Disclaimer: A nod to the genius Robert Kirkman for creating this wonderfully dark, post-apocalyptic world. I do not own or have rights to any of the characters/plot of this series. I'm simply a fan indulging in my post-apocalyptic fantasies.
Thank you Nicole for your wonderful edits!
Also, jumping back and forth between H.O.P.E. and Sometimes When Things Go Wrong... has been really effecting my writing juices. Lol. Just as I get going in one story, I'm having to switch gears into a completely different universe. It's really hard. So as much as I didn't want to, one story is going to have to take precedence over the other. I also HAVE to get one of these stories finished if I'm ever going to be able to start For the Ones You Protect when season 5 is over. So I've decided that I will focus my 2 week posts on H.O.P.E. and update Sometimes When Things Go Wrong... as I finished a chapter. I WILL STILL BE WRITING it, but I won't have a set schedule like I do with H.O.P.E. Thank you guys for understanding and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
...
Standing in front of the entryway, Beth took a deep breath. The soft glow of candle light illuminated the windows and she could hear voices behind the thin, discolored walls. She reached for the doorknob, but hesitated when her fingers grazed the tarnished, brass veneer. Letting her hand fall to her side, she took a step back. Beth had come to terms with what awaited her inside, but actually standing in front of the door, she was uneasy all over again. It wasn't the same sickening dread she had felt before, thanks to Daryl, but more uncertainty of what these people expected of her.
She could deal with hoards of walkers. She could sleep on the ground with only the stars as her blanket. She knew how to dismantle and clean her pistol with her eyes closed. She had become quite proficient with her machete, the blade becoming an extension of her arm, but dealing with the living was out of her comfort zone. It was different with Morgan though. She didn't have a single memory that did not include the older man. When Morgan had asked her whether she wanted to stay or leave Alexandria, she desired nothing more than to march out of those gates and back into their world…her world. However, Morgan was not a product of the apocalypse, not like she was. She felt more 'at home' sitting in the middle of the woods with a blade strapped around her arm and her senses honed in on her surroundings. Not sitting in a room with a bunch of strangers.
No one had asked her if she wanted to meet the people waiting for her inside. No one had bothered to question whether she wanted to reconnect with her past and learn about herself. Morgan had said she needed to learn about who she was, but she felt like he wanted to know more than she did. Truth be told, Beth didn't want to meet with anyone. She saw no advantage to learning about her 'past self' and ascertaining information about a person who no longer existed didn't interest her.
Reaching for the brass handle once more, she twisted the knob and slowly opened the wooden door. The hinges creaked in protest, alerting everyone in the house of her presence as she closed the door behind her. She looked down to see Morgan's shoes placed neatly beside the door. Following suit, she slid her feet out of her boots and placed them beside Morgan's. She then glanced around, taking a few steps into the room, before an unfamiliar woman stepped into view.
Beth froze.
Making an educated guess, she knew this person had to be her 'sister' Maggie, but Beth felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as a surge of panicked adrenaline flooded her system nonetheless. The woman just continued to stare, face drained of any color, mouth slightly agape, and eyes boring into her so raptly that Beth had to force herself to keep the stranger's gaze. Beth felt herself lifting up on her toes, the sense of fight or flight becoming too much to resist, when her name was spoken.
"Beth?" The visitor's voice was soft, yet just as foreign as everyone else she'd met.
"Yeah?" Beth breathed softly.
"I can't…" the woman took a few unsteady steps toward her before stopping to lean against the couch, "You don't remember me?"
Beth shook her head.
An unsteady hand covered her trembling lips and she swallowed air for several moments before she was able to continue, "I'm Maggie. I'm…" she moved her hand to her chest, as if to hold herself upright, "I'm your sister."
Beth wasn't sure how to respond. It was obvious that Maggie was distraught by the sight of her and anything she replied with would be hugely underwhelming in comparison to Maggie's raw sincerity.
"…Okay," she finally mumbled.
Maggie took several short, feeble breathes as sobs wracked her body. Pushing off the clothed furniture, Beth watched as her 'sister' cautiously made her way across the room. Suddenly feeling like she was being hunted, Beth clenched her teeth together and willed herself to remain impassive, but her sharp eyes took in every move her 'predator' made. When she was within arm's length, Maggie reached out to her and Beth immediately took a step back.
