her arms and knowing she shouldn't touch him in case he had a concussion. She rested her hand on Daryl's chest and traced her other one delicately over Daryl's bruised jaw.
"Ya...Ya weren't even supposed ta be here," Merle's voice started to convey panic. "What is this?" he looked between Beth and Daryl and at the gentle attention Beth was giving him, shock on his face.
"It's something you will never understand or experience because you are a heartless piece of shit," Beth's face screwed up and she pulled out her phone to dial 911. Merle and herself be damned, he was going to get Daryl help.
"No.. No, ya can' call the feds. Are ya completely stupid? I'll get turned in an' so will you an' Dixon!" Merle shook his head swiftly.
"The alternative is that we let Daryl die," Beth looked at him incredulously. "For me there are no options to consider!" Beth scoffed and quickly dialed when Merle's foot hit her hand, knocking her phone through the air where it hit an old piece of wood and broke apart.
"You.. You.." Beth fumed, her nostrils flared as she looked up at Merle. "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to fucking.." She rose to her feet and advanced toward Merle who had his fist and knife up. Sirens in the distance caused them to pause and glance over toward the source of the noise.
A slow smile of relief spread on Beth's lips and he murmured, "Carl.."
"Shit.. This ain't over. Yer fuckin' done, kid. Do ya know? No more mercy," Merle spat sternly before jogging in the opposite direction.
"Fucking coward!" Beth yelled after him and got back down by Daryl, a wave of fresh tears streaming down her face while she pressed her lips gently to Daryl's. "It's okay.. It's okay.. Help is coming," she muttered helplessly. "Stay with me, stay."
Daryl's eyes slowly opened and Beth's breath caught in her throat when Daryl spoke. "Ya.. Yer here.
"Of course I am," Beth nodded quickly, wiping her cheek on her shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere.."
An ambulance pulled up and several medics hopped out, rushing a stretcher over to Daryl who started to look panicked. "Beth.. What did ya do.."
"Shhh, don't worry about that. You need help, Daryl. I'm right here by you, I swear," she moved away so the workers could carefully put Daryl on the stretcher while he gave them the information.
"What happened to him?" one asked.
"He got beaten up badly.." Beth murmured the truth.
"Do you know by who?" he wrote notes on a clipboard without looking up.
Beth briefly considered telling them that it was Merle. It would be so easy to turn him in. She knew where he lived and exactly what he looked like. But then Daryl's words came into her head about Merle having "friends" all throughout the city and Beth realized that it would make it worse. Merle would fucking get his, just not quite yet.
"I have no idea. I found him like this," Beth sighed out.
"But you weren't the one to call 911, right?" the worker said, confused.
"I called," Carl stepped up, a fearful look on his face. "Beth and I heard him yelling for help and we found him like this.. I left to go see if I could find help and I called 911 on the way," Carl nodded and the worker wrote it down.
Beth was so thankful for Carl's lie, though a he didn't know why Carl didn't just tell the truth. She put her arm around her friend and whispered 'thank you' in his ear.
"You'll explain later," Carl murmured back. "You'd better go with them. They are leaving and at least I know you'll be safe at a hospital and while that guy is knocked out.." Carl sighed, not understanding the situation but not questioning it.
"Yes.. Thank you, thank you. Will you please let Maggie stay with you tonight? I don't think she should be alone in the apartment," she squeezed Carl's arm gratefully when Carl agreed and hopped into the back of the ambulance, sitting on the bench next to where they had Daryl. Beth sat and worried while the medics checked him over.
"Will he be okay?" Beth asked in an urgent voice.
"He's got broken ribs and possibly a fractured jaw, a bruised esophagus, a concussion, a split lip and a broken wrist along with shattered knuckles," the medic replied in a business tone.
"But.. Will he be okay?" Beth pressed again, trying not to add up the injuries.
"I'll be okay," Daryl's voice croaked and Beth snapped her eyes to him.
"Oh my God," Beth's lower lip quivered and she reached to put her hand on a part of Daryl's arm that wasn't hurt.
Daryl winced when one of the men touched his ankle. "Looks like we've got a sprain here, maybe a fracture."
"Shit.." Beth whispered brokenly, getting on her knees next to Daryl's head to press her lips to his temple.
"Young girl, I'm going to have to ask you to back up," the medic's firm voice started.
"Please, let her stay.." Daryl voice was pathetic enough that the medic allowed it. "Ya..Ya saved me," he murmured scratchily to Beth.
"No, I didn't. Look at you," Bet choked up. "I should have stepped in sooner."
"Y-ya were tryin' ta follow the rules.. Fer once," Daryl forced a faint smile that was replaced by a grimace.
"Don't try to talk.." Beth whispered and pressed the tiniest of kisses to Daryl's swollen and abused lip.
"Thank ya..." Daryl mumbled and Beth looked at him in question. "Fer steppin' in when nobody else would.." his eyes closed and Beth started to panic.
"Hey, why did he close his eyes?" She asked quickly.
"Relax, we just gave him some painkillers through an IV to give him some relief," the medic patted Beth on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry, we're going to take good care of him. I promise."
Beth nodded tightly. "Thank you."
She stayed by Daryl's side through the rest of the ride and when they took him into the hospital and a flurry of bandages and medicines were applied. She then remained by his side for countless hours of the night, only breaking for the bathroom and to call her worried sister to tell her she was okay. Beth had never been so panicked, nervous and concerned in her entire life. She felt like if anyone touched her she would break into a million frail pieces.
"Are you here with this gentleman?" an older doctor interrupted an impromptu sleep that Beth hadn't realized she'd fallen into
"Yes, I am," Beth replied in an exhausted tone. "Is something wrong? Besides the obvious.." She quickly glanced at Daryl.
"Well, he doesn't have a concussion, but everything else the medics wrote down initially is in fact true," the doctor sighed. "I have to ask.. How did this happen to him?"
Beth blinked and licked her dry lips. "I don't know.."
"But you obviously know this man. You said that you and a friend found him alone and hurt, but you seem to be quite close to him," the doctor surmised.
"Yes, I am, I.. I did find him, I didn't know what kind of trouble he'd gotten into," Beth shrugged her shoulder weakly.
"Well, don't worry. We will ask him questions when he wakes up and we will see what he remembers. Now, we can keep him one more night or you can take him home. What would you like to do?" the doctor looked at her from over his half-moon glasses.
Beth thought about that. This was going to be expensive to begin with and another night would only add to that. However, Daryl's place didn't seem safe and neither did hers, and Daryl deserved a safe place to recover, for once. Beth would figure out a way to pay, even if she had to take out another student loan.
"One more night here, please. He needs it, I think," Beth nodded, slouching down in the chair and rubbing her eyes tiredly.
When the doctor left, Beth stood and walked over to Daryl, looking down at his bruised and swollen face that had only gotten worse overnight. She leaned down to brush soft and delicate kisses over his forehead, smiling when Daryl sighed quietly in his sleep.
Serious plans needed to be made and explanations were owed to her friends, but for the night they were safe. It was a small but welcome relief in this beyond fucked up situation.