Woo! The booze chapter! Yes, Daryl will be a dick, and it's mainly Daryl/Beth centric, Since Jamie is busy getting wasted... So, yeah. I got this. Please review!
Daryl looked over worriedly at Jamie as she walked along beside him. She had her injured hand pressed against her stimach she he ciuldn't see it, and she plodded forward cakmly. But he could notice the look of pain she'd manage to hide behind her eyes...
"Lemme see your hand." he ordered, stopping.
Jamie turned to glare at him quietly. " 'M fine." She ground out, before she turned to plod on. Daryl grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around to face him.
"I said lemme see it." he said firmly. "I ain't playin' games."
She rolled her eyes. "You can see it when we get to wherever we're goin' and I can get some booze."
Daryl muttered disapprovingly, but knew it was probably the best he was going to grt, and the trio plodded onward.
They finally escaped the brush to find themselves facing what had once been a trailer now made permanent. Daryl grinned, heading towards the shed, and threw open the door. There was a wooden crate filled with mason jars, and Daryl handed it to Beth.
Beth looked around, confused, as she held the crate, surprised by the weird contraptions here...
"It's a still." Jamie had a reminiscint smile on her face. "My Dad's friend had one, back in New York..." she turned away, closing her eyes and letting out a breath, and Beth allowed her a moment to simply force the memories back...
"C'mon. Best get inside before some walkers get here."
Beth set down the crate- the inside of the trailer was in shambles, but Daryl found a thin piece of wood and hammered it across the open window, checking the bathroom before declaring the place safe.
Jamie had already chosen a corner in which to sit, and blood smeared the mason jar she'd chosen as she held it with her injured hand, opening it with her uninjured one.
Daryl turned, noting the blood on the jar, but Jamie didn't seem to care. She took a long drink from the jar.
She coughed once, but still swallowed, smiling as the alchol burned. She grinned- soon there wound be the fuzziness, then the nothingness, and the forgetting... The sweet forgetting of everything.
She was so lost in her own thoughts she hardly noticed Daryl had strode over and taken hold of her wrist, examining the slash. It was deep enough to concern him, though, and he wordlessly picked up his own jar of moonshine and poured a generous amount onto the cut. She hissed in pain, pulling her arm away from him, some moonshine sloshing onto the floor from her and taking ragged breaths to keep the pain away, until, slowly, the burning abated.
She panted quietly, glaring at Daryl. "Coulda fucking warned me."
"Weren't no point- woulda had to done it anyways." Daryl said simply, pulling his bandana from his pocket and wrapping her hand in it, knotting it tightly.
"Don't drink too much." he warned quietly.
Jamie shrugged. "Ain't never got too much shine." was all she muttered, before taking another skug. God, that was good, she could already feel her fingertips tingling. Soon the oblivion would set in, if she just kept drinking...
Daryl watched her quietly for a few seconds, deciding he'd stop her when he thought she'd had enough.
He turned to see Beth smiling expectantly, with two cloudy glassed filled with shine.
Beth lifted the glass to her lips before hesitating.
"What?" Daryl asked. The kid should be damn happy- she was finally getting her drink.
Beth put her glass down on the table, eyes flickering to the floor.
"It's just... daddy said that bad moonshine can make you go blind..."
"So? Ain't nothin worth seein out their anyways." Daryl said, turning to look out the window, making sure their were no walkers.
He watched Beth take a sip and nearly laughed at her grossed-out expression.
"That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted." she got out.
Daryl had to smile a little, and Beth took another swallow before smiling. "Second drink ain't as bad... Aren't you gonna have some?"
"Nah." Daryl looked out the window quietly. "Somebody's gotta keep watch."
"Oh, so you're my chaperone now?" Beth asked, slightly annoyed. "Fine then, Sister Dixon."
Daryl looked over at her, annoyed, before he noticed Beth watching Jamie quietly. He sighed, sitting down across from the girl- he'd drink with her, even if it was just to give Jamie some alone time she definitely needed...
Beth looked elated to see Daryl, however, and beamed when he picked up his glass and took a sip.
"So- you wanna play a game?" Beth asked hopefully.
Daryl just looked at her.
"You know? A drinking game?" Beth asked.
Daryl shrugged, taking another sip of his glass. "Never needed a game to get lit before."
Beth shrugged, smiling. "First time for everything. It's called 'Never have I ever'. You say something you've never done, and if the other person's done it, they have to take a drink. Maybe Jamie wants to-"
"No." Daryl interrupted. "Jamie doesn't drink so she can play games. She just... she wants to be alone now."
"Okay..."Beth said, looking uncertain, before she brightened again. "I never... shot a crossbow. So you drink..."
Daryl quietly sipped his moonshine, trying to think of something. "Where'd you even learn this game?" he asked.
"My friends played it." Beth said, looking sad for a moment, before she looked up at him. "It's your turn."
Daryl nodded before finally spoke. "I've never... been on vacation."
"Good one." Beth smiled, taking a sip brfore speaking. "I've never... been drunk and done something I regretted."
Daryl wordlessly took a drink, and Beth smiled triumphantly.
"I've never... been outta Georgia." Daryl said quietly, and Beth took a drink quietly.
"I've never... been in jail."
There was completely silence for a moment, and Daryl stared at her from underneath his chestnut bangs. "Is that what you think of me?" he asked, sounding somewhat depressed.
"I just figured... nothin' bad, Even my Dad got put in the drunk tank, back in the day." Beth said trying to make up for the mistake.
Daryl set his glass on the table and stood. "I'ma take a piss." was all he muttered. He stood, heading towards the corner.
He glanced at Jamie on the way- the girl was curled up facing the wall, a mostly empty jar beside her. That made the simmering anger in him flare, since he knew why she was getting drunk- to try and forget all the shit she'd been through.
He tore at his belt buckle, facing the corner.
"Daryl!" Beth cried, upset, as he started to piss on the floor.
"I can't hear you! I'm takin a piss!" he yelled.
"Daryl, quit being a jackass!"
He finished peeing and zipped himself up, whirling to face Beth.
"Why!? So I can play your stupid game!? Here's one! I never had a pet pony! I ain't never had frozen yogurt, never got Christmas gifts, never sang in front of people for fun!" he was in Beth's face, now, and he whirled, grabbing a jar of moonshine and throwing it. It shattered against the wall, and Beth stared. Daryl stood, chest heaving, before he continued his tirade.
"Ain't never relied on anyone for protection! Ain't ever cut my wrists for attention! Hell, even Jamie ain't tried that, and she's been through more shit than you'll ever know!"
Daryl was glaring at her, and the rasping choking sound of a walker outside snapped them both out of it. Daryl seized his crossbow in one hand, grabbing Beth with the other.
"Never shot a crossbow, huh? Now's a good a time as any..." and he threw open the door, dragging a kicking and protesting Beth with him.
Daryl lifted the crossbow, placeing it in front of Beth, as the walker stumbled towards them. "It's easy! Jamie done it before!" he pulled the trigger and the arrow nailed the walker in the torso, pinning it to a tree.
He managed to get a hold on the struggling Beth and oulled back the biw again, letting it fire once more and nailing the walker in the shoulder...
Beth broke free, shoved Daryl back and moving forward, driving her knife thriugh the walker's head.
"The hell did you do that for!?" Daryl demanded, angry. "I was havin' fun!"
"You shouldn't play with them! If someone found my Dad-"
"That ain't even remotely the same!" Daryl thundered.
"Yes it is! People DIED, Daryl, good people, and you're just pretenidng it didn't happen so you don't get hurt again!"
"Like you're any better! You lost two boyfriends and you can't even shed a tear! Just wanna run around like some college bitch looking for hooch... At least Jamie tried to get drunk off her ass so she can forget! She's probably trying to pass out so she can just fucking forget all the shit we been through- the governor... a-an your Dad... I promised I'd protect her! Governor just rides right up to our gates, an- maybe if I'd kept lookin', maybe I coulda done something..."
"Daryl..."
And with that all off his chest, Daryl dissolved into tears. Beth quietly hugged him from behind, suddenly understanding what he'd been going through all this time.
Soon, though, darkness fell. Daryl looked up, his eyes less hardened than they'd been before.
He looked over at Beth as they fell into light conversation on the porch.
"I see why my Dad didn't want me to drink." Beth said quietly, leaning her head back against the wood board supporting the porch railing.
"Why? You feel sick?" Daryl asked quietly, looking slightly concerned.
"No. I feel... good. Wish I could feel like this all the time." Beth said quietly.
"Yeah, well, you're lucky you're a happy drunk." Daryl said quietly. "Merle and I- we were real dicks. Were at a house, once, I was lit, Merle was high- we were watching some shitty kids show on TV. Merle kept trashin' it, but turns out some tweaker we were with- it was his kid's favorite show. He musta felt guilty since he didn't see them or something, since he started beating the shit outta Merle, so I grabbed him and started punching him. Then... tweaker pulls a gun. Puts it to my head, right here." he gestured to his head, making a fake gun with his fingers and pressing it to his head.
"Merle pulled his gun, then, and everyone was yelling and shit. I thought I was dead. All over some stupid show 'bout a talking dog." Daryl smiled slightly- thank god he didn't have to deal with that shit anymore.
"What happened?" Beth asked, eyes wide. She looked just like Jamie had, when he'd told her this story the first time...
"Tweaker punched me in the stomach. I puked. Everyone laughed. You said you wanna know what I done before the apocalyse? Nothing. I followed Merle around doin' whatever we could. I did nothin'." he studied his boots, letting the darkness, as well as some shame, follow him. Even after what he'd gone through, he'd still never managed to get out of shitty trailer parks and 'the projects'. He still hated himself for that.
"Daryl." Beth's soft voice brought him out of his loathing thoughts.
"You- you and Jamie- you're gonna be the last ones standing. You were both made for things, the way they are now."
Daryl shook his head. "Just used to ugly situations." was all he said.
"I may be weak, but I ain't stupid, Daryl. I know I'm gonna die. I'm not like you, or Maggie, or even Jamie- but you're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon."
"You ain't goin nowhere." Daryl growled, but Beth ignored him.
"So remember- you gotta be who you are. Not who you used to be. You gotta let that go- or it kills you."
Daryl shrugged, looking around at the shack. They heard stumbling footsteps, and a moment later Jamie staggered onto the porch, leaning over the railing and puking.
Daryl was immediately on his feet, guilty. He'd pratically forgotten Jamie in there, and he quietly pulled back her hair, watching, dismayed, as she continued to puke.
"How much did you even have?" he asked, when she'd been at it for almost two minutes.
She made an awful choking sound, bile and what looked like saliva dripping from her mouth as she breathed heavily, wiping her mouth. She reeked of alchol, and turned shakily to face him.
" 'Nough 't forget." she slurred, stumbling. She caught herself against the outside wall of the house, leaning her head against the siding and closing her eyes, sliding down to a sitting position.
"How much have you had?" Daryl demanded, crouching beside her. His heart jumped to his throat when their was no response. "Jamie!" he quietly shook her. "How much have you had?" he hissed. Just great. He left her alone for a few hours and she got totally shitfaced. Of course.
"T-two." she stuttered.
"Two jars!?" Daryl stared at her, shocked. She was totally lit, no doubt- that was strong shine, and it'd barely made its way through his system.
"Lucky you ain't dead!" Daryl said, suddenly enraged. She'd been ALONE this whole time, she could've drown in her own vomit...
"Fuck off..."
Daryl nearly hit her just then. Didn't she see!? She was making the same mistakes he had, before the apocalypse! Getting lit was dangerous, especially now! Not to mention she was a lightweight, she'd probably be drunk until tomorrow...
He glared at the shack, for a moment, realizing it. It was this place. This shitty, god-forsaken shack, just like the one that'd brought him so much pain... Beth was right. He had to leave all this shit behind him, now, or it'd drag them all to hell.
He looked up to see Beth looking at them, concerned, before her eyes turned serious. "Let's burn it."
Daryl looked at her, slightly surprised. "You serious?" he hadn't known that the shy, sometimes stand-offish blonde had a pyro streak.
"Yeah."
Daryl smiled slightly. "We're gonna need more booze."
He kicked open the door to the shed, both he and Beth seizing jars of shine. They were lauing, then, both of them pouring it all over the shed before racing into the house and doing the same, throwing jars just to hear them break.
"Get Jamie." Daryl ordered Beth, his eyes sparking. Beth slung Jamie's arm across her shoulder, helping her off the porch, and Daryl stood, eyes alight on the porch, with his lighter out. Wordlessly, he flicked it open. Their was the flick of metal on metal, until sparks leapt to flame. Daryl crouched, finding a small trail of booze and grinning, putting the flame to it...
He jumped up and ran, as the fire caught and started to crackle loudly. Beth was grinning, her eyes shining and reflecting the light of the fire, and Daryl couldn't help but smile as well. Even Jamie was squriming around from where she'd been deposited on the ground, laughing as she watched the place burned, completely wasted. Daryl sighed, slining the dirt-covered little brunette over his shoulder. Some walkers were emerging from the woods, attracted to the sound, and it was time for them to go.
He nodded to Beth, and they both turned, flipping off the burning shack, while Jamie giggled and muttered a few choice cursewords, before they turned and disappeared into the brush, leaving the burning hell behind them.
Bam! Told you I got it!