It was several days before things around the prison righted their-selves; the fence was finally back up, held up by reinforced poles and bricks. The vegetable patch had been destroyed through the storm and the walkers, meaning food was at an all time low. Rick approached Daryl one morning as he was helping hold the fence into place while Glen secured the bottom of it.

'We need food,' he said, striding up to them, squinting through the light rain, 'Daryl do you think you can go on a hunt?'

Daryl looked at Rick through his wet hair, wiping his hands down the front of his shirt.

'Yeah I can go t'day,' he nodded. He glanced back at Glen who was busy hammering. 'I wanna take Beth.'

'Beth?' Rick frowned, folding his arms across his chest, 'she wont slow ya down?'

'Nah,' Daryl said, ignoring Glen who had turned to look curiously at him.

Rick looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

'It's fine by me, but you're gonna wanna ask Hershel,' he said.

Daryl nodded.

. . .

'How are ya wi' rain?'

Beth looked up from the book she had been flicking through to see Daryl standing in her doorway. It always took her by surprise to see him there, stood in her doorway so casually, his dark hair damp and in his face, but his eyes a lighter shade of blue, trained directly onto her.

'Rain?' Beth asked, putting the book down on the bed beside her.

'Need t'go hunting,' he said, 'could do wi' the company.'

'You serious?' Beth asked, raising an eyebrow. Weeks ago she had begged him to take her along and received nothing but a brick wall.

'Yeh,' he shrugged, 'food supplies low.'

'And you want me to come with you?' Beth asked.

'Well yer th' most experienced hun'er 'round here,' he said, smirking.

'Alright,' Beth said, getting up from the bed, 'I'll come along but you'll have to cut the sass Mr Dixon.'

She pulled on her thickest coat and boots, preparing herself for the rain.

Smiling, Daryl draped an arm around her shoulders as they left her room. The gesture surprised Beth, but she didn't say anything, instead appreciating the weight of his arm around her.

He dropped his arm from around her as the made their way through the prison. Before they reached the outside, Maggie found them, bumping into them as she walked the opposite direction. She saw Beth, her eyes sweeping over the coat.

'You going out?' she said, pausing in front of them.

'Hunting,' Beth said, 'somebody's got to look after people around here.'

'Oh right,' Maggie smirked, 'and little miss hunter here is the one to do it then?'

'Yep,' Beth folded her arms across her chest, 'well I'm going with Daryl.'

'Mm,' Maggie looked at Daryl. 'Alright, be careful then.'

'You're not going to fight me on this?' Beth asked.

Maggie shrugged.

'I can't make you stay inside,' she said, 'you'd just jump the fence anyway.'

Beth blushed.

'Maybe Daryl will be a better influence than Carl,' Maggie smiled. She put a hand on her sister's shoulder, patting it before she headed off.

Beth turned to look at Daryl, her eyebrows raised. Daryl shrugged.

'C'mon' he said.

He led her out to the front of the prison, stepping out into the grey morning, the fine rain still coming down in a fine mist. Their boots crunched over the gravel as they headed for Daryl's motorbike, Beth hugging herself for warmth.

Daryl climbed onto the bike, then jerked his head to Beth for her to get on. Gingerly, she climbed on behind him, wrapping her legs around him and cautiously putting her arms around his waist. He was wearing a leather jacket beneath his vest, the fabric cold to the touch. It squeaked slightly as he adjusted himself on the bike, moving over his muscles. His hands were clad in leather fingerless gloves Beth noticed, as he reached forward to grab the handles.

'Hol' tight' he said, as Beth tightened her grip around his waist.

He turned the bike around and rode it out of the prison grounds, building up speed as they left the gate and drove out past the walkers and down the dirt track until they reached the proper road.

The wind whipped Beth's hair back from her face, chilling the exposed flesh of her face. She buried her face against the back of Daryl's coat, trying to use his broad width as a shield against the cold air. Daryl pulled the bike up within the tree line after a while, climbing off the bike. He held out a hand to help Beth down.

'Where are we?' Beth asked, looking around them.

'Couple miles out,' Daryl said, 'there's a village nearby.' He nodded out past Beth.

'What are we looking for?' Beth asked.

'Somethin' big,' Daryl said, crouching down to inspect the dirt beneath them, ' deer, preferably.'

Beth nodded, quietly watching him.

'Any tracks?' she asked after a while.

Daryl stood up and wiped his hands down on the front of his pants.

'Nah.'

