As sexually frustrated as Beth had begun to feel after her close encounter with Daryl in the guard room, she spent the next few days feeling lighter and better than she had for some time; herself and Daryl had opened up more to one another, and as unfounded and unhealthy as his anger had been, Beth couldn't help but be a little touched by it – he cared enough about her to be jealous. She felt closer to him again, like they had broken through another invisible barrier between them.
They wandered through corridors together throughout the day, chatting idly to one another, and Beth found Daryl talked back to her almost easily. As they walked they would brush against one another, the backs of their hands lightly grazing the skin, Beth occasionally would wrap her little finger around his.
The first time she did this he glanced down at her sideways, a smile playing on his lips. They had been heading towards the canteen together when their hands brushed one another. Beth gently twirled her little finger around his, the closest to holding his hand in public she thought she would ever come. Surprisingly, he had allowed her to do it, simply smiling down at her in that bemused way he often did.
They ate together most nights, sometimes with others, sometimes alone. Sometimes Beth would reach up and move his hair out of his face while she spoke to him, or gently run her hands down his forearms.
Daryl was sat at one of the tables in the common room with Beth standing in front of him, in-between his open legs, her hands playing idly in his hair as he looked up at her, telling her about a time he went camping with his brother, his hands slowly trailing up and down the sides of her body, when Rick entered the room, clearing his throat as he stepped over the threshold.
The pair turned to look at him simultaneously, Daryl's hands dropping from Beth's body although her small hands remained entangled in his dark hair, her face innocently looking towards Rick.
'I need t'talk to you.' He said to Daryl, standing in the doorway, his boots planted firmly on the floor as his dark eyes swept over them.
Beth glanced down at Daryl, slowly taking her hands from his hair.
'Alright.' Daryl grunted, clearing his throat. Beth knew by now he didn't question what it was Rick wanted, he just went.
Beth stepped back from him, lowering her eyes to the floor from Rick's gaze, a gaze in which she couldn't quite figure out the emotions behind – was it accusatory or amused?
'See y'later,' he said, standing up and brushing down the front of his pants.
'Be safe,' Beth said, tilting her head to one side as she looked at him, fighting the urge to kiss him goodbye.
He gave her his half smile before leaving.
. . .
Rick ran his hand through his beard as they walked, in the usual way he did when something was troubling him. Daryl threw him the occasional sideways glance, but stayed silent.
'Beth okay?' Rick asked after a while, surprising him.
'Uhhuh,' Daryl nodded.
'Things are good between the two of you?' he asked.
Daryl narrowed his eyes at him.
'Yeah,' he grunted.
'Good' Rick nodded as they approached the cell block, 'she's good for you.'
Daryl nodded. He thought so too.
Rick led Daryl to Michonne, who was sitting on Rick's bed, twisting her sword on her lap and inspecting her reflection in it. She looked up as the two men entered the room.
'Daryl,' Rick said. His eyes looked tired and worn, dark circles beneath them, but there was also a determination in them. 'Michonne came to me earlier – she thinks she saw the governor.'
Daryl's entire body straightened out, his shoulders tensed as his eyes narrowed, darting from Rick to Michonne. She was watching them, relaxed, but his hunter instincts told him she was just as alert and on edge as he was, her muscles seemed to ripple with her own catlike huntress reflexes. Daryl turned back to Rick, flexing his hands into fists.
'Where?' he growled.
'An apartment complex a few towns over,' Michonne said in her soft voice, the quiet anger radiating from behind her calmly spoken words.
'Two hours hike,' Rick said, 'a little more, perhaps. But easily doable.'
'Then we need't'go,' Daryl said, 'can't waste time.'
'He's right.' Michonne said. 'He could be gone by morning.'
Rick nodded slowly.
'Go get things sorted. I'll call a meeting, explain what's happening – then we leave. Soon.'
Daryl and Michonne nodded once in confirmation before leaving to gather their supplies. It was go time.
. . .
Beth stood in the common room, her heart in her throat. She could see Glenn holding Maggie close to him as Rick spoke, her sister's face a mask of strength, but Beth could see the way her throat moved as she swallowed, could see the paleness that was creeping its way up her throat and into her face. Beth stood hugging herself, worrying at her bottom lip.
Naively, she had hoped the governor was out of their lives now. He hadn't been heard from, hadn't been seen, and she had stupidly thought that meant it was the end of things. But of course it wasn't, it couldn't be. Rick would never rest until he knew that man was dead, only then would they know real safety. Beth saw her sister sidle up closer to Glenn, and she realised then how much the dark cloud of his terror still reigned over them. He had taken and abused her sister. He deserved to die.
The quiet mumbles and nods from the past Woodbury residents told Beth that they thought so, too.
It was all well and good, going out to find and destroy this man, but Beth could not stop her heart from hammering its way into her throat as Rick announced it was to be himself, Michonne and Daryl who ventured out. It made perfect sense, they were their best fighters, their best hunters, their best strategists. But Beth felt like her relationship with Daryl was only growing, their closeness something she now relied on to get her through the days – to have that taken away from her was steadily sending her into cold sweats. It wasn't just the thought of being without him for a few days, but the thought of him in danger, too.
As Rick stopped talking, Beth could see her sister and Glenn frantically whispering to one another. She watched closely as Glenn made his way over to Rick, pulling him to one side where Beth could hear them.
'We want to come.' He said, his voice fierce.
'It's too risky,' Rick said, folding his arms, 'we want a quiet, stealth mission, go in and check things out.'
'It might not work like that.' Glenn said. 'And if you find him there – I want to be there. I want to be there when he dies. For what he did to us – to Maggie.'
Maggie had approached the two men slowly and now stood a little behind Glenn.
'I need this.' She said.
Rick looked her up and down, his eyes taking her in. Beth was overcome with admiration for her sister's strength.
'We're more than capable.' Glenn said.
'I know that...' Rick sighed, looking from one set face to the next. 'Alright,' he sighed, 'but you don't put yourselves in harms way – neither of you. Emotions, they make ya reckless. I want level heads.'
Both Maggie and Glenn nodded.
'Bring me with you,' Beth said, hurrying over to them. She stood beside her sister, her chin raised defiantly, her blue eyes set firmly on Rick's.
'Absolutely not,' Rick said as Maggie said her own 'no way.'
'Why do you get to pick you comes and who goes?' She said, folding her arms across her chest. 'I refuse to spend the rest of my life being left behind, being looked down on, being thought of as weak, as useless.'
'Beth you will compromise everything,' Maggie said sternly, her eyes boring into her little sister.
'What?' Daryl's voice broke over them as Beth felt him suddenly appear behind her.
'I'm coming with you.' Beth said, turning to look at him. Daryl frowned at her, ready to say 'no you're not' when Rick spoke up.
'It's too dangerous – I can't okay this, Beth. You're young, you're not as strong as -'
'It's a stealth mission, you said so yourself. I can hike, and I can track. I come with you but I'll leave the fighting – if it comes to that – to you. I'll stay back. But if Maggie is going – I am going.'
'Beth, stop being so-' Maggie said, but she was drowned out by Daryl.
'I'll stand by her,' he said, his voice low, 'ain't no harm gon' come t'her. She wants to fight, let her fight. She ain't no kid, and she ain't no idiot neither. She can handle 'erself.'
'That's ridiculous-' Maggie said.
'You can't control me,' Beth said, staring her sister down, 'things are different now Maggie. I'm different. Let me come.'
Maggie glanced from Beth to Glenn, who was watching her with slightly raised brows.
'Fine.' She said, grinding her teeth together.
Glenn touched her arm, signalling for her to leave with him to get ready.
Rick looked down at Beth. He looked as though he wanted to speak, but instead he just shook his head before turning away.
'Yer a stubborn girl,' Daryl said softly.
Beth smiled up at him, her heart racing with adrenaline.
'I couldn't let you have all the fun,' she said. Then she swallowed, the playful smile falling from her lips. 'Thank you.' She said, 'for standing up for me.'
Daryl shrugged. His confidence came from his own solid belief that no danger would befall her so long as she was with him.
. . .
Beth drew her scarf tight around her neck and pulled her woollen hat down over her ears, wrapping up warm now that winter had descended upon them. She looked down at her boots, wishing she had hiking boots or trainers instead of her old, worn cowboy boots, when Carl's voice made her jump. She turned to see him standing in her doorway, his face as dark as thunder.
'You're going with my dad.' He said. It wasn't a question.
'Yeah,' Beth said.
'It's ridiculous, you get to go and I'm left stuck here.' He moaned. 'what do you have over me?'
'Your dad needs you here to take care of things,' Beth said, 'be in charge, take care of Judith.'
'Oh don't give me the same bullshit,' he snapped, growling, 'that's an excuse and you know it. I'm more capable than any of you, and yet I'm left behind like a useless child!'
'Carl it's not-'
'And you get to go just because you're sleeping with Daryl!'
Beth stared open mouthed at him, speechless.
'Oh don't look at me like that, you might be able to kid everyone else but I've seen the way you look at him, the way he looks at you – it's pathetic. Why should that earn you perks when you never even did anything before-'
'Okay first of all,' Beth snapped, folding her arms across her chest, 'it's none of your damn business if Daryl and I are sleeping together! This man, this governor, he kidnapped my sister, tortured, abused and humiliated her! She wants to go and see him die, and I want to be there too. Are you going to stand there any tell me I have no right to do that? That I have no right to want this man dead, to want to see my sister get her revenge, to be there through it and see first hand that she is safe?'
Her chest rose and fell rapidly with each hitching breath, her face flushed with anger.
'You think you have some right – more entitlement – to this because you know how to work a gun? And you come here like a petulant child throwing your toys from your pram – doesn't that just prove you have no right to come!'
'Beth-' Carl began to say, seemingly shocked, but Beth pushed past him and out into the corridor beyond. She was shaking with anger.
Daryl met her out in the corridor. He frowned down at her as she stopped before him, breathing heavily.
'Y'okay?' he asked.
'Fine.' she snapped.
Daryl regarded her for a moment, then nodded. He decided it was better to not push her.
. . .
Maggie tried to persuade her sister to stay behind once they met within the prison courtyard, attempting to convince her of the threat and danger ahead of them. Beth stood her ground, shouldering her backpack and looking her sister in the eye.
'I'm coming.' She told her.
Maggie sighed, running her hand through her hair. She nodded.
The six of them set out through the forest, Michonne leading the way towards the place she believed she had seen the governor. The forest around them was growing sparse, leaves had fallen from the trees creating a bare and barren landscape that the six of them now picked their way through. They were on edge, every single one of them, as the world around them seemed uncharacteristically silent. Beth had a tight grip on her knife, holding it out before her, her wide blue eyes watching the forest edge all around them.
Beth could see her sister was trying to remain strong, and she was impressed as always at the strength and resilience Maggie showed. She didn't seem to be any more frightened than she usually would be – which wasn't very frightened at all – but she did seem tense. She was quiet, avoiding conversation with Glen whenever he tried, instead seeking solitude and comfort in keeping her eyes on their surroundings and her weaponry.
The walk was long but not too difficult; all of them were used to the open air and travelling in the open by now. However walking for so long non stop was beginning to wear on Beth's legs until her muscles were beginning to burn with an ache and her feet began to feel sore in her boots. Despite it being winter, the climate of Georgia was often mild, and Beth found herself beginning to sweat beneath her layers as they walked.
The forest began to thin out as they approached the main road which Michonne informed them led to the apartment complex they were headed for.
'Are you nervous?' Beth asked Maggie.
They had fallen behind the rest, the two of them side by side as they trailed behind the others. The road around them was empty except for the occasional abandoned vehicle that Daryl would pop into as they passed it, checking it for supplies.
On occasion, a walker would appear at one of the car windows, having become trapped within the stationary vehicle. Bodies also lined sections of the road, lifeless and silent but occasionally one would reach up and grab for them. Beth took out a few of her own, plunging her knife into their heads before they could rise up.
The carnage of the apocalyptic world they now inhabited was evident all around them even throughout the barren landscape they traversed. Although they came across no people, the empty cars and abandoned signs of what were once camps reminded Beth of the desolate life they now faced.
The town came into view after a little while, darkened shops and empty houses littered with debris and trash.
'There.' Michonne said, her voice low. She nodded ahead to a housing complex a little way ahead of them. By all outer appearances, it appeared empty, but they knew better than to assume.
Beth looked across to her sister. Maggie nodded, swallowing.