A/N Thank you so much. We're going on our journey to the farm this chapter :)
On a personal note: I'm feeling a little down this week with the final episode of TWD airing on Sunday. I'm going to miss this show so much. No matter how many spinoffs there are, and yes, I plan to watch them, it will never be quite the same as the original.
For now, I will continue to write Bethyl for as long as I feel inspired, and for as long as people are still interested in reading the stories.
Now, Let's see if we can get to the farm!
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She's not surprised when he let's go of her hand, but she is pleasantly surprised when she feels his open palm softly slide along her low back as he urges, "C'mon Beth, we gotta go. There's no tellin' what this smoke n fire might draw in."
They walk toward the van and she does her best to keep up with his fast pace, while enjoying the soft pressure of his strong hand on her back as he guides her along. It's comforting and she knows how protective he is, but what she appreciates most right now is the warmth of his touch.
They can't keep all the weapons in the cab with them. They agreed earlier that the bigger weapons, like the crossbow and the rifle, would go in the back, but still be within easy reach. The smaller weapons, their sidearms and knives stay on them.
They're realistic, they know they've been very lucky. They had these few days of calm with no worries about food, they've slept in comfortable beds and even had the luxury of running water, but they're leaving all of that behind to head into the storm the world has become. So much of it, most of it, is unknown to them.
Beth can't help feeling reluctant to leave. Of course she wants to get home to her folks, but this place has been so special. It felt like home.
If Daryl's calculations are correct, and he feels confident they are. They'll be off this dirt back road and onto a busier two-lane highway in just over 10 miles. A real highway means they're likely to run into walkers and survivors. People trying to escape what's happening and all of them unsure where to go.
Daryl and Beth aren't kidding themselves, some of the living will undoubtedly be out to cause trouble, others will be desperate enough to take desperate action. Daryl would never voice it, but it makes him even more concerned about Beth. She'd be an easy target. Sure, she can shoot and she can be scrappy, but would she be able to shoot a living person to defend herself? He's not sure, he just hopes they never have to find out.
As for the dead, they remind Daryl of prey animals. They follow groups of the living, both large and small. They wait for a weak one to fall behind or get distracted, then go in for the kill. From everything Daryl's seen it just takes one bite, just one scratch and you've become one of these walking dead things.
All kinds of danger awaits them, but he's determined they'll get through it and he'll get her home.
Once she's safe on the farm he can quit worrying, and he can finally go back out on his own again.
He's better on his own. Yeah, it'll be better.
Beth keeps her head turned, watching the farm that felt so much like home as it slowly disappears behind them. When it's completely out of sight she turns to stare out the passenger window, avoiding looking at Daryl. She doesn't want him to know she's a little teary.
She just can't help being sad, she loved their time together on the small farm so much.
Gosh, and they had it made there. If they were smart they would have never left, but how could she possibly justify not trying to get home to her family? A dark thought springs forward, one she's tried very hard to suppress since she left the apartment, what if her family didn't make it?
What if they caught whatever this disease is? What if they were killed by the dead? What if some criminal types did something to them? The world appears to have become a completely lawless place. Anarchy reigns.
He knows she's crying; dammit he hates that shit. She gets so sad; everything seems to touch her so deeply. No matter what they go through, he doesn't think she'll ever lose that soft center that makes her who she is. Who knows? Maybe that's a good thing.
He reaches over, lays his hand on her shoulder and promises, "It'll be okay. I'ma get ya home an everythin's gonna be just fine." He knows it's a bold promise, shit, he can't guarantee anything of the kind. He just doesn't want her to be sad.
She doesn't turn her head to look his way, but her hand reaches up and slips over his and in a voice so soft she tells him, "Thank you Daryl. I know if anyone can get me home, it's you." This time he doesn't jerk his hand away, it just slowly slips away and she lets herself believe he may have been a little reluctant.
They leave the dirt road, turning onto what is still just a rural two-lane highway. They both feel a knot in their stomach. This is it, they don't know what the hell they're getting into and they're worried it will all be dangerous.
They both take in a deep breath, he glances over at her and tries his best to be upbeat and reassuring, "This is it, before ya know it you'll be home."
It's almost immediate when they begin to see debris. Abandoned, ransacked cars sitting just off the road, unwanted items like clothes and the empty suitcases they were once in are strewn along the pavement, it's almost impossible for Daryl to avoid hitting something.