He dragged some of the under-brush over his bike to cover it from view before heading deeper into the trees. Staying as quiet as she could, Beth followed him, pausing from time to time as he stopped to inspect tracks.

'Look,' he said suddenly, running his hand over the ground. Beth crouched down beside him.

'Tracks?' she breathed. Daryl nodded, looking at her.

He jerked his head over to a large tree, then headed towards it, brushing aside the undergrowth.

'What're we doing?' Beth asked.

'We wait,' Daryl said, sitting down at the base of the tree. Beth looked sceptically at him and the cold, wet mud of the floor.

'That's it? We just wait?' she frowned.

'You ain't never hunted deer before?' Daryl looked up at her.

'Well, no,' Beth frowned.

'S'alot of waitin' 'round m'fraid.' he said.

'And I've got to sit in the mud to do that?' she asked.

Daryl laughed.

'Stop bein' such a princess,' he said, patting the mud beside him, 'nothin' wrong wi'it.'

Beth stood, deliberating, her lip between her teeth. Daryl sighed and pulled his vest off. He laid it down on the floor next to him.

'Here,' he said, pointing to it.

'You'll get it dirty!' Beth said.

'Y'can wash it later,' he said.

'Excuse me?' Beth said, folding her arms.

'Shut up and sit down.' Daryl said, reaching up and grabbing Beth's wrist. He tugged at her, pulling her down beside him. She lost her footing, tumbling down beside him, putting her hands out to stop herself face planting the tree behind them. Her hands made contact with his chest.

'Y'don't wait around do ya?' Daryl said, looking down at her hands on him.

'What has gotten in to you today!' Beth said, sitting back on his jacket and looking up at him. He twisted himself round until he was facing her, replacing his legs either side of her so she sat on his vest in-between his raised knees.

He leant forward, balancing his elbows on his knees, his boots placed firmly in the mud. One of his eyebrows were very slightly raised, his eyes narrowed on Beth, his lip twitched into a slight smile.

Beth felt her heart jump into her throat; the way he was looking at her took the oxygen away from her, making her head spin. She felt her breath catch in her throat.

The tension between them was almost palpable, and Beth thought if she moved or reached out she would physically feel it crackle around her, the air was so thick with it. Daryl had kissed her before, but this felt different, she could see something in his eyes that both excited and scared her. She suddenly felt very young and very inexperienced.

Beth broke the contact first, blinking her eyes down. Daryl leant forward and gently kissed her jawbone, then leant back.

'Those tracks,' Daryl said, and Beth felt the dynamic between them shift, 'means deers've been here recently. If we stay here an' stay silent they're likely t'come back.'

Beth looked up and nodded.

They stayed where they were for a while in silence. Beth began to find it difficult to sit still; it was cold and the rain was beginning to work its way down the back of her coat, causing her to fidget. Daryl glanced down at her, noticing her discomfort.

'C'm'here,' he said, beckoning with his hands. He held his arms out for her, inviting her to move into his chest. Beth took the opportunity with little thought; she was too cold to complain. She snuggled against his chest, breathing in the musky smell of his jacket, closing her eyes. Daryl held her against him with one arm, instantly sharing his body heat with her.

Beth lay with her head against his chest for some time, her eyes shut, listening to the sounds of the woodland around them, the soft breeze sweeping through the leaves of the trees, the occasional bird cry, the rain.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

'I can hear water' she said.

'Rain.' Daryl murmured.

'No,' Beth sat forward, listening, 'water.'

Daryl looked at her, scowling.

'Is there a pond or a lake or something nearby?' she asked.

'I – dunno,' Daryl frowned, trying to remember.

With a grunt, he pulled himself up from the floor, holding out a leather gloved hand to Beth. She took it, pulling herself up and stretching out her legs.

'Where'd'ya hear it?' Daryl asked.

Beth looked around them, frowning.

'That way,' she said, nodding behind Daryl.

Daryl stepped aside and held out his arm for her to pass him. Slowly, Beth headed in that direction, listening out. Was it really water she could hear? Or just the rain? Feeling anxious in her want to prove herself, she walked slowly over the wet floor. She pushed aside the bushes and carried on through the mud, heading in the general direction, she realised, of the bird sounds. She found herself walking on a decline, her boots slipping occasionally over the mud which was becoming boggier with the rain. She wasn't sure if the rain was gaining traction or whether the drops that had gathered and collected in the leaves above her were just starting to fall down. Either way, her hair was dripping wet by now.

She stepped over stones and fallen branches, listening out, when she rounded a tree and came face to face with a small pond.

She was about to cry out in joy at her own hunting ability when she spotted two fat geese dipping their beaks into the water. She watched them for a moment, admiring their sleek and slender necks, their wet feathers. However the rumbling of her stomach brought her back to the bleak reality they now faced. She turned to look at Daryl, who was standing a little back from her. He nodded.

He walked towards her, slowly raising his crossbow. Then, taking her by surprise yet again, he held it out to her. Beth shook her head furiously, but Daryl jerked his eyebrows at her, holding the crossbow out still. He gestured for her to come towards him, holding out his other arm. Slowly, keeping watch on him, Beth headed to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held the crossbow up in front of her, lining it up with her. Gently, she took it in her hands, letting Daryl keep hold of it in one of his own hands to steady it. With his help she lined it up, aiming it directly at one of the two birds across the other side of the pond. Beth looked down the length of it, then, holding her breath, fired.

The bolt flew through the air, cutting a direct path straight through the rain, and hit its target dead on in the neck, knocking the bird down with barely any sound at all. The other bird hardly had a second to realise what had happened before Daryl had taken the crossbow back from Beth and had shot the second one down himself in lightening speed. He lowered the crossbow and looked at his hunting partner, who was breathing heavily with adrenaline.

'Tha' was good,' Daryl said, grinning, 'perfect shot.'

Beth beamed up at him, his flattery outweighing her guilt at having killed a living creature. She raised her fists in front of her in a little victory dance as Daryl chuckled. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tip toes to kiss him. Daryl wrapped his arms around her lower back and kissed her back, the rain falling harder onto them, soaking their skin and through their clothes. As they broke apart, each of them breathing heavily, Beth glanced up into a swollen, angry sky. As Daryl let her go and headed around to collect the geese, Beth realised her hair was whipping wildly around her face. There was a crackle to the air.

'Daryl,' she said, turning to look at him as he wiped the blood from his bolt across his jeans, 'we should go!'

Daryl looked up into the sky, squinting against the rain. He nodded back at Beth, hurrying over to her and putting his arm behind her back to hurry her along.

By the time they reached the bike the rain was coming down hard and Beth had stumbled and fallen three times, her knees caked in mud that was coming away from beneath their feet faster and faster. Daryl yanked the branches from his bike and climbed onto the soaking seat, slick with rain. Beth climbed on after him, wincing at the sodden texture of her clothing.

Daryl pulled them out of the forest and onto the main road, but Beth could see by the shower of water that flew up from beneath the tires that he was fast losing grip on the road. Unable to see through the rain that was brutally flying in to her face, Beth was unaware that Daryl had pulled down a side road until he stopped the bike. Looking up and around them, Beth saw a barn to the right of them. Daryl climbed off of the bike, leaving Beth on it, to pull open the large doors. He returned to the bike and drove it inside, where he killed the engine. Climbing back off, he set to work ensuring the door was blocked, moving any objects he found in front of it. Beth stood further back, watching him.

'Can't drive in this,' he said, turning to face her. His hair was slicked down to his face, dripping down onto his clothing. 'We gon' have to wait it out.'

Beth nodded, looking around her. The barn they were in was smaller than her one at home, but it seemed to be holding up against the rain. Drops were falling in though the wooden slats, but all in all it was relatively dry. There were piles of haystacks beneath the upstairs section, which Beth headed towards, taking off her soaking coat as she did so. She sat down on the hay and pulled off her boots, grimacing at the cold, wet touch of everything. She glanced up to see Daryl wipe the excess water from his bike before taking off his own jacket and hanging it over the handle bars.

He wandered over to where Beth was sitting; she had taken her hair out of its ponytail and was running her fingers through it, squeezing it between her hands to dry it out as best she could.

'How long do you think we'll be here for?' Beth asked, beginning to shiver through the cold.

Daryl shrugged, wandering around the barn. He found some old horse blankets, which he shook out to dust off then brought over to Beth.

'Can we make a fire?' Beth asked through chattering teeth.

'Probably not,' Daryl admitted, 'here, put one of these round ya.'

Daryl leant down and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, drawing it in under her chin. She looked up at him and smiled, her cheeks and nose red from the cold.

'Least we'll be dry in here,' he said, looking around them.

Beth nodded. The rain sounded awful outside, like the onslaught of an apocalyptic disaster. Then she chuckled, despite her discomfort and cold.

I guess we're already in an apocalyptic disaster. She thought.

She looked up at Daryl and smiled. Even so, she didn't feel unsafe.