It was one of the evenings, that Beth used to call magical. It was in the middle of a hot, dry summer. The birds were singing their songs in the treetops, little beetles were flying and hummed around their heads and the last sun beams of the day were tickling Daryl's and Beth's noses, while they were sitting on their secret roof.

The first few times Daryl had laughed about her for calling these evenings magical, but slowly he began to agree with her, to get it what she meant. They had to enjoy every peacefully, silent moment they were able to get. Daryl had always admired Beth for her positive, kind way, for seeing something good in even the darkest things.

Something he never could, but since weeks he was trying. He was trying to enjoy the moments he could spend with Beth together, alone. He tried to see things more positive and whenever something went wrong, he even tried to get a good result, a moral of it. Because the light, the happiness, the good in his dark, endless seemed tunnel was Beth.

Like she could read his mind, Beth looked up at him and showed Daryl one of her sweetest smiles, he used to tell himself only he got from her and no one else. "About what are you thinking, Mr. Dixon?" She asking softly, getting him even more happy with every word she said. Their backs leaning against the old wood branch, their legs stretched out in front of them and some crackers between the two of them, they were sitting like that already a half eternity.

Getting himself some crackers and plugging it inside his mouth, to win some seconds to think about what he could answer, Beth waited the whole time patiently, till Daryl swallowed and finally shook his shoulders "Nothing." He simply said, causing her eyes to roll in response.

"You know, sometimes it's really hard to start a conversation with you, Mr. Dixon." Beth told him amused, while her look already got to the birds in the trees again. Watching her for a few seconds, Daryl just couldn't believe, like already so often, how damn beautiful she was.

The short, soft hair, which didn't fit in her braid were flying gently in the warm breeze. After spending hours in the sun, her nose was finally covered with tiny freckles and the one on the tip of her nose was just the cutest thing ever. Even when she was just sitting there, Beth's lips always formed a tender smile, like she was shining with the sun for a battle.

And her eyes, her beautiful, light blue, angel eyes. Whenever she looked up at him with them, Daryl got weak instantly. He had already given up, that maybe one day he will be able to say no to her and her eyes. He will always say yes, because he couldn't see her sad and disapointed. Daryl wanted to make Beth happy, every single day of her life.

He had this special feeling since weeks, causing him to get the urgent need to lean down and place soft kisses against her forehead, nose, cheeks or best on her rosy lips. It had really happened a few times, that Daryl had already started to lean down, closing the distance of their lips, almost feeling her soft flesh against his. When he he finally got it, that they were surrounded by their family, that he just couldn't kiss her right now.

A lovingly smirk was playing on Daryl's lips, while he watched the pretty girl next to him, till he asked "About what are you thinking girl? Expect that you think, that this moment is magical, I already know that." Beth began to giggle then, before she took herself some crackers like a lady, not like Daryl had before, who had plugged a handfull all at once in his mouth, instead she ate one by one, till her hand was empty.

Patiently and curious Daryl waited for her answer, because sometimes he really wanted to know about what she was thinking right now. What pictures were in front of her inner eyes? What made her heart beate faster when she just thought about it? And what was the first word that got in her mind, when she was thinking about him?

"I think, that maybe this world, in which we are living right now.. I think that this all has a reason. Most of the time I can't find a good one, with all the dead people around us, the terrible, sad things that happen, but maybe because of them we have to be glad for the things we still have. The people, who are still here and we are still able to love. For the new ones we got to know and we still will. And that was only possible, because of the world, like she is right now."

Beth said dreamily, her eyes never looked away from Daryl, because even without saying it out loud, he knew she was mainly talking about him. Embarrassed, but also happy, Daryl smiled back at her, thanking God for getting the chance to meet this beautiful angel.

After a few more seconds looking deep into each other eyes, Beth finally went on "In the end I just don't want to regret anything. I want to live my life as long as possible, do the things I love, being close to my family. Saying in the end, that even in this crazy, dangerous world, I have did it all, I have lived."

Even when he nodded understanding, Daryl's voice still sound a little teasing, when he answered "I haven't know, that you can be so poetic girl." But like always, Beth got it what he meant and like every time she rolled her eyes in response, even nudged her shoulder against his arm. "I'm not poetic, Mr. Dixon, and anyway you have asked about what I'm thinking. So yeah, that's the stuff I'm thinking about right now."

"Thank God I'm not inside your head girl. I wouldn't be able to handle it for even one minute." Daryl teased her, before Beth playfully boxed against his upper arm. It caused him to smirk amused, because it hadn't hurt even one bit. He had just lightened himself another cigarette, when Beth suddenly asked "Do you regret anything?"

Letting the nicotine get its way down into his lungs, Daryl's mind was working badly for a good answer, but finally he just nodded his head, unable to look Beth in the eyes. She didn't say anything, just accepting this as his answer and getting her attention to the last sunbeams again.

Daryl had never really talked with someone about his past, especially about his dark childhood and maybe he will never ever be able to do so. But a strange feeling deep inside himself, dragged Daryl to tell Beth at least something, to share his hurt to make it less painful. At least a little. "Not only one thing. I have already stopped to count the things I regret a long time ago."

Surprised about his voice and statment, Beth looked up at Daryl with big eyes, listening close to his words, because she obviously cared. "I.. I think it's enough, when I say, that this world is so much better than my old life." Daryl said with a small voice, after he had pulled out his cigarette and looked uncomfortable at his shoes.

Compassionate Beth suddenly placed her soft hand on top of his, giving him a smile, which caused Daryl's heart to almost began to melt, when his eyes finally caught hers. "But Daryl, you know you don't have to regret.. to feel bad for things.. to be ashamed about things other people have done to you." Beth said carefully and shy, like she was afraid about that he could pull away with every second.

And first Daryl really wanted to, it was almost instinct, because he didn't know, if they were thinking about the same thing right now. But her eyes already told him so and it horrified him so damn much. But still he wasn't totally sure, so Daryl just had to ask her. "What do you want to say with that?"

"I mean, that sometimes even when the result is the same, the way or the reason why you got something, can be so different and can change everything. I mean.. I got the scar on my wrist, because I was weak, overwhelmed and stupid. It remembers me every morning, when I take on my bracelet to cover it, because I don't want other people to see it. I'm so ashamed about it."

Slowly Beth crawled closer to Daryl, taking his shaking hand in both of hers now, to hold him back from running away, when she added "And there are scars, which aren't your own fault, because you weren't weak, overwhelmed or stupid. You got them because some other was all that, also careless, nasty, maybe even when you were still helpless. And that's the reason why you shouldn't feel bad, seeing the fault in yourself or being ashamed about.. the scars you have Daryl."

Unbelievable he was looking at her, his lips were already trembling bad and the tears were burning in his eyes, while Daryl was just speechless. Getting the question, which was written in the middle of his face, Beth finally answered it carefully with "Yes, I know about the scars on your back Daryl. I have seen them already back at the farm for the first time. And I also know, that you are ashamed about them, not only because you don't want to take off your shirt. Because you are always flinch and shrugg away, whenever I touch you there just close, even through the fabrics of your clothes. But Daryl, you don't have to be ashamed about them. I don't know who has done this to you, but they aren't you fault."

Beth was kneeing in front of him, when she was finished, holding his face between her palms and first Daryl hadn't even noticed it, that he was crying, only when she leaned forward and kissed every, single tear away from his cheek. "It's okay to be you Daryl." She whispered, shortly before she even kissed his closed eyes.

And that was, when the last wall inside himself finally broke and he leaned helpless against her body and cried his whole shame, worries and sadness out of his body. Beth never stopped to hold him tight, stroking through his wild hair, while she whispered soothing things into his ear. "Don't regret your scars Daryl. They are not your fault." Beth said softly, while she cradled him as carefully as possible in her arms.

In response Daryl had his arms wrapped around her tiny upper body, to pull her even closer, feeling her warmth and heartbeat, to feel her being there for him. For the first time in his life he let himself feel it, feel everything, even when it scared him so damn much, like nothing in his life before.

The sun had already disappeared behind the horizon since a long time, now the moon was shining down at them, when Daryl opened his eyes for the first time again, after he had broken apart in Beth's arms.

Like the angel Beth was, when she smiled down to him, stroked carefully the loosen strains of hair away from his tear strained face and even kissed the top of his head, before she whispered "You aren't a bad guy Daryl. You are a loyal, good and decent man, to whom bad things happened. That's the difference"