A/N: I am SO sorry you have had to wait so long for an update on this story! I've been juggling two jobs and it's been...exhausting and a mess. This chapter isn't much, the next one is going to be intense so prepare to be blown away. Maybe. Hopefully? Anywho, enjoy!

Chapter 6 –

When the group finally decided to move on late the next morning, everyone was silent. Beth limped beside Daryl, her hand brushing the hunter's with every swing. After a while of walking, Daryl grabbed the blonde's hand and threaded their fingers together making her look up at him in surprise. The hunter kept his eyes forward but glanced at her through the corner of his eyes once she was facing forward again. When Daryl looked forward again, his eyes met the smirking and teasing faces of Michonne and Carl. He scowled in return, hoping that his surliest look would stop their staring.

It didn't. In fact, the two quickly chuckled at him and began whispering to each other about Daryl holding Beth's hand. Their giggles and words eventually caught Rick's attention and a knowing smile covered the man's face when his eyes caught the intimate action between the two. The attention and teasing made Daryl want to drop her hand and run but he fought the urge, forcing his thoughts to focus on the feel of her hand in his.

Beth squeezed his hand tightly and he looked down at her. Her eyes were focused at something to their left and he followed her gaze. He stopped in his tracks when he saw it was another Terminus sign. This one, however, had Maggie's writing all over it. It was the first they had seen since their time with The Claimers.

'Glenn, go to Terminus. Maggie, Sasha, Bob'

Daryl could feel anger at Maggie growing as Beth let out a disheartened sigh and she let go of Daryl's hand and limped ahead of the rest of their group. Rick met Daryl's eyes, a confusion and concern for the blonde in his eyes. Michonne and Carl walked quickly to catch up to the limping blonde and Rick began walking beside the hunter.

"Wonder why Maggie didn't include her," Rick thought aloud.

"She thinks it's because Maggie thinks she didn't make it or that she's with Glenn," Daryl grumbled. Rick was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Beth is a strong girl. Always has been for as long as we've known her. Maggie has known her longer, she should know that too. How is she holding up?"

"She's been silent. Last night was…hard." Daryl finished lamely and the sheriff nodded. Rick was silent a moment before looking at the hunter.

"You two are good for each other. You've given her a physical strength. She seems to have brought you an emotional strength. The two of you will help each other through this, I know you will."

"I'm happy for you, you're my brother, and you've found someone to bring you happiness and love. You need those to survive in this world." Daryl gave a grunt in response, unable to find the words to express how much the approval Rick had just given him meant. Not that Daryl was sure he would be able to use that approval for anything, he doubted this thing with Beth would make it very far or long with how he always ruined things. Never mind the fact that he couldn't pinpoint exactly how the petite blonde felt for him. He wasn't good at relationships of any kind so he was already preparing for the end of things with the woman. Rick took bigger steps to rejoin Michonne and Carl and Daryl was left to his thoughts until Beth rejoined him.

"You're thinking awful hard, Dixon, penny for your thoughts?" Beth teased. Daryl looked at her through his bangs and shook his head.

"Need more 'n a penny for 'em," he told her.

"Ah, so your thoughts are as heavy as the look on your face," Daryl's eyes went to their hands as Beth held his again. "Is it Terminus?" she asked and he shrugged. The place had been weighing heavily on his thoughts as doubts and concerns about where they were headed and the kind of place it could be had played through his mind, but that wasn't exactly what had been bothering him.

"Okay, it's partially Terminus but it's not your major concern at the moment, right?" Daryl looked at the blonde in surprise. Her ability to read him so well astounded him. He nodded slightly and Beth 'hmm'd' in thought. "Is it Maggie's note?" Again, Daryl shrugged and Beth sighed as she thought of what else could be bothering the man.

"Is it…me?" Her voice was uncertain and his eyes immediately sought hers. "It is…." Her hand instantly let go of his and she stopped walking. Daryl stopped and turned to her, his eyes taking in the worried look on her face. "Did I misunderstand? Overstep my boundaries?" she asked.

"Wha? No, Beth, it ain't…" Daryl sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I…I ain't good at this." He looked at Beth, their eyes searching the others for what wasn't being spoken. A determined look that almost said 'fuck it' came over the blonde's face and she stepped up to the hunter, rising slightly and pressing her lips to the corner of Daryl's mouth, making him freeze in shock. When Daryl didn't move, Beth lowered herself back to the flats of her feet, her cheeks pink and her eyes on their feet.