That's not all they see. There are half eaten bodies of people and of animals. There's the unrecognizable remains of bodies too, bones and blood and hair and Beth feels the acid in her stomach rise at the site of the carnage.
Every time they manage to travel a mile or two without seeing something awful it feels like a break. A chance to catch their breath. But the terrible anxiety over what will come next never eases up.
They've gone about 10 miles when it happens. Out of nowhere three walkers roll down the hill that follows the left side of the road, and they roll right in front of Daryl's van. Even though he reacts quickly, cranking the wheel hard to the right, he can't miss hitting two of them and he shuts the engine down.
He mutters, "Fuck," quickly followed by, "Wait here Beth. I'ma clear the road n check the damage."
What can she say, besides, "Okay, but be careful Daryl."
He nods, exits the rig and quickly puts the walkers down for good with a knife to the head. He's just lifting the hood to check the engine when they appear, two living, breathing men. They're rough and sleezy looking, with trouble written all over their faces. Daryl's internally yelling at himself for not realizing the walkers were part of a trap.
In the meantime, Beth quickly slides from her seat and down into the footwell, out of site.
She can hear one of them gruffly taunt Daryl, "Hey boy, watcha got here? Your old hippie van? How bout ya show us whatcha got inside. What? Maybe some food? Maybe some whiskey? Maybe a woman ta keep ya warm at night?"
The last thing Daryl wants is for them to find Beth, his stomach is all tied up in knots. That's worst case scenario and he's got to make sure it doesn't happen. His plan is to fool them into thinking he's agreeable. If he can convince them of that, maybe they'll just take some shit and go.
She hears Daryl respond to the guy, his voice sounds uncharacteristically pleasant, "I got some food I'd share; I even got a pistol I'd give ya if ya back off an lemme be on my way."
One of them let's out a guttural, bone chilling laugh and Beth could swear she feels her skin crawl. Then her heart hits her throat when he says, "Why the hell would we let ya be on your way? How bout instead we just kill your ass and take everythin' ya got?"
She hears the scuffling sounds, there's two of them and just one of Daryl, and oh my gawd they're going to kill him. No, she won't let that happen. She'll either stop them or she'll die trying.
She slips her gun from the holster, releases the safety and opens the van's passenger door hard and fast. She doesn't waste time thinking, she squeezes the trigger, shooting a bullet into the air. Her intention to startle and distract them works. It gives her and Daryl each time enough to get a shot off.
Daryl hits his target right between the eyes. Beth manages to wound the other one in the knee. It's not her best shot, certainly not a kill shot, but it stops him long enough for Daryl to hit him dead center in the forehead.
Beth's whole body is quivering. Daryl knows she's shook up, why the hell wouldn't she be? They just killed two people. Assholes yeah, but people just the same. His arm quickly wraps around her shoulders and he attempts a little gentle teasing, "Damn Greene, you came bustin' outta the van like special ops."
Just as fast he takes his arm away and he's instructing again, "Get back in the van. I'll get this shit outta the road so we can get the hell outta here."
"No."
"No?"
"No Daryl. We're in this together Daryl. I can help get these creeps out of the way, the walkers too."
He shrugs, "Yes ma'ma, as long as ya know ya ain't gotta. I don't mind doin' it."
"I know you well enough to know you'd do it all and never think a thing of it, but I want to help."
"Yeah, well you just helped me plenty. Ya saved my life again Beth."
"And you saved mine again. Apparently that's what we do Daryl."
He grabs the guns off their bodies, and a knife off one of them. A few short weeks ago Beth would have been horrified to see anyone do such a thing, loot a dead body. Today she calmly takes the items from him.
While Daryl is dragging the walkers off the road, Beth goes through the pack belonging to one of the dead men. She finds a flashlight worth keeping and some ammunition, and she pulls out a balled-up t-shirt. She uses the shirt to wipe down the guns and the knife.
Daryl's stunned by her actions, it was only a couple of hours ago he was worried she'd freeze if they were confronted. Shooting a living person is not something most people can easily do, no matter the threat. But he saw her with his own eyes and he's not worried anymore. Beth's a survivor, and he knows she was defending him too.
It strikes him as funny though. Even when she's being a bad ass she somehow manages to still look so sweet and delicate. That's pretty damn good camouflage.
They move the bodies out of the way of the van, and Daryl checks the front end, "Before the fall I's always kinda proud a the fact that even takin' this damn thing up huntin' all the time, I never had any body damage on it. I guess it was time."
Beth may be getting tougher, but there are some things that haven't changed. As they're getting into the van she stops, let's go of her door and quickly walks two or three feet away, just before throwing up everything she had in her. He doesn't say anything, he just grabs a water for her from the back of the van.
She gets in her seat, thanks him for the water, then opens the glove box and starts furiously wiping her hands and face with the baby wipes. He promises, "If I see some water, a stream or river or whatever that seems safe, we'll stop."
"Thank you, Daryl, that would be great."
Yeah, she may have been acting tough and trying to come across like none of this bothers her, but he's not surprised she's struggling. Shit, he is too. He lets her know, "I never killed a livin' person either. It ain't sumthin' I ever planned ta do, but if we hadn't done what we did ta them two? They woulda killed me, then done a whole lot worse ta you."
He reaches over, touches her shoulder like he did earlier and says, "We'll find some water, it'll help if we clean up."
It seems like a small thing, but he's right.
Beth feels a twinge of guilt. She's been so focused on her own feelings she hasn't considered what he might be going through. It makes perfect sense that all this would be hard on him too. Before the fall he wasn't some maniac killer surviving alone in the wilderness. He was a working man with a job he liked, he had hobbies and routines, he had a brother and a couple of buddies. Then his world ended. Just like her world ended.
"I know none of this is easy for you either Daryl. I just want you to know how much I admire and appreciate you. I couldn't have made it a day without you."
Her words make him uncomfortable; he's not used to complements or praise and he has no idea how to receive them, "Yeah sure, no problem."
She doesn't require eloquence from him; she just wanted him to know how she feels.
The travel is slow but steady. Daryl doesn't want to take a chance on going too fast and hitting something that would damage the van. They need it for travel, for shelter and for safety. Besides, going a little slower means better gas mileage.
A couple of times he has to stop long enough to eliminate a walker or two shuffling along the road and in their way. One time it gets a little frightening, at least for Beth. Three walkers head right toward the front end of the van, and just as Daryl's getting out to deal with them, the creatures slam themselves into the vehicle. They're looking at Beth and growling and clawing as they try and get to her.
Daryl fires the bow, one, two, three arrows and the walkers are no longer a threat. He pulls the arrows from their heads and he's back in the van, "They ain't gonna bother anyone again." He doesn't worry about dragging their bodies off the road, he simply drives around them.
They pass a small creek and he pulls over, "Wait now," he orders. He opens his door leaning his arm on it as he stands on the running board and takes a good look around. "K, I don't see nuthin', grab your soap and let's be quick." He doesn't have to tell her twice, she's been dreaming about washing her hands.
She grabs her things and they hurry to the water's edge, both of them washing their hands and arms up to their elbows, and splashing the cool water on their faces. It is better.
This world is still new to them, and for now they're going to err on the side of caution until they get things figured out a little better. They won't travel in the dark, not unless they have to. Headlights would be an attractant and their field of vision would be minimal, they agree to stop at dusk.
Daryl sees a spot about half a mile off the highway. There's no road to it, but the van's been in a lot of rough country and he's sure it will make it. There's plenty of overgrowth of bushes and grasses that will make the vehicle more difficult to see. Once full darkness sets in, and with their blackout curtain up, they'll be nearly invisible.
He parks the van on the most level spot he can find before cutting the engine off, then attaches the blackout curtain. They agree, they won't do anything to draw attention to themselves, like getting out of the vehicle to walk around, and there won't be a campfire. No cooking inside or out. They'll stay in and eat straight from the jars, and they'll only speak in whispers.
They want to avoid being seen or heard by anything living or dead.
He opens a jar of peaches and hands them to her, then opens a jar of new potatoes that have been cooked with ham and green beans. They pass the jars back and forth, sharing the meal. She quits first but Daryl continues to eat until the jars are empty.
He seals the jars and puts them back in the drawer for now, then retrieves the box of breakfast pastries. He hands her one of the bags and whispers, "I think ya earned this today Greene."