"I can't believe it's really you," Maggie chocked as tears fell from her eyes, "I thought I'd lost you."
Beth's eyes danced between the older woman's.
"I wanted to come see you so bad after the other day…" her voice trailed off, "but if you woke up while I was there, I didn't want t'overwhelm you."
Taking a deep breath, Beth planted her feet against the dusty, wooden floor as Maggie's shaky fingers grazed over the scar on her cheek. The sensation made Beth feel uneasy. She realized that Maggie had no malevolent intentions, but generally when her skin was being touched, it was by cold, dead fingers or warm hands committed to doing her harm.
Before she could react, Maggie wrapped her arms around her and held her so tightly that Beth struggled to inhale. She could hear the older woman crying into her hair and rather than push away like she so desperately wanted to, she kept her hands clenched by her sides. This person was her 'family,' but being hugged by a complete stranger wasn't something Beth was used to experiencing.
When Maggie's grip weakened and her sobs increased, Beth did the only thing she knew and reached up to awkwardly pat Maggie's back. It was the same gesture Morgan used on her when she was on the brink of tears and it had always been enough to keep her from crumbling. With Maggie's face still buried in her messy braid, Beth glanced around the room for any signs of Morgan.
There was some simple furniture, a few small toys scattered around the room, and a gate in front of the stairway, but the room was void of anything else. It was then that she noticed Maggie's tears had subsided and she began to pull away, keeping her hands braced against Beth's shoulders, and gently sliding them down her arms to entangle their fingers.
"Do you know what happened?" Maggie asked with a broken voice.
"No," Beth's fingers ached under Maggie's grasp.
"I can-"
"I don't want to know," Beth interrupted coolly.
"Alright," Maggie smiled tightly; keeping her lips pressed together, "Do you remember anything? Anythin' at all?"
"No," Beth subtly pulled her fingers from Maggie's hold.
"I'm sorry," Maggie's voice broke, "I am so sorry Beth."
Beth shrugged a shoulder, trying to downplay the situation, "Its fine. There's no reason for you t'be sorry about somethin' I don't even remember."
"I should've looked for you," Maggie pressed despite Beth's dismissal, "If I had believed Daryl. Maybe…" Maggie's hands flew to her face and her shoulders heaved violently.
"Hey," Beth timidly reached forward, "I umm…it's fine. Really. I'm fine."
A man peeked around the corner in time to see Maggie crumple to the floor. Not sure of what to do, Beth stepped back and let him approach the inconsolable woman. He eventually got her to her feet and escorted her to another room. Having a moment to herself, Beth collapsed on the couch and pulled Daryl's…her blade from its sheath. Placing the point into her index finger, she twirled the handle slowly with her other hand, admiring the glint of the candle light as it reflected off the blade.
"She just needs 'ah minute," the man spoke up as he lingered in the hallway.
Beth nodded.
"I'm Glenn…by the way," he added with a quick wave.
"You already know who I am I suppose," Beth sighed.
"Well, kinda'," Glenn stepped into the room, "I mean, I know your name."
Beth stopped twirling the knife and looked over at him as he crossed in front of her to sit on the other end of the couch.
"I know who you are…or who you were?" He fumbled with his words, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "It's weird."
Beth quirked a brow and waited for him to continue.
"You're still you, but you're not the you that I knew," Glenn elaborated, "That's the kind of crazy stuff you see in sci-fi movies."
"Sci-fi?" Beth asked.
"Science fiction," Glenn lifted his head to look at her, "Space travel..aliens…Iron Man?"
Beth creased her brows.
"You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?" Glenn huffed and dropped his head.
"Sorry," Beth murmured.
"No. It's fine," Glenn replied immediately, "It's not your fault."
"I wouldn't know," Beth blurted out and quickly bit the inside of her lips together.
There was an awkward silence and she went back to twirling the knife against her finger as a distraction.
"I thought I was going to lose Maggie after you…" Glenn cleared his throat, "She got really low."
Beth paused, looking at the reflection of her eyes in the steel she was holding.