"I'm sorry, I…" Daryl's hands captured the sides of her head and his lips interrupted her apology as they slanted over hers. Her eyes closed as the elation she felt raced through her veins and her heart pounded in her chest. All too soon, the kiss ended as Daryl leaned back, a small grin on his face as he looked at the blonde.

"You didn't misunderstand," he told her and she nodded dumbly, still reeling from the kiss. "There's a lot goin' on, a lot to be thinking about…and last night, watching him attack you…I realized how…" he sighed. "How important you were to me." Daryl looked briefly ahead to where Rick, Carl, and Michonne were still walking, getting further away. "Come on, we need to catch up."

"Okay…You're important to me too, Daryl." The blonde told him before grabbing his hand and pulling him along, her pace quick to help them catch up to their family members.

"Look," Rick pointed to something to the right of the tracks and Daryl followed his arm to a small town. He could see a hunting store and a small grocery store on the edge of the town and nodded.

"We could use some supplies. If Terminus isn't safe, we'll need weapons to protect us."

"We'll scout it before we go in. If it isn't safe, we won't go near it," Rick corrected, "but we'll need the weapons regardless, if there are any left. What we took from that group last night would protect us for a while, but not long. There wasn't much ammo. Need the food too."

"Beth and I can hit the hunting store, you guys get the food. Make it a quick in-and-out deal," Daryl suggested and Michonne nodded.

"We'll meet back here in twenty," she ordered and the group agreed, setting off to the small town and splitting up to go to the stores. Beth knocked on the hunting store's doors and the couple waited until the lone walker made its way to them. Daryl shot it before it got to the doorway and entered the store, his body tense as he glanced around the small building.

"Daryl, look!" Beth exclaimed and the hunter followed her arm as she pointed to something across the room from them. A crossbow, similar to his but slightly smaller in size, hung on a wall next to a box full of bolts. He grinned and glanced at the blonde. "Do you think I can use it?" she asked with a smile and he nodded, his thoughts automatically listing the things he still needed to teach her to insure she could use it properly and knock it on her own, before leading the way to the weapon, his own crossbow up and ready for any sign of trouble. Beth grabbed a duffle bag off of one of the shelves as they passed it before going to the weapon on the wall and taking it down.

"It's lighter than yours," she commented and Daryl let out a hum in response, his eyes taking in the numerous bolts and guns still left in the store.

"This almost seems too good to be true," he told her, his eyes glancing cautiously around. "Too many supplies left here." Beth's eyes looked around as well but neither one could see any immediate danger.

"That walker seemed somewhat new, do you think he was living here?" she asked and Daryl nodded.

"Good possibility. Why don't you try knocking it? See if ya can," he asked with a smirk. Beth let out a breath before placing her foot in the stirrup and grabbing the string and attempting to pull it back like Daryl had shown her on his days earlier. She managed to get it three-quarters of the way back before giving up. He nodded. "You're getting there, getting stronger. You'll be able to knock it on your own soon 'nough. Here," he reached out and she handed the crossbow over to him. He inspected it, finding it in good working order and knocked it for her, loading one of the many bolts from the box into it. He then snapped a quiver onto the weapon and loaded it with bolts before attaching a strap so that she could wear it across her back like his and handing it back to her. The hunter then knocked his own crossbow and filled his quiver with more bolts.

"Keep your knife as your primary weapon until you can knock it on your own. You don't want to fire it and then be unable to knock it and get bit." He ordered and she nodded, adjusting the strap so that the weapon lay more comfortably against her small frame before she began filling their bag with guns, ammo, bolts, and knives. Daryl turned his attention to the other supplies in the building, grabbing another duffle bag and filling it with cleaning supplies as well as holsters and any other goods he deemed needed or potentially needed.

"It's about time, do you think we've got enough?" Beth asked as she slung the duffle bag on her shoulder and readjusted her crossbow. Daryl nodded as he glanced through the bag he had filled before zipping it up and shrugging it on. He lifted his crossbow and nodded his head for Beth to follow him as they exited the store and returned to the train tracks. A low whistle caught their attention and they turned, seeing Rick, Michonne, and Carl approaching from behind.

"Find anything?" Beth asked and the three nodded with bright smiles.

"Store was practically untouched," Michonne explained and Daryl nodded.

"Same as the hunting store."

"You found another crossbow?" Carl asked, his voice full of excitement.

"Yup. Daryl's been teaching me how to use his. When we saw this one, it was almost too good to be true. Now I can practice with my own," Beth smiled brightly at the hunter and he grinned back. "We ready?" she asked and everyone nodded and began walking back down the tracks.