Note: Yay! Another update! And this time around it didn't take ages for me to post! :P Thank you to all of those who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate it!
Also: I might post the first chapter of "Endurance", which is the new fic that I've been working on. A story where Beth survived and has been with Negan's group... Either way, if you want to read it, keep an eye out on my tumblr because I'll be posting links there, as I do for this story! :)
Also, before you start reading this chapter, here's a WARNING: This chapter is not for kids. Consider yourselves warned.
Enjoy!
A Sharp Intake Of Breath (And A Memory Forgotten)
Chapter 6
Beth looked out over the country side, resting her forehead against the window. The breath from her nose was fogging it up slightly and she couldn't help but feel like she'd gone back in time, to when she was a kid and her daddy was driving her to school.
Yes, she had remembered that trivial little thing. In fact, she could feel more and more small memories that some would see as insignificant coming back to her, always relating to the things that were happening around her. Sometimes, it didn't take more than for see a sign and small bursts of memories would come crashing in. It was always something small; bits and pieces of information that most would deem unimportant. Yet, to Beth, they meant everything.
With the small memories that returned though, her headache lingered. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as it had been back at the cabin, when she'd been suffering from a fever as well. Mostly, it came and went, being there almost as a reminder that her brain was working on sorting things out. Despite the headache, Beth felt a lot better physically, which was the reason that they had left the cabin two days ago, after they had both gotten another twenty-four hours of rest. Beth insisted that Daryl didn't need to worry about her falling over again any time soon, although she knew that he was still hesitant, even though he didn't admit it verbally.
It was with the small things that he showed how much he cared. How she felt his eyes on her whenever she was looking over the maps or how his hand lingered on her knee when she was half-asleep in the seat next to him. He showed it by not leaving her side when they stepped out of the car to stretch their legs and with how he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug whenever he had the chance to do so. It was sweet, but Beth didn't want him to hover too much.
They were both aware of the fact that Daryl was afraid of losing her, like he had thought he had done over a year ago in that hospital that her memories were still vague of. The things that she had remembered from that time, she wished that she didn't and from what she had gathered, she didn't ever want to remember that part of her past. She had been through enough as it was since that time which had made her grow into the person that she was today. When she had first woken up, she had been forced to learn to adapt to this new world since she hadn't even had any memory of what walkers were, and that alone had been hard enough. Beth did understand where Daryl was coming from though. She didn't even know what she would do with herself if she lost him, especially now that they were out there on their own.
Before they had set out again, they had radioed in to talk with Rick and the others. There had been a lot more static in the radio-phone and they had all known that they had been optimistic when they had hoped that it would work for the entire trip. She and Daryl were going to be too far out sooner than they'd expected, which meant that they wouldn't be able to pick up on the radio signals. They hadn't been able to talk to the rest of their group for the past two days and it was just now settling on them both that they really were all alone until they decided to head back to the farm.
They had crossed into North Carolina a day ago and they hadn't been stopping much since then. The few times they did stop the truck was whenever they needed to relieve themselves and even then, they didn't stray too far away from the car. The weather was a lot milder and it made Beth wonder if the harshest part of the Winter was finally over. She didn't feel like she was going to freeze to death like the first few times they had been outside after starting on this trip and even though she was happy for that, something else bothered her.
She thought about the walkers that had previously been slowed down by the cold. Now that it was getting a little warmer, they were bound to pick up speed as well. Not only to mention the fact that the cold had probably preserved them better and halted their decay, despite the lack of humans for them to feed on. She had talked to Daryl about it and they both had decided to officially stay away from and avoid any big spots that Eugene had marked out for them. Sure, they had been doing so even before she had gotten sick, but now it was a decision set in stone. They couldn't risk going into places that were too large for the two of them to cover alone. Even if they had each others backs, it wouldn't do them any good if a couple of dozen walkers stumbled upon them and it was better to be safe than sorry.
"We should be there in a few minutes," Daryl told her. It was still early – probably around noon – and they had already looted a gas station, but there hadn't been anything useful there. When they had gotten out of there, Beth had seen an advertisement for some new restaurant and bar that had opened up, along with a bed and breakfast a couple of miles away. She had pointed it out to Daryl and suggested they go there, see what useful things they could find there since the place had been newly opened before the Outbreak. If they were lucky, they would find canned food and other supplies, hopefully hygienic ones too. Beth was dying for more soap and she knew that the group back home probably wouldn't mind if they managed to find some to bring back considering that they were starting to run low. Either way, Daryl had agreed that it would be a good place to stop and so they had set out, hoping that the roads wouldn't be blocked and hold them up for too long.
"You think we're gonna find anythin' there?" Beth asked, turning her head away from the window so that she could look over at Daryl.
"Reckon so," Daryl nodded. "If it really was new, I doubt that a lot of people would have gone there when the Outbreak started. This rode isn't exactly the biggest one so many probably missed it."
"We're gonna need a plan for when we get there," Beth stated.
"We go in together, simple as that," Daryl said. "We check the restaurant first an' kill any walkers that might be there an' then we try an' get as much food we can find into the truck."
"After that we hit the bed and breakfast, right?" Beth wondered. Once again Daryl nodded. "We're gonna have to be careful. We can't assume that people didn't know about the place. Besides, the staff that worked there could still be around."
"Alive or undead?" Daryl asked her and Beth almost rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, if they were well supplied and knew what they were doing when things went to hell, I don't see a reason for them not to be alive," Beth told him.
"You're always so damn optimistic, Beth," Daryl said, lips twitching. "'S part of why I love ya so much, even though it annoys the fuck outta me sometimes."
Beth felt a smile tugging on her own lips. "You can be really sweet sometimes, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah," he waved dismissively. "Don't tell anyone about it though," he joked.
He rested his hand on her knee again and she placed hers over his before leaning over and pressing her lips to his cheeks. "Too late," she teased. "I think everyone already knows."
-§-
Daryl looked at the building as he parked the car. It wasn't that big, but it sure as hell was bigger than he would have expected. Compared to the buildings that they usually saw, this one looked new, which confirmed the fact that it had been newly renovated before the Outbreak. It couldn't be bigger than what an average sized McDonald's, but there was a second building connected to it, which Daryl assumed was the bed and breakfast. Hopefully, that part of the building would be closed off because if there were walkers in there, they were bound to be located in that place.
"Gear up," Daryl told Beth, who immediately pulled out her gloves. Yes, the weather was milder, but it was still a little cold. She wasn't wearing her thick gloves though, but rather the thin ones with the cut off fingertips, which allowed her to get a better grip on her knives. Daryl checked his gun and spare ammo as he looked over at Beth who was strapping her knives to her thigh-holster.
Damn, he was never going to get used to how hot she looked when she did that.
Daryl forced himself to stop that trail of thoughts before it led him down a road that he knew he wouldn't be able to come back from. Beth sill wasn't completely recovered and he knew that he shouldn't be asking her for sex, even though every single cell in his body was screaming for physical release. He knew that if he began looking at Beth like that right now, he most likely would not be able to stop his body from reacting to his thoughts.
Clearing his throat, he stepped out of the car, checking his spare gun as he did. Beth got out of the car a minute after him, her larger hunting knife already in her hand. Daryl walked around the truck and stepped up to her before leaning down to press his lips to her forehead lightly.
"We'll knock first, 'kay?" he asked and Beth nodded.
"I know how we do this," Beth smiled at him. "Then you go one way and I go the other and we try to get as many things as possible."
"Ya think we can leave the keys in the truck?" he wondered and Beth shrugged.
"I don't know," she admitted. "Might be better if one of us has them."
Daryl nodded, opening her door so that he could reach across the seats and pull out the keys. When he got back out, he noticed Beth's head was tilted to the side and she was quietly observing him. He suppressed the urge to smirk.
"Ya know, ya kinda make me feel like an object when you're checking out my ass like that," Daryl told her.
Beth laughed at that, "Oh please. I'm just returning the favor."
"Hm… Not sure what you're talkin' 'bout, Greene," Daryl said.
"You know very well, Dixon," Beth grinned, stepping up to him again. "We both know that you can't keep your eyes off of my ass whenever I'm walking away from you." With those words, she pecked him lightly on the lips and turned around, not giving him a chance to reciprocate the kiss before she began walking toward the restaurant.
