Ok, now I'm going to go off the grid a little now since Beth and Daryl are diverting from the story. If you are curious about the rest of the group, they do the same thing they did after the CDC. Of course this won't be the last time we see them :-)
"Beth and I are heading to her Daddy's farm. I'm takin' 'er home" Daryl stated, causing the small group that was standing in a circle to raise their eyebrows at him. They had pulled off into an abandoned parking lot that looked safe enough for the time being, and the group was trying to decide the next course of action. Well, Shane was trying to dictate while the rest of them were deciding. When Rick had asked him, Glenn, T-Dog to follow him over to the side of the parking lot, Daryl knew he was going to have to just tell them their plans. Like hell any of them were going to be able to stop them from going anyway. A part of him was hoping they would, cuz after the CDC he was itching for a fight.
"Is this the same farm she mentioned before?" Rick asked, eyeing the archer.
"Yeah, the girl has wanted to go home for a while now, but Asshat over there would just keep telling her that they had other things to do" he said as he motioned toward Shane, who was talking to Carl and an uneasy looking Lori.
"How does she even know her people are still alive?" T-Dog asked softly, like he was afraid that Beth would hear him, throwing a glance at the pretty blond who was chatting away with Carol and Sophia. Daryl turned to glance at her too, seeing the beautiful smile on her face. She had not stopped smiling since he told her that they were going to the farm. Yeah, he was going to keep that smile there. 'God your such a pussy' he thought as he turned his attention back to the small group.
"She doesn't, but goin' is better than stayin' and not knowin'" he continued with a shake of his head. He saw the other guys nod their heads, all seeming to understand.
"Well, if you get there and it's all gone, come toward Fort Benning. You can meet back up with us" Rick said as he extended his hand toward Daryl. Daryl looked down at it, eyeing it cautiously for a moment and then gripping it and shaking it back. Then with a silent nod to the guys, he turned and walked over to the still smiling Beth. He felt the tips of his lips lifting up at the sight of her and forced his lips back into a firm line. He doesn't smile, especially not just because of the sight of just some girl smiling. 'who you foolin' baby brother…..Angel isn't just some girl' his brother's voice taunted.
"Hey, you ready to go?" he asked, her eyes going wide at his question.
"So soon?" she asked as she stood up and wiped her hands on her jeans.
"Thought you wanted to go?" he asked her, the question coming out rougher than he intended.
"Oh no of course I want to go" she exclaimed excitedly. "I guess maybe I was just thinking there would be more arguing, or people trying to stop us…..I don't know, something" she continued as she turned to pick up her pack off of the ground. When she turned back around, Daryl's breath hitched at the sight of her eyes. They were sparkling the most beautiful blue he had ever seen. God, she really was a gorgeous girl, especially when she was happy. 'Snap out of it Dixon. She is just a girl' he told himself as he looked down at her smiling face.
"Guess they 're just ready to get rid of us. Or at least me" he grumbled out as they both turned toward the truck, the motorcycle still securely on the back.
"Well their loss is my gain" she said sweetly as she placed her arm on his bicep and squeezed, releasing him before he could tense up, but long enough for him to miss the feel of her fingers when she let go. She smiled back at him as she placed her bag in the bed of the truck and went over to let the others know she was leaving.
Daryl watched her as she hugged each one of the group, telling them that she hoped they made it and that she would be praying for them. He couldn't help but snort at that, what has praying gotten anybody lately. 'JC has permanently left the building' he thought to himself as she hugged Lori tight. He heard Lori softly ask her if she was sure that she was safe going with Daryl, causing him to roll his eyes. He pulled Beth's ass out of the CDC and Olive Oil still didn't think he was good enough. But his lips quirked up just a little when Beth replied to her that she was very sure and knew that she could trust Daryl with her life, that he had already proved a few times that he was loyal. Those words knocked him in his chest. How did she get that just from a few days of knowing him. This girl had to be crazy, trusting a Dixon that fast. He knew that she was right and that he would protect her with his life, but she was insane for believing it already.
He felt himself stiffen up just a little when she hugged Shane. He could tell that she really didn't want to hug him, that she was just doing it out of the politeness and manners that she was raised with, but he still didn't like Shane's hands on her. A fire started to boil in him that he didn't understand but before he could even start to really think about it, she let Shane go and moved onto Rick. She handed him a piece of paper, which he looked down at and a small smile crossed his lips. He looked at her and nodded and Beth hugged him quickly. She then turned to T-Dog and Glenn, who were standing side by side.
"I just wanted to thank you both. You both saved my life that day. I will be forever grateful that you two gave me a second chance. You both are amazing men" she said, a tear trickling down her cheek as she hugged both of them, both guys snaking their arms around her too, sandwiching her in.
"You be safe, Beth. And take care of Dixon. Keep him out of trouble" Glenn said with a smile as he looked over at Daryl, a big smile on his face.
"Fat chance" Daryl growled out, but threw a smirk at Glenn as well. After a few more hugs, a few more tears (from Beth, not from him of course) they were in the truck and she waved at them all as he pulled out of the parking spot. He nodded his head toward Rick and Glenn and they nodded back and then they were gone.
Beth didn't say anything for a while, just sat there looking out the window. Daryl kept throwing her glances from the side of his eyes. Normally he was ok with the quiet, craved it really. But he missed Beth's voice, her chattering and her smile.
"Why don't you sing somethin'?" he asked her before he could stop himself. He felt the tips of his ears turn red when she turned to look at him, the smile starting to come back on her lips.
"Sure, any requests?" she asked sweetly as she squeezed his bicep. He came to realize that he really liked when she did that, but shook that thought off.
"Know any Ozzy?" he asked her, thinking that she probably wouldn't. When would an angel like Beth Greene listen to Ozzy Osbourne? But once again, the little spitfire blond that was worming her way into his head surprised him.
Times have changed and times are strange
Here I come, but I ain't the same
Mama, I'm coming home
He noticed her expression when she sang, like she really was telling her Mama that she was coming home. He really hoped that all of her people were still alive for her.
Times gone by, seems to be
You could have been a better friend to me
Mama, I'm coming home
You took me in and you drove me out
Yeah, you had me hypnotized
Lost and found and turned around
By the fire in your eyes
You made me cry, you told me lies
But, I can't stand to say goodbye
Mama, I'm coming home
I could be right, I could be wrong
It hurts so bad, it's been so long
Mama, I'm coming home
Selfish love, yeah, we're both alone
The ride before the fall, yeah.
But I'm gonna take this heart of stone
I just got to have it all.
I've seen your face a hundred times,
Everyday we've been apart
I don't care about the sunshine, yeah
'cause mama,
Mama, I'm coming home
I'm coming home
You took me in and you drove me out
Yeah, you had the hypnotised, yeah.
Lost and found and turned around
By the fire in your eyes
I've seen your face a thousand times
Everyday we've been apart
And I don't care about the sunshine, yeah
'cause mama,
Mama, I'm coming home
I'm coming home
She smiled sweetly at him as she finished the song, and try as he might, he could not help the small smile that creeped across his lips too. At the sight of it, her smile got wider and he realized that he didn't actually mind smiling if it made her smile like that. Then she asked him the question that floored him…
"You want me to sing you some Alice Cooper or Judas Priest next?"
Mama I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne