The next day, Daryl led the way as they walked out of the woods and Beth smiled.
"I think this is a country club," she said and Daryl picked up the golfclub lying on the ground. He placed the golfclub against his right shoulder as they walked toward the white building and Tyreese looked at the sign.
Pine Vista Country Club was painted in white letters and Daryl and Beth walked up the stairs. He looked down at the body leaned against the wall near the front doors and Daryl tried to get the front doors opened.
"Locked," he said as he looked at Beth then he looked at Tyreese, Carol, Mika and Judith. He heard a soft hissing and growling sound when he saw the Walkers stumbling out of the woods and he and Beth ran down the stairs. "Move!"
Carol held onto Mika's right hand as they followed Daryl and Tyreese held Judith in his arms. They came to a side door when Daryl opened the door and he moved back so they could go inside. He went inside as he closed then he secured the door and they looked around the dimly lit room. Daryl and Beth found some working flashlights as they shined the dim light around the room and Mika gasped when she saw the Walkers hanging from the ceiling.
"Don't look," Carol said and Mika nodded. They searched the room when Beth saw Daryl shoved money and jewelry into the backpack and she frowned.
"What are you doing?" Beth whispered. He only shook his head while they left the room and they headed into the hallway. They stopped as the Walkers appeared and Daryl pointed down the hallway. They ran when Daryl saw the tops of trophy cases and the grandfather clock leaning against the wall and he placed the crossbow on one of the trophy cases, crawled along the floor, carefully moved the grandfather clock into a standing position and he stood up.
He signaled for Carol to hand Judith to him as she handed the baby to him and he held Judith in his arms. Judith was making soft whimpering sounds as he hushed her and he watched Mika, Beth and Carol crawling under the trophy cases. Tyreese pondered how to safely crawl under the trophy cases when he sighed, knelt down and he started crawling. He stood up seconds later when he handed Daryl the crossbow and Daryl handed Judith to him.
They headed down the hallway when the grandfather clock chimed three times and Tyreese hushed Judith when she started crying. They went in the kitchen while Daryl, Carol and Tyreese checked the cabinets for food and Mika stood close to Carol. Beth found a storage room when she noticed something on the top shelf and what she found was a bottle of wine.
She knew her father never let her drink, but she wanted a drink and she carefully stepped over the body on the floor, stood on the shelf and she lifted the bottle off the top shelf. She stepped down when she left the storage room and a Walker stepped out of the room to her right.
"No!" she shouted as she fought with the Walker and she smashed the bottle against the wall. She used the jagged glass to stab the Walker in the head and the body fell to the floor. She looked at Daryl standing there as she gave him an angry look and he sighed. "Thanks for the help."
"Knew you could handle it," he grumbled and Carol lightly tapped his right upper arm. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked off and they followed him They headed down the hallway when they walked into the gift shop and they spread out.
"Oh," Beth said when she and Daryl saw the body of a female Walker propped up like a mannequin and a sign reading "Rich Bitch" was tied around her neck. "We have to get her down."
"No, we don't," Daryl said as he used a jean jacket to cover the top half of the body and she glared at him.
"What is wrong with you?"
Snorting a breath of air, Daryl walked off as she sighed then she went to look at the shirts. She found a woman's shirt which would fit her as she placed the shirt on and she followed them out of the room.
They walked into the lounge as they looked at the bodies lying on the floor or sitting on the couches and Daryl found some lighters and cigarillos in a bowl. He placed one of the cigarillos in his mouth as he placed the rest of the cigarillos and lighters in the backpack when he heard a growl and he picked up the golfclub lying on the table.
"Move!" Daryl said as Carol moved Mika toward the doorway and they watched him smash the Walker's head in with the golfclub. Beth looked down as the blood from the Walker's head spread over her new shirt and she sighed, taking the shirt off. Tossing the golfclub, Daryl pointed as they walked out of the room and they went down the hallway.
"Are you ok?" Carol whispered. She knew he was on edge since Lizzie's death, but she also knew he wasn't going to let his feelings out and she lightly placed the palm of her left hand against his back. He glanced at her as he sighed then he shook his head.
"Hey! Look at what I found!" Beth called out as she pointed and they walked in the barroom. She headed for the bar as they looked around and Daryl walked to the dartboard. "My dad never let me drink. But I don't care. I want a drink."
"Let's see if we can find anything," Tyreese said, handing Judith to Carol before walking to her. Beth saw the bodies behind the bar as they checked the shelves and she smiled when she found a bottle of Peach Schnapps.