Daryl shook his head and smirked at the way that she was obviously swaying her hips a little more than usual and then followed her, silently telling himself that they needed to be serious now and that there would be time for playfulness later.
-§-
Beth made her way through the restaurant, checking every corner as silently as she could before she walked around them. From what she and Daryl had been able to tell, the restaurant was empty. They had waited outside long enough for it to be considered safe to head inside and after doing so, they had split up in order to cover as much ground as possible.
She didn't really know what it was about the place but it gave Beth chills. Perhaps it was the fact that besides a thick layer of dust, the restaurant seemed to be untouched. As she made her way into the actual diner part of the building, she took in the old paintings that she figured must have been at least somewhat valuable before the Outbreak. It all reminded her of one of those places where a wealthy family opened up a restaurant that actually looked more like an antique store than a place where people actually came to eat.
Beth began opening drawers as quietly as possible, looking for anything that might be useful for her and Daryl on the road as well as for their family when they returned to the farm. She found a pack of unopened batteries and quickly stuffed them into her backpack, as well as a flashlight that was miraculously still working. There was a drawer filled with utensils, but Beth ignored it because she knew that Daryl would probably find sharper things in the kitchen. Instead, Beth walked around the bar, watching her step to make sure that there was nothing lurking underneath it. Once she made sure that the coast was clear, she looked to the shelves that were stacked with bottles. Some of them had been opened while others had not and Beth wondered to herself if they could really have gotten as lucky as this to have found a place which had been untouched by the outside.
She didn't really know why she did it, but she began skimming over the labels on the bottles, almost as if she was looking for something. It had been a natural thing to do for her and she acted as if on auto-pilot as she read what the various beverages consisted of. She paused at one particular bottle though, 'Archer's Peach Schnapps', the label said and a frown quickly fell over her face as something inside of her seemed to start ticking. There was something awfully familiar about it and Beth reached out without thinking as she wrapped her hand around the bottle and took it off the shelf.
As soon as the bottle was in her hands a loud crack resonated and Beth took some quick steps back, pressing her back against the wood of the bar, watching in horror as a couple of dozen bottles tumbled town from the shelf which had become unhinged. The glass bottles broke, shattering all over the floor and the liquid pooled out, the smell of alcohol filling her nose instantly. She heard quick footsteps and turned around as a door swung open and Daryl ran inside, his crossbow raised and ready to fire. When he saw that it was just her and that there didn't seem to be anything attacking her, he lowered his weapon and took in the scene before him.
"The shelf broke," Beth explained before he could say anything. "I saw this," she held up the schnapps, "and I just took it down to get a closed look and then the thing just broke off the wall."
Daryl glanced at the bottle that was still in her hands and for a moment, Beth thought that she might have seen recognition flash in his face. Maybe there was a story behind that too? She watched him as he stepped over the broken glass and took a closer look at where the shelf had been attached to the wall.
"It must've been mold or rust or somethin'," he told her. "The hinge broke off the wall completely." He looked at her again, "You okay?"
Beth opened her mouth to reply, but the words died in her throat when a loud banging was heard accompanied with eerily familiar moans. They both turned their attention to behind Beth, only to see that a big grandfather-clock was covering a door that they hadn't even noticed. Beth's eyes widened when a cracking sound was heard and from what Beth could see, it seemed like the door had actually cracked under the pressure. It occurred to her then that it might not just have been the wall that held up the shelves that was moldy and old. Those who had opened the restaurant must have just bought some old building and renovated, covering up the bad foundation.
"Hide," Daryl hissed at her when another crack was heard and Beth didn't know why she did it, but she lowered herself down into a crouch and quickly got under the bar. A louder crack was heard and the growls of the walkers entered the room along with the shuffling sound of feet. Beth swallowed and tried to get a look at where Daryl had gone and she thought that she might have managed to see him hide behind the door that he had come through, but there would be no way for him to properly hide from the walkers.
