I posted the first two chapters of this fic a very long time ago on another account. Having rewatched up to a certain point in the show and after reading a lot of wonderful bethyl fanfic, I decided to pick it up again on my main account. I hope y'all don't hate it! I have no idea what I'm doing!

Title: Broken Bridge by Daughter Darling

Pain throbbed in his head and exhaustion weighed down his limbs and tugged at his eyelids. His mouth felt like sandpaper and his stomach twisted and ached for something substantial. But still, Daryl could not bring himself to lie down and sleep. It was all he could do to chase away the demons when he was awake. He couldn't do anything about them if he was asleep. He thought that the lack of water was really getting to him when he heard it. The echo of a laugh, the distant sound of a piano, a sweet song about a world that was long gone. He'd heard Rick tell the story about what he experienced at the prison, about the voices of ghosts on a phone that couldn't possibly work. About seeing his wife after her death. Daryl just never thought it would happen to him.

"You should sleep."

Her voice made his chest ache and his eyes prick with tears that he thought he was done with. Daryl didn't dare to look, though he wanted to more than anything in the world. Part of him almost hoped that it would go away, that she would leave him be. In the end, the temptation was too great. So he turned his head and looked, his breath catching in his throat. Her hair was messy as always and her face was clear of the wounds that she had when he saw her last. There was a sparkle in her blue eyes and a small smile on her lips. She had no right looking so beautiful when there was nothing but ugly in this world. Daryl was convinced of it now. Nothing as pure as Beth Greene should be in all this darkness. So why was she here?

"I'm seein' things," he said, his voice quiet and rough.

"Probably," she said, leaning back against the barn wall next to him. "You shoulda taken that water."

"Coulda been poisoned."

Daryl picked at his dirt-lined fingernails, turning his head away. She was too bright. Too beautiful. It hurt to look at her.

"This barn looks kinda like ours. At least how it used to be," Beth told him.

He glanced around, peering up at the loft above them and the stalls along one side of the barn. From what he'd seen of the barn at the Greene family farm, she was right.

"It's gone now," she said softly.

"So are you."

With a sad smile and lowered eyes, she focused on the object beside him.

"I love music boxes," Beth said, her hand fluttering over the yellow box but not touching it.

"It don't work," he told her.

"You can fix it. For her."

She nodded at Maggie where she was lying on the ground, her back to them.

"What's the point?" Daryl asked.

"I love music boxes," she repeated.

He stared at the box for several moments before picking it up. As he opened it, Daryl heard a soft sigh beside him.

"Ten."

"Huh?" he said, glancing over at her.

She stared off into space, seeing something that he couldn't. Daryl didn't question her about it, feeling damn sure that he didn't want to know.

"Why are you here?"

Beth looked at him, a jumble of emotions in her eyes.

"You know," she said, leaning her head back against the wall.

Daryl watched as she sank her teeth into her bottom lip, an action so human, so Beth, that it made him ache to touch her. But he didn't want to ruin the illusion, didn't want to prove to himself once and for all that she wasn't really here.

"You were right before," he said quietly.

Beth tilted her head to the side with an unspoken curiosity in her eyes.

"I miss you," Daryl mumbled.

"I told you so," Beth whispered, giving him that sad smile again.

He felt his exhaustion bearing down on him once more but refused to let his eyes slide shut, knowing she could go at any moment. Part of him wondered if this was all just a dream. If he'd fallen asleep without knowing. But there was the pain in his head, dulled by her presence but still there, and the persistent dryness of his mouth. He could feel the hardness of the ground beneath him and he could hear the patter of rain against the outside of the barn. Abraham was snoring softly and Judith was cooing in her sleep.

"You should fix it," she told him again.

Somehow he knew it was time. Turning away, Daryl closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He refused to watch her go. He'd lost her too many times to see it happen again. Minutes passed in silence. Finally, Daryl opened his eyes and focused on the music box, pulling it open to see the problem. He didn't say a word. Didn't make a sound. There was no point. He was alone again, silence surrounding him until a light tinkle of music came from the box in his hands. He couldn't help but imagine her bright smile if she heard it. Daryl bit down on his cheek hard, closing the box and setting it aside. Maggie stirred and stiffened as she woke.

I would love to hear what you think!