Daryl looked around the room when he found a framed copy of the map of the country club and the road and he broke the glass to get the map out of the frame.
"Why did you do that?" Carol asked.
"Had to get the map," Daryl said, folding the map then he placed the map in the inner pocket of his vest.
"Daryl, what's this?" Mika asked as she pointed to the dart board.
"It's a game," he said as he walked to her then he went to get the darts. Carol adjusted her hold on Judith while she watched him explain the game to Mika then Carol looked at Beth and Tyreese. They had found some clean glasses as Beth looked at the bottle of Peach Schnapps and she frowned.
"Found something?" Carol asked as she walked closer.
"Yep. Peach Schnapps," Beth said.
"Are you kiddin' me?" Daryl said as he walked closer, took the bottle out of her hands and he tossed the bottle onto the floor.
"Hey!"
"Ain't gonna have your first drink be no damn Peach Schnapps," he said and he headed for the door. He opened the door as he pointed for Mika to go outside then he looked at them. "Come on."
They headed for him then they went outside and he closed the door behind him.
"What is wrong with him?" Tyreese whispered, but Carol only shook her head and they headed down the path.
Hours later, they headed for the shack as Daryl looked at the shack and he frowned.
"Found this one day while out with Michonne," Daryl said as he walked to the small shed and he, Tyreese and Beth followed him.
"What's this?" Tyreese asked.
"It's a still."
"You mean like for making moonshine?"
"Yeah."
"Dad said bad moonshine could cause you to go blind," Beth said.
"Do you wanna drink or not?" Daryl asked as he picked up the glass bottles filled with moonshine and he placed the glass bottles in the crate. They headed for the shack as he nodded his head toward the door and Carol and Mika walked to the shack. Carol opened the door then they walked inside and Daryl placed the crate on the counter.
"Why do people buy things like this?" Beth asked while she picked up a plastic pink bra filled with cigarette butts and Daryl looked at it.
"My dad had one. Used to sit it on top of the tv and shoot at it," Daryl said and she placed the plastic pink bra on the table. "In fact, he used to have a place like this."
"Did he make moonshine?" Tyreese asked.
"Yeah," he said with a nod then he found a clean glass. He opened the jar of moonshine when he pouted the clear liquid into the glass then he held the glass out to Beth. "Go on."
"Are you going to have some?" Beth asked.
"I'm good," he said as he poured some more moonshine into another clean glass and he handed the glass to Tyreese. Carol shook her head when he offered her a glass of moonshine and he nodded.
"Do you think there is somewhere where I can put Judith down for a nap?" Carol asked, looking around.
"Put her on the recliner," Daryl said as he handed her the clean blanket he found on the floor and Carol nodded.
"Can I have some moonshine?" Mika asked.
"No," Daryl said and she nodded. She walked to the recliner as she snuggled down next to Judith and the girls closed their eyes. Once they were sure the girls were asleep, Daryl walked to the window when he looked out the window and he saw a Walker outside. "Great. We have company."
"How many?" Carol asked.
"Just the one," he said. He went to find something to block the windows when he covered the windows and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Um, anyone want to play a drinking game?" Beth asked and he turned to look at her.
"Seriously!?"
"I'm game," Tyreese said and Carol nodded. Sighing, Daryl went to get some more glasses of moonshine and they went to sit on the floor.
"How about we play I Never?" Beth said as she explained how the game worked and Daryl sighed, leaning back against the recliner. He checked to see if Judith was still sleeping as he softly smiled and he turned to look at them. "I'll start."
They took turns when Beth looked at Daryl and he was looking into the glass bottle of moonshine.
"I never…," Beth said as she paused. "I never have been in jail."
"Me neither," Carol said.
"Uh…," Tyreese said when he took a drink and their eyes widened. "Ok, it was when I was a teenager. Some friends and I hotwired a car and went on a joy ride. Spent three months in juvie."
"Whoa," Beth said with a smile then she looked at Daryl. She had been talking to him about what he had been doing before everything fell apart and he had been evasive with his answers. "Daryl?"
"I need to take a piss," Daryl said as he carefully stood up and he walked to the corner. He didn't mind them watching as he unzipped zipped his jeans and he sighed.
"Daryl, are you alright?" Carol asked.
"Sorry. Can't hear you. Takin' a piss," he said then he zipped his jeans up. They heard the sound of the Walker pounding on the wall as he picked up the crossbow and he headed for the door. "Looks like our friend's back."
"Where are you going?" Beth asked as she got up and she walked to him.
"None of yer damn business."
