Two updates in one night! :)

Even though the dark forest frightened her at first, Beth was glad she had chose to leave the camp during the night. She had as quiet as she could had hauled her meager bag of supplies her shoulder, walking into the trees. No one had woken up and now Beth had been able to hobble through the night with no interruptions. The forest emitted sounds that both excited her and sent an edge of fear running through her mind. What could she really do against an attacker, human or animal alike?

Throughout the night, even though her injured ankle throbbed still, she moved a little quicker in those moments and managed to put some distance between herself and those who had taken care of her. She knew Daryl could track her and probably would, so she hadn't stopped once that night, trying to give herself a large enough head start. Her plan was to eventually get far enough away from her home in order to get a job that wouldn't betray who she was. She planned to earn enough money to buy passage out of the country. The idea of leaving her family and homeland behind broke her heart, but she couldn't stay and be caught up in a marriage she didn't want, no matter who or what it cost her.

No one could protect her from her fate, but herself. Carol would have argued that point had she been given the opportunity, but Beth would have remained stubborn too. Even as she thought this though, she knew there was someone who could shield her. Daryl could most definitely protect her physically, but Beth knew in her heart that it would cost him something or someone close to him and she couldn't be the reason anyone was hurt, especially Daryl. She knew very little about Sheriff Walsh, but she had an extensive knowledge of the law. The only way Daryl could protect Beth was to hide her. Eventually, she would be found and then Daryl would be arrested for kidnapping whether he had done it or not. A man couldn't harbor another man's soon-to-be wife and not be charged with something scandalous. Not to mention, Beth steadfastly believed that eventually Daryl would come to resent her for the things he would have to do to protect her from her own kind. She wasn't sure she could go back to him hating her for her former lifestyle. Yes, Beth needed to leave. After what had happened at the waterfall that last evening, there was no question of it. The moment Daryl had kissed her, she knew she couldn't stay any longer.

Beth stole a look behind her as the sun rose above the trees. It was a coward's choice that she had made, but it was done. The only way to go was forward onto the road. Hopefully, the road would lead to a new life and home, one all her own.

Beth heard the horses before she saw them. She bent down low and moved back into the grassy edge of the forest. Beth's eyes locked onto a carriage with a large horde of men falling behind it on horseback. She should have known lady luck would forever abandon her.

As the carriage drew closer, Beth knew it was Shane and his deputies. She didn't know where they had come from, but the men seemed to be at ease, laughing with one another as they moved at a slow pace on the road. She crouched lower in fear of being found, but she needn't have worried as a quick blur farther to her left came crashing out of the forest only to stop directly in front of the horse-drawn carriage. The horses reared back in surprise and Beth saw the runner that she now recognized as Daryl take a step back in apparent shock as well. Beth knew it was Merle before even looking as another figure soared past her on his brother's heels. It hadn't taken them long to realize she'd left, and of course they had tracked her, as she had assumed they would. She chided herself for not thinking to cover her tracks, but inwardly rejoiced that the two had ran after her. Shane and his men had their attention though and both men stood to their fullest height, solidly blocking any further movement on the carriage's part.

As Shane stepped out, Beth crouched lower in the undergrowth. "Gentlemen," He drawled, greeting the two grifters.

"Afternoon, deputy," Daryl said, without even a facade of arrogance. Daryl radiated rage from where Beth stared in her hiding spot. Beth felt a wave of guilt wash through her, but she remained quiet. "Out for your weekly quota, I'm sure." Beth saw Daryl nod towards the back of the carriage. Looking back, Beth saw what she had missed in her eagerness to stay hidden from her would-be husband. A wooden hauler was attached to the back of the carriage, carrying a large mass of things: golden plates, clothes of all sizes, some obviously made for young children, even bread and wine.

"Just incentives to help remind the people to pay their taxes on time," Shane sneered, not bothering to glance at the large pile.

"Looks more like blackmail to me," Merle growled, clearly angered by this robbery of those who couldn't afford to lose.

"Gentlemen," Shane started, in mock surprise, "he speaks. For hell's sake, Merle, I always thought you were just around to be your younger brother's muscle. Who taught you to speak like a human being? They should be commended."

Beth watched in silent anger as Merle made a move towards Shane, and was thankful when Daryl put a hand on his shoulder to bring him to his senses. If Merle had attacked Shane, he surely would have been arrested and who knows what the punishment would be.