Beth watched as the walkers stumbled past her hiding place, not one of them noticing her where she was under the bar. From what she could tell, there were at least twenty walkers and she had no idea where Daryl was. When she heard the dead one's growls intensify, Beth knew that Daryl must have been found and as soon as she heard the squelching sound of a walker being stabbed, she didn't think before jumping out from under the bar. Instantly, she lifted her knives and began throwing. One by one, the walkers fell, knives embedded into the back of their skulls, though that also caught the attention of some of them, who turned away from Daryl and turned towards her instead. Daryl was standing on one of the tables in the restaurant and was stabbing walkers that came too close directly in the head. His crossbow was loaded but still strapped on his back and Beth was quickly making her way through the walkers coming at her, all so that she could reach him. If they were going to die, they would go down fighting together.
She was out of throwing knives and she could see two walkers coming her way. As quickly as she could she bent down to retrieve her knives from the already fallen walkers and turned around just in time to lodge one of her thin knives in the eye of a walker. Black blood oozed from the wound, making her hand slippery and spraying her jacket. The walker had been big, one that had most likely been a man once upon a time with a thick belly. As soon as she had killed it, it tumbled forward, forcing her to step out of the way. The problem was that the moment that she had stepped away, she turned her back to the other oncoming walker and her knife slipped from between her fingers when she felt the walker grab at her arms, hissing in her face. Beth let out a small scream out of sheer surprise but pushed the walker backwards. The walker which had once been a woman kept coming at her, but Beth couldn't let go and reach for her knife because she knew that the walker would kill her.
Just when the walker leaned forward enough to take a bite out of her, one of Daryl's bolts pierced it's head and the walker toppled over, Beth along with it.
"Get up, get up!" Daryl yelled at her, running toward her and picking her up. Beth just had sense enough to pick up her knife before hurrying after him as they ran out to the car. She turned back, only to see a few more walkers stumbling their way. They had probably been holding up in the bed and breakfast and the sounds of the fight must have drawn them in.
Beth wasn't really sure how they made it to the car, or how she had gotten into the passenger seat before Daryl sped them away from the building. Her heart was racing and she could hardly breathe as she thought about how close she had gotten to dying.
"Are ya bit?" Daryl yelled, still speeding through the empty road, even though the restaurant could no longer be seen behind them.
"No!" Beth said back, her own voice higher than she had intended.
"Check again, Beth!" Daryl ordered, fear and anger and a thousand more emotions mixed into his voice.
Beth felt her stomach turn, "Daryl, pull over." Her mumble was unheard though, because Daryl was still driving frantically and looking her way every other second. He would get them killed if he kept going like this.
"Check yourself for scratches!" he told her, his voice remaining raised.
"Daryl, pull over!" Beth screamed, holding on to the handle when Daryl suddenly hit the breaks, almost sending her flying. She barely managed to jump out of the car when bile rose in her throat and she emptied the contents of her stomach on the side of the road.
-§-
Daryl's hands were shaking as he covered his face before leaning his forehead against the steering wheel. He had almost lost her again. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known that it was all too good to be true, like everything else was these days.
Beth was still heaving outside and he wanted to go out there and help her, hold back her hair or whatever, but he couldn't find the strength to move. He knew that if he took even one step out of the car, his knees would buckle and he wasn't sure if he would be able to get up again.
He only turned towards Beth to watch her reach into her backpack and take out a bottle of water as well as the tube of toothpaste that they had brought with them. He watched her as she rinsed out her mouth, her eyes avoiding him from where she stood outside. She spit out the water and the toothpaste and took a few deep breaths, still looking pale, despite the walker blood that was covering her clothes and her hands. Daryl looked at his own hands and realized then that they too were covered in blood. They had stopped shaking now.
Beth stood outside in the cold for a few more minutes before finally making her way into the car again. She put the toothpaste and the bottle of water inside her backpack again and then turned to look at him. The look she was giving him and the way that her eyes filled with tears gave Daryl the impression that she was waiting on him to yell at her or something. She opened her mouth to say something, but before either of them knew what was happening, Daryl wrapped his hand around her ponytail and pulled her in to crash his lips against hers.
His mouth moved hungrily over hers and he figured it was the fear of almost having lost her – again – as well as the need to feel her close and alive that made him act like this. Beth returned the kiss with equal fervor and Daryl couldn't say that he was surprised when she reached her hand down between his legs and pulled the lever to push his seat back. A second later, she climbed over to him and straddled him, her still bloodied hands tangling in his hair as his roamed her back.