She doesn't really want pop tarts, but he seems so happy to offer them to her she smiles and whispers, "Yum, it's like a party in here."
"Yep, that's me, a party kinda guy."
That brings up a question. She wonders, "Were you Daryl? You know, a party kind of guy?"
"Pfft, not hardly. I's just one a them guys that liked ta stop at the tavern after work a couple times a week. Ya know, a beer, a game of pool, a little bullshittin' with other members of the workin' class. I's home n had myself fed and in the sack by 10. A real party animal." She's happy to hear that.
She opened the door and he steps in. He takes a bite of the pastry and asks, "How bout you Beth, were you some kinda party girl?"
She smiles, "When I still lived at home on the farm I always thought going to bars and clubs must be so fun. In the pictures I saw everyone was always laughing and smiling and dancing and hugging. Then I started singing in bars and lounges and I saw the other side of that. Couples fighting, friends fighting, people getting drunk and stupid, people getting drunk and mean, and people getting drunk and sick. It turned out I liked getting out of those places and going home as soon as I was done with my act."
He smiles and nods, yeah he's seen all that same shit. He's glad to know she wasn't part of the scene.
The subject changes when he mentions, "About five miles down the road we're gonna come to a little town called Smithton. Ever heard of it?"
"I've heard of it but I've never been there. I don't really know anything about it except I heard once it was nice."
"It's small, about forty thousand people. Anyway, they got a drug store, hardware store, a few cafes, sportin' goods place, all that. If it don't seem like there's too many walkers or people around, we could maybe scavenge some things, if ya wanted to."
"Sure, if it seems safe…well as safe as things can be these days. I'd like to go to the library too."
"The library? I thought ya got a couple a books from the farm, how many can ya read at one time?" He sounds crabby but he's sort of almost smiling.
"Well smarty, I was thinking maybe I should get a couple of those survival books, you know, they talk about living off the grid, generating your own power, growing and processing your own food. Basically, how to do everything for yourself and by yourself, in case the world falls apart. I think its' safe to say that's happened, the world has fallen apart."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. K, as long as things look safe enough we'll see what the Smithton Public Library has ta offer."
Beth is sure Mama would be horrified at the sight of them licking their dirty flatware clean and sticking it back in the drawer. She's appalled herself, but they'll wash it all when they can, when there's no danger.
That thought begs the question, will there be a time when there's no danger?
Tonight when bedtime comes there's no discussion and no argument about who will sleep where. Daryl brought the feather mattress from the farmhand's bed and he unrolls it now, laying it on the floor.
He turns the lantern off and says, "I gotta try'n find some batteries for these lanterns too, maybe the sportin' goods store ain't been picked clean yet." He adds, "Dependin' on how long we take in Smithton, and any trouble we have on the road, I should have ya ta the farm day after tomorrow." He doesn't want to think about the reason his own words hurt so much.
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They turn off the main highway about two miles before Smithton, and he explains, "This old road will take us the back way, like we're sneakin' in the backdoor. We can have a good look around and decide whether we wanna take a chance or not."
She smiles over at him, "Geez Daryl, do you know every town and back road in the state?"
He shrugs, "Yeah, mostly. Merle was always on the move and when I was young I followed him wherever he went. Whatever he said we were doin', wherever he said we were goin'."
"Was it fun?"
"Nah, most of it was hard and shitty and I remember bein' hungry a lot, but as hard n shitty as it was it was still better'n bein' home with my dad." He shakes his head side to side and adds, "When I decided ta settle down on my own, n I applied at Road n Bridge, they wouldn't hire me cuz I didn't have my high school diploma. It's hard ta get one when you're always roamin' around and never goin' ta school. So, I got my GED and eventually got the job. Now it turns out the best education I got was on the road. I think that's what they call ironic."
From their vantage point they have a clear view of the main street. They see a few walkers, but no large groups. They don't see a single living person.
They agree to try the sporting goods store first, he suggests, "if we do good there, we can haul our stuff back here ta the van n stash it, then we go back and hit that general store and the library for your books. K?"
"Sounds good."
There's a delivery door at the back of the sporting goods store, but there are also a couple of walkers stumbling around looking for a meal. They damn sure don't want to attract attention so there's no shooting. Beth stabs one in the head and Daryl makes quick work of the other with his bow.
Daryl jimmies the lock on the door and as he's opening it tells her, "Lemme walk ahead of ya, we'll clear it then do our shoppin'."
She smiles and nods and he steps inside. She follows him as he quietly walks aisle to aisle, and just as quietly they put down six walkers. It appears they were scavengers before they turned, just like Daryl and Beth.
One has a leather overnight bag full of batteries, flashlights, lighters and stick matches." Just the kind of stuff Daryl was hoping they'd find, "I'll grab that on our way out."
There's a recurve bow and Beth's so excited you'd think it was Christmas morning. Daryl's even smiling as he fills her bag with bowstring, arrows, and some of the supplies they'll need to make more, shafts, nocks, fletching and points. She'll be set for a good long while.
He finds something else he was after, batteries for the lantern, the walker had every other kind of battery they might need. They've now got three heavy bags and they've barely started, but they don't have too far to go and he can carry what he has to.
In the clothing section they each put on a good weatherproof jacket, the only other thing he takes are several rolls of duct tape. He smiles as he makes a little joke, "When everythin' goes ta shit, this'll fix it." They both chuckle as he shoves it in his bag, he collects the bag next to the walker, and they get the hell out of there the same way they went in.
Back at the van they don't bother to put anything away, they just lock the doors and hurry back to town.
At the general store they manage to find a few more boxes of matches, and Beth takes advantage of something else. She only has the one small box she took from the farm, and the world is going to be out of these things soon. Then what does a woman do? Go back to the days of using rags?
She doesn't realize Daryl is standing close by when she puts the box of Tampons in her bag. Something makes her look up and he seems so embarrassed, "Sorry. Are ya doin' okay?"
Oh my gosh, he can be so sweet sometimes, "It hasn't started yet, but it'll be coming soon."
He nods, and anxious to get off the subject, he attempts some humor, "I checked the freezers, they're outta ice cream. Well, they got a lot but it's so damn runny and man it stinks."
She smiles, grateful for his silly jokes. He smiles too and says, "I did score two packages of cookies, the last two cans of milk, a small can a coffee and a lotta canned vegetables. I guess no one wants ta eat their vegetables even when the world ends."
At the library not only does she find a couple of books, but they're both pretty stoked about something else they come across. Beth's all smiles, "Gosh, I forgot libraries rent music and books on tape, even the CD players to listen on. This is great."
Daryl's smiling too., "Yeah, by the time we run outta batteries maybe I can figure out how ta work them players on solar power." Shit, reality hits him again, when the batteries run out she'll be somewhere without him, and he'll be somewhere without her.
By the time the van is secured it's already getting late in the afternoon. They leave their finds to sort through later and hit the road. They want to get as far as they can. Being so close to town makes them feel too exposed.
As they're driving their minds are on it again, after tomorrow she'll be home and he'll be back on the road alone. He reminds her, "Um, half a everythin' is yours. I'll leave it with ya when I go."
They're quiet after that, both of them thinking about what that's going to feel like.
00
Morning comes and they're moving slow. No one seems very anxious to get going. They take their time and take their chances, making coffee and even sitting outside to enjoy it, along with the last of the pop tarts. Daryl smiles as he takes his last bite, "I'm gonna miss these damn things."
They get the goods they scavenged sorted and stored as best they can. The van has become overloaded and quite crowded, but they realize what seems like a lot right now will actually go quickly.
Finally, they're back on the road. Barring any major obstacles, these last miles should go fairly fast and easy. It's not a treed area so he can see better what's coming, and the road is straight and flat. He'll have her home soon.
Somehow that doesn't seem so great.
They pull off the road and onto the rural route that leads to the Greene family farm. The road is bumpy and the sounds of cargo from the back of the van are loud and annoying. That's okay, it's not like Daryl and Beth are trying to have a conversation, they're both too deep in their own thoughts for that.
As they approach the farm Daryl slows way down, and Beth gasps, "Oh my gosh Daryl, the farm looks like a campground."
There are tents, awnings, and there's the big RV from the quarry, complete with a man on the roof sitting under an umbrella.
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A/N We made it to the farm! Please leave a comment. The chapter photo, RV and all, is on my tumblr blogs, gneebee and bethylmethbrick. Please have a look. Next Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the U.S., but I still plan to post a chapter of Love's Long Road. I hope you'll stop by and check it out. For now remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee
