A/N: So…I have no excuses for why it took me this long to update. The only reason I got this chapter up was because I sat and listened to Halestorm for a few hours. It is short, but I've left you hanging long enough.
So I'm still torn about how the last chapter turned out. Thank you to those that reviewed. Even if you didn't like it I still appreciate the feedback.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of it. Nada….Zilch….Zero…
Daryl caught Beth before she could hit the ground and Alex was already lifting the shirt to try and figure out the severity of the damage.
"The bullet didn't go thru. It's still in there, "Alex said as she tried to put pressure on the wound.
"I'm gonna really have to listen next time when Adam says to stick to the plan," Beth said with a little laugh.
Daryl looked up and around to see where the bullet had come from. Looking next to a building he saw the man who called him the archer holding a gun and manically laughing. "There's no way you're gonna save your girlfriend now archer."
Daryl grabbed the gun that Beth had and quickly fired off a shot at Gareth. The shot hit Gareth's hand and he dropped the weapon and grasped his hand in agony. Daryl got up and slowly walked over to the so-called leader of Terminus and raised the weapon. "You fucked with the wrong family." Pulling the trigger and watching the bullet go between Gareth's eyes should have been more satisfying to him. But it just seemed like another body. Maybe he had become too accustomed to killing people in this world.
" We won't make it back to our compound in time to save her", Alex said. "We need to find somewhere here where I can get the bullet out."
"Are you kidding me we have to go!" Both Alex and Daryl looked over at Maggie. "All of this noise has probably attracted every walker for miles.
"Adam will take all of you back," Alex said. Her statement garnered a glare from Adam, but after a moment he nodded and stepped back. "There has to be somewhere here where I can get the bullet out."
"What makes you think that you can get the bullet out?" Maggie said a little standoffishly.
"Because before all this I was a Doctor. I specialized in General Surgery, but I also enjoyed family medicine."
Her response seemed to shut Maggie up for the time being.
"When we were running around saw something that could be an infirmary in that building," Carol said as she pointed to a few buildings down.
Daryl walked back over and quickly, but carefully picked Beth up and started towards the building that Carol had pointed out. Alex started after them but yelled back to the group, "Get out of here!"
The group was reluctant to go, but with the threat of hundreds of walkers invading they followed Adam.
-D/B-
"I've done the best I can do for now. The bullet is out and it really didn't do too much damage." Alex said as she was grabbing some extra supplies for the trip back. She paused and then started searching for bags to take the remaining supplies. "We're lucky it stayed in one piece. If it would have broken up we would have lost her."
Daryl looked down at the blonde girl unconscious on the table and then looked up, "Thanks Dria. Dunno what I would've done if I'd lost her again."
"I know how you hate to lose people Daryl," Alex said as she gave him a sympathetic look.
He gave her a nod, "I found a vehicle that still runs and has all its tires. Parked it on the north side. All the walkers are coming in the south side, but it won't be long fore they find their way around. We go now we can avoid most of them and should have enough to circle around a bit so we don't lead them all to your compound."
"Let's keep her on the table til we get to the vehicle. I don't want her to be moved any more than need be. She's gonna be pissed to be on bed rest for at least a week if not more when we get back." Alex said as she started grabbing all of the medicine off the shelves and shoving them in the bags she found. Medical supplies where hard to come by these days so meds, iv bags, needles, anything would be useful.
-D/B-
As they drove through the gates the rest of the group ran over to meet them.
"How is she?" Rick asked as he walked up to Daryl.
"Think she'll be okay. Was able to find some pain meds. Was able to get the bullet out. Gonna take her to Alex's so she can rest.
"Well I'm going with you," Maggie stated as she started to walk towards them.
Alex stepped forward, "I'm sorry but I really don't know any of you and until we have a chance to visit you will not be coming in my home around my family."
"But Daryl gets to go and you don't know him," Maggie said a little put out. A silence fell over the group as Daryl and Alex shared a look that was not missed by some.
"I'm sorry but that's my final answer," Alex said as she walked off and Daryl started to follow with Beth in his arms.
Maggie tried to follow and started to speak up, but was stopped by Glenn and Rick. She looked at them and they both just shook their heads and she reluctantly stayed back.
-D/B-
They walked in Alex's front door and Alex went upstairs as Daryl went down a set of stairs to where Alex had said Beth had been staying. Daryl placed Beth gently down on the bed and covered her with a nearby blanket. She stirred as he started to move towards the door. "You're going to stay right?" she asked groggily. The pain killers they had given her seemed to be taking affect.
He looked down at the blonde who had consumed his thoughts since the prison. He wanted to say no, that it wasn't necessary. But he learned after the moonshine shack that he'd never be able to deny this girl anything. "Yeah," he said and he knew that was the right response because as she opened her eyes and looked at him she smiled one of her melt the coldest heart smiles and he was lost. "I just have to go talk to Alex and then I'll be back."
"Don't know why I didn't see it sooner…..look just like you. The eyes…." Beth mumbled as she shut her eyes and rolled over and cuddled down into the blankets on the bed.
Daryl was confused as to what she was saying, but just chalked it up to pain meds. He walked back up the stairs to find Alex so they could talk about things. He looked around and she was nowhere to be seen. He heard the faint sound of what he thought was children crying and moved towards the noise. At the end of the hall he could see through an open door what looked like a child's room. As he walked towards the doorway he was able to hear the conversation.
"Now Beth is going to be okay. Mommy patched her up and is going to keep an eye on her for a few days, but she'll be okay."
"Was it the bad man who took her that hurt her?" one of the young voices asked.
"Yes it was, but Beth and Mommy's friends took care of him."
The girls looked up and Jessie asked "Who's that?" pointing at the doorway. Alex looked over her shoulder to see Daryl with a panicked look on his face and she could just guess the internal conversation and calculations he was having with himself right now.
"Go to bed girls. If you're really good and Beth is feeling up to it I'll take you both down to see her tomorrow evening." Immediately both girls laid down and shut their eyes.
Alex walked towards the door and motioned for Daryl to go back out in the hall. As she shut the door to the girls' room she turned to face a stormy faced man. "So I guess we need to talk."
A/N: So yay Beth lived! Alex/Dria was a Doctor before the world went all crazy so of course she would know exactly how to help Beth. Her skills will also come in handy in later chapters.
So this is of course a Bethyl story so don't worry I'm not going to have Daryl and Alex/Dria get back together. But there are some things that are going to need to be talked about. Beth will of course be there to help Daryl make sense of it all. I would guess that in the next chapter we will see Bethyl truly start to take shape. Sorry it seems to be taking so long to get there. My OC started to take over and I need to rein her in and get back to Bethyl. I might go back and one day write more of her and Daryl and everything she has been through since the Outbreak started, but I have other stories I need to finish first before I really even think about doing that.
I can't make promises on updates. This year is going to be busy with work, traveling, and kids. But hopefully you guys will stick with me.