He walked to the door when he opened the door and she followed him outside. He went around to the side of the house when he pointed the crossbow at the Walker, aimed, fired the crossbow several times and the Walker became pinned to the tree.
"Daryl…," Beth said while he reloaded the crossbow and she placed her hands on top of his hands. "Stop."
"Leave me be!" he said, pulling away and he held the crossbow in his hands. "Hey. You said you never fired a crossbow. Lemme show you how!"
"No!" she said as he lightly grabbed onto her and he tried to put the crossbow in her hands.
"Come on. It's easy."
"Daryl, no!" she said as she pushed him off and she walked to the Walker, removed the knife out of the holder on her hip and she stabbed the Walker in the head.
"Why the hell did you do that fer?! We was havin' fun!"
"No, you were being a jackass! Killing them is not supposed to be fun!
"What do you want from me, Girl?!"
"I want you to stop acting like what happened doesn't mean anything! Like nothing we went through matters! Like… Like none of the people we lost meant anything to you! Like what Lizzie did was wrong! It's bullshit! Admit it! You're afraid!
He looked at her as he blinked his eyes a few times then he moved closer.
"I ain't afraid of nothin'," he growled. "You wanna know what I feel!? I feel that you're lyin' to yerself! You… Me… Tyreese… Carol… Judith… Mika… We are all that's left! Rick! Michonne! Carl! Maggie! Glenn! They're all dead! We ain't never gonna see them again!"
"You don't know that!"
"The Governor rolled up to our gates…," he said as he paused and she could just see the tears in the corners of his eyes. "Maybe if I… Maybe if I wouldn't have stop lookin'… Maybe because I gave up… That's on me!"
"Daryl…," she said as he turned away and she walked up behind him.
"An' yer dad… Maybe… Maybe I could've done somethin'… I had the shot, but I wanted to see what Rick was gonna do! I should have taken the goddamn shot!"
He was surprised when she slid her arms around him and she placed her head against his back. Daryl lowered his head when he started sobbing and Beth held on a little tighter. She looked over at the windows when she saw Carol looking at them and Carol nodded her head to tell her it was alright.
A few minutes later, Daryl sniffed while Beth let go of him and he watched her go back into the shack. He wiped his eyes on the back of his right hand when he heard the sound of the door open and he picked up the crossbow, placed the strap of the crossbow over his right shoulder then he walked around the side of the shack to see who it was. Carol walked closer when she stopped in front of him and Daryl saw the concern in her eyes.
"Are you ok?" Carol asked, handing him a clean cloth to wipe his nose.
"Gettin' there," Daryl said.
"Want to tell me what that was all about?"
"Just needed to get some air."
"It's more than just that. You've been acting odd since Lizzie died."
"Guess her death's hit me harder than I thought."
"No, it's not that," she said as he snorted a breath of air and he shook his head He saw something in her eyes which made him want to tell her everything and he sighed.
"Fine," he said then he looked down at his feet. "I once said I was tired of savin' people. Of losin' them."
"I think we all are."
"But it doesn't change the fact I feel like I've failed them somehow. That it's my fault they died."
"It isn't."
"That's how I felt after we found out what happened to Sophia."
"And I told you it wasn't your fault. It was mine."
He went quiet for a few seconds when he rubbed his left index finger under his lower lip and he sighed.
"I was told feelin' anythin' means you're weak," Daryl said.
"Who told you that?"
"My father. Merle."
"Well, you know Merle was a jerk. Always saying things without thinking."
"Yeah," he said with a nod.
"Then believe me when I say you're not weak. You are one of the strongest people I know."
She wasn't sure, but she swore he was blushing and he nodded. She watched him head for the house as she followed him and he opened the front door. She walked by him as they went inside and he closed the door.
"Daryl…?" Beth asked while holding Judith in her arms.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I'm sorry."
"We're good," he said when Mika walked to him and she hugged his waist. He patted her hair when Judith reached out for him and Mika let go of him. He took Judith from Beth as Judith whimpered and he held Judith. Judith wrapped her arms over his shoulders as they placed their heads against each other and he smiled.
"Did you take care of that Walker?" Tyreese asked.
"Beth got him."
"After he pinned it to the tree with crossbow bolts," Beth teased and Daryl rolled his eyes after Mika and Tyreese laughed.
"I told you I wanted to teach you how to use my crossbow."
"Maybe tomorrow."
Nodding, Daryl lifted Judith into the air as she smiled down at him and she clapped her hands. Carol noticed how happy he looked as she leaned against the recliner and she folded her arms over her stomach.