"I bet I know who it was," Shane jeered, still baiting the older Dixon. "I bet it was that widow whore you've been shacking up with. You know, not a single soul that has looked into that rough business has been able to understand how that husband of hers did not have enough wits about him not to get out of a burning house. It seems a shame though. The man mustn't have beaten enough since into the bitch if she's letting you into her bed every night."

In that moment, Beth was never more confident and grateful to herself for making the decision to run away. If Shane was the type of man to so casually insult such a kind, genuinely decent woman as Carol-just to get a rise out of another man-he surely would not have treated her much better. She sank lower in the undergrowth as Daryl pushed Merle back by the shoulders with a bit more force.

"Calm down," She heard him whisper to a straining Merle as Shane and his men laughed. Daryl sent a deadly glare to the latter, "Shane, you do not have any idea how unworthy you are, do you?" Shane just stared in confusion. Beth rolled her eyes at the man's arrogance.

"I hear you lost yourself a bride." Beth's heart sank. Did Daryl know who she was?

"Watch your mouth, trash." Shane said through clenched teeth. "What do you know of it?"

Daryl just shrugged, uninterested. "Little and I care to know less than I do. Just talk around the village. Heard you can't please a woman, and if how you just talked about Carol is any inclination, I think talk is true, for once. Are you compensating, sheriff?" Daryl grinned, broadly. "I'd love to meet this woman though. Show her the other side of life."

Beth's breath quickened and she put a hand to her mouth to stifle the noise. She didn't know how to feel. She was somewhat excited to hear Daryl speak of her to Shane, but the fear still remained. Beth knew Daryl would never hand her over to Shane. No matter how impertinent and aggravating they found each other, he wouldn't leave her to such a fate: the wife of a womanizing bully.

"If you don't mind then, my brother and I have places we need to be. Unlike you, we have women to tend to." Daryl winked at Beth's fuming fiance.

"When did you find a woman to share your bed, Dixon?" Shane asked, raising an eyebrow to Daryl.

Daryl just smiled and bent an imaginary hat to the man before walking back the direction he came. Merle looked from Sheriff Walsh and then to his retreating brother. Beth was certain she saw Merle shake his head. The older Dixon followed after the younger then though, his face unreadable again.

Both of them had become experts at that and Beth was certain they had trained themselves to be stone from an early age, probably around the time the lord of the house had decided the best way to raise a son was to beat one. When the two brothers were out of sight and Sheriff Walsh had started to climb back up onto his horse, Beth tried to back slowly away into the trees.

Just when she thought she was safe to start running again, her foot crunched down loudly on a stick that had fallen with the leaves. Beth froze as her fiance's head whipped around in her direction. She had not yet risen to her full height, but she shook from fear he had seen her. She tried to stay as quiet as possible, which became harder when a hand wrapped its way around her mouth and pulled her back. She fought against it until she realized it was Daryl. Then, she realized something else. She hadn't seen Daryl; she'd smelled him. She had memorized his scent. Just from their short time together, her senses were growing keener.

At least, that's what Beth told herself it was. She didn't want to think that she recognized Daryl by scent because his scent was already all over her. The kiss they had shared by the waterfall jumped into her mind. The way he had cupped both sides of her face in his hands to hold her to him as he moved his lips against hers caused her to shake for a whole new reason.

"Stay still," Daryl ordered, his lips inches from her ear. His hold on her was rigid, his body already tensed for a fight. They looked ahead at Shane who had started walking slowly in their direction. Beth's eyes registered that Daryl had pulled his knife from its place at his hip. He was ready to seriously injure the man in front of them. Even in her fear, Beth wondered what had caused such hatred between them. She was certain that she didn't want to know.

Shane didn't see them though. He simply shook his head at the small noise. The man turned and walked arrogantly back to the carriage before climbing in and ordering his men forward. Still, Daryl's hand stayed on her though moving down to her neck now. She turned. Both of them were now sitting in the leaves, their knees almost touching.

"You wanna tell me why you were hiding from the Sheriff, Beth?" Daryl said, inclining his head sideways slightly; he was daring her to lie.

So, he did know then. He knew that the marriage she had ran away from was to the man in question. Beth didn't have the courage to respond though; she simply put her head down in shame.

"I see." Daryl nodded. "Well, this is one situation I never thought I'd find myself in."

"What do you mean?" Beth questioned, her nose wrinkling in confusion.

Daryl smirked. "I never thought I'd be stealing my brother's wife away."

Are you surprised? :) I hope so.