Daryl unzipped her jacket and threw it in the seat behind them, needing to feel her skin against his. Beth breathed heavily against his lips as she got rid of his own jacket and lifted his shirt off of him along with the wife-beater he was wearing underneath. Daryl reached down, unbuckling his own belt as Beth pulled off her shirt and tank top, leaving her only in a gray cotton bra before she too unbuttoned her own pants, lifting herself enough so that he would be able to pull the material down her legs. Daryl lifted himself up and Beth assisted him in pulling his own pants and boxers down to his knees before she straddled him again.
Daryl groaned, his head falling back as Beth wrapped her hand around his already hard cock, giving his shaft a few quick strokes as she pressed her lips to the side of his neck. He knew that there was no time for foreplay though; he needed her and she needed him and there was no way in hell that he was going to be able to hold on long enough this time. Picking up his knife, he muttered a "Hold still," to Beth before bringing the knife to the thin material of her panties, cutting through the sides before tearing them off her skin. Beth didn't even protest the action. Instead, she moaned into his neck as she ran his swollen head over her slit, coating him in her wetness before positioning him at her entrance. Daryl snapped his hips up, burying himself inside of her to the hilt and Beth let out a loud gasp before covering his lips with hers again. The feeling of her stretching around him was almost too much after such a long time of going without her in this way. Daryl forced himself to still for just a moment, enjoying the feel of her heat wrapped around him, before he began thrusting, almost violently, inside of her. Beth moaned and writhed, meeting his thrusts the best she could, gripping his shoulders for support as he pounded into her. It wasn't an easy thing to do considering that neither of them had removed their pants completely and the material was limiting their movements. Daryl suckled at the side of her neck, one of his hands supporting her back as she rocked against him while his other found her still covered breast, lowering the cups so that he could brush his fingers against her hardened nipples.
"Daryl!" Beth gasped and he groaned as he felt her clenching around his length as her orgasm washed over her. With a few more thrusts, he followed her, biting gently into her shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut as his thrusts slowed down before he just completely stopped, still inside of her. Beth collapsed against him and his hands found their way into her messy, sweaty hair, gently massaging her scalp. Her fingers were still digging into his skin and he wouldn't be surprised if she had drawn blood. He didn't care though because it would just be another sign that she was still here with him. They had made it out even though it had been a close call.
He tugged gently at her hair, forcing her to meet his eyes before he kissed her. "I was scared," he whispered against her lips, almost as if it was a secret. Around them the windows were foggy and he was glad that the road had been empty and that they had been lucky enough that no dead nor living thing had stumbled upon them in their vulnerable state.
"You're Daryl Dixon," Beth whispered back, brushing his hair back from his face, "you ain't afraid of nothin'."
The words that he had told her so long ago would forever be burned into his mind and he wondered, whether this was another sign that her memories were actually returning to her more and more.
"'M afraid of losin' you," he told her, knowing that it was a secret he had already told her so many times.
"You and I don't die," she said, the confidence in her tone taking him aback. "We've been here since the beginning and we've made it, even though people around us have died. We're strong and Daryl," she paused, "you're never gonna lose me again." It was as if she was reminding him of what she had said when they had been holed up in that cabin while she had been sick. He had admitted to his fear of losing her back then too and she had told him then that she wasn't going anywhere. If today was any proof, she intended on keeping that promise and he was damned if he wouldn't help her do it.
"We should get cleaned up and dressed," Beth then said and Daryl realized that he was still very much inside of her, his seed sticky between them. Their bodies were radiating heat but he could feel the coldness coming back, chilling his naked torso.
"Yeah," Daryl agreed, but he pulled Beth a little closer before softly pressing his lips to hers again. "Just a few more minutes," he said, earning a giggle out of Beth and a hard kiss press against his lips.
Note: Sooooo, they did the deed - FINALLY. I guess it could have been under better circumstances, but seriously, the tension has been killing them both (and me too for that matter) and with a close call like that, emotions run high, I suppose. (And it is smut week, but this had nothing to do with that! Still, there are some great works out there!).
Either way, I hope you liked the chapter! I'm working on chapter 7, but I have a feeling that that too is going to be finished sooner, possibly some time next week or so. So don't forget to comment and tell me what you thought and keep an eye out for Endurance! :)
Thank you for reading and supporting me!
Lots of love! xx