Later that night, the house was dark while Daryl sat on the porch and he dug ruts in the wood with a knife. He looked into the darkness while his mind drifted off and he placed his wrists on his knees.
The quarry
"Whatcha lookin' at?" Merle asked while walking to him and Merle sat on the ground.
"Nothin'," Daryl said while looking at Carol and she was getting yelled at by Ed.
"That don't look like nothin'," Merle said, looking at Carol. "She gettin' under yer skin, ain't she?"
"What if she is?"
"Don't get it into yer head that she wants anythin' to do with you. You ain't even in her league."
"Maybe. But she doesn't deserve bein' treated like shit."
"Ain't yer problem."
"Wanna know what I wanna do?"
"Sure."
"I wanna take her an' her daughter an' run."
"What? You wanna take 'em with us after we rob 'em?"
"Yeah."
"That ain't gonna happen. Besides, someone like her? She ain't gonna survive long. She's like you. Weak."
He watched Merle get up as Merle walked away and Daryl looked at Carol then he sighed.
"She lasted longer than you did," Daryl whispered when he heard someone walking closer and he watched Beth sit down across from him.
"Hey," she said with a small smile.
'What are you doin' up?" Daryl said as he looked into the house. Carol was sleeping on the recliner with Judith on her lap and Carol had covered her with a clean blanket she had found. Tyreese was sleeping against the wall with Mika sitting on his lap and he had his arms wrapped around her.
"Couldn't sleep," Beth said.
Daryl started chipping at the post as they sat in silence then he lowered his head.
"Sorry about before," he said, softly.
"It's alright."
"No, it ain't."
"I shouldn't have suggested we play that game."
"How did you know how to play?"
"Used to watch my friends play it."
"Oh," he said then he became quiet for a few seconds. "I've never been in jail. Unless you count goin' to see Merle."
They became quiet while he looked into the darkness then he looked at her.
"Do you wanna know who I was before all this happened? I was nothing. Nobody. Just this redneck drifter like my brother. Doing whatever Merle wanted to do."
"But you're not nothing or a nobody."
"You sure about that?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "All my life, no one gave a shit about me except Merle. Not our parents. Not my teachers. Not even my friends. I was just there. An', most of the time, I let them down. I ain't worth shit."
"Don't say things like that. You are worth the life God gave you."
"Yeah. Right."
"You are. And I don't care what you did in the past. It doesn't matter. Not anymore," she said as she looked at the darkness. "You wanna know something else? When it's all said and done… You're going to be the last man standing."
Daryl gave her a slightly stunned look as he lowered head and he thumped the end of the blade of the knife into the wood.
"We need to get out of here," she said as she stood and he looked up at her. "This place is bringing up too many bad memories."
"Yeah," he said, standing up.
"We should burn it to the ground."
"Uh…"
"I mean after we wake Carol, Tyreese, Judith and Mika."
"Ok," he said and they headed into the house. Daryl walked over to the recliner when he lightly shook Carol and she opened her eyes.
"What's wrong?" she whispered, adjusting her hold on Judith.
"We gotta go," he said while he watched Beth wake Tyreese and Mika and they stood up,
"Is it Walkers?"
"Nah. Just wanna get goin'."
She gave him a puzzled look as she carefully stood and she held Judith in her arms. She went to help Tyreese pack while Daryl walked over to the crate and he picked up one of the glass jars of moonshine. Carol, Mika, Judith and Tyreese left the house while Daryl and Beth poured and sprayed the inside of the house with the moonshine and Beth admitted she was having fun. They walked to the door after Daryl had dumped the jewelry and the money from the country club onto the floor and they left the house.
"What's going on?" Mika asked with a sleepy tone.
"We're leavin'," Daryl said as he used his lighter to set a wad of money on fire then he tossed the wad of money onto the porch. He and Beth had used some moonshine on the porch and the fire erupted after the wad of money landed. He tossed a few more wads of money into the house while the fire spread and soon the house was on fire.
"Why did you do that?" Tyreese asked.
"Just getting rid of the past," Beth said, grinning at Daryl. Tyreese looked at Carol as she shrugged her shoulders and he sighed. They stood watching the fire while a few Walkers headed toward the flames and Beth glanced at Daryl. Nodding, he and Beth flipped off the house while Carol and Tyreese did the same and Mika joined them. Carol looked at Judith when Judith giggled and Judith flipped off the fire, too.
"Ah, don't do that," Carol said, lowering Judith's hand and Judith frowned.
"Ain't no harm in her doin' that," Daryl said with a small laugh. Nodding, Carol walked to him as they turned and they all headed into the forest.