"You guys had lost your farm and all your people, then your dad, and when the prison fell we were all scattered," Glenn began, "I never stopped looking for her. I knew she was out there, somewhere, alive and looking for me. I always thought the two of you would be together. She got off the bus to look for you."
Beth had no idea what 'bus' he was referring to, but she wasn't sure whether she wanted to stop him or let him continue. The more she learned, the more she was able to connect certain dots, and that terrified her.
"When we found each other and you weren't with either of us, I think she held out hope that you would be with the rest of the group," Glenn continued, staring down at his hands intently, "Then Daryl told us you were taken-"
"All of this happened to 'ah different person," Beth interjected, "There's no reason t'dig up old wounds."
"But don't you want to know what happened?" Glenn stared at her perplexedly.
"No," Beth said firmly, "Whatever happened…it's done. Whoever I may have been, that's not who I am now. Is it?"
Beth wasn't asking because she wanted to know. She was making a point. In what had made her anxious in the beginning, knowing she wasn't the same person her 'family' was expecting, now seemed pertinent that it be made aware that she wasn't Beth Greene. This wasn't just some bout of amnesia. She had barely survived what should have been a fatal wound. She was damaged and there was no way to 'fix' her. She wouldn't magically get her memories back and she didn't want them holding out false hope for such a miracle to occur.
"No," Glenn sighed, "I supposed you're not."
The shuffling of feet caught Beth's attention and she looked up to see Maggie had returned. She looked much more composed and was carrying a small, sleeping child in her arms. Quickly putting her knife away, Beth scooted over to allow Maggie enough room to sit in between them.
"This is your nephew," Maggie said while smiling at the slumbering child she cradled, "Hershel."
"We decided to name him after-"
"Our dad," Beth finished Glenn's sentence for him, earning expectant looks from the both of them, "Daryl told me."
Maggie seemed to deflate some, but her smile remained.
From the timeline she was aware of, being separated from everyone here, she surmised the child to be around three or four, with a tuft of black shaggy hair, and olive skin. He was holding a blanket in one hand and his other arm was draped lazily over Maggie's bicep. Beth hadn't been around children, save for her recent run in with Judith, and it surprised her how small people could actually be.
"We were talkin' with Morgan earlier," Maggie interrupted her thoughts.
"About what?" Beth found herself asking.
"We're in charge of another colony called Hilltop. It's about 'ah day's ride from here," Maggie informed her, "It's a lot like Alexandria. We have walls, houses, an' we live with the exact same structure as what Rick has implemented here."
"Sounds nice," Beth responded absently, unsure what any of that had to do with her.
"We want you t'come back with us," Maggie revealed hastily, "We're family. We should be together. I want us t'be together again."
"What…about Morgan?" Beth furrowed her brows.
Maggie glanced at Glenn.
"He's stayin' here…isn't he?" Beth deduced from their exchange, "He wants t'help Rick."
"I will never be able to thank Morgan enough for everythin' he did for you, but we're family Beth," Maggie implored, "I get a second chance at bein' your sister. You deserve for me t'be better to you than I was."
Beth quickly rose from her seat, "Morgan is my family. I'm not goin' anywhere without him."
"We're not forcin' you to do anything," Glenn interjected, "We talked to Morgan and he said he would agree to whatever you decided. We just wanted you to know that we want our family to be together again."
Beth clenched her jaw and breathed in through her nose.
Of course Morgan wasn't going to stand in the way of Beth reuniting with her 'real' family. He had encouraged her from day one to try and discover more about herself. He wanted what was best, or what he thought was best, for her. Even so, it didn't stop the sting of betrayal that crept its way from her heart and thrummed in her ears.
"You don't have t'say anything right now," Maggie said gently, "but will you at least think about it?"
Beth took a moment to calm herself, giving a curt nod.
"We love you Beth," Maggie's eyes began filling with new tears, "I just want t'do right by you."
Beth nodded, refusing to be wavered by her 'sisters' emotions, "I've been doin' fine on my own."
Maggie's expression faltered, but she managed to nod and Beth felt her stomach twist into a knot.
"I've had a long past few days. I'm gonna' get some sleep," she sighed, wanting desperately to escape the looks she was receiving from the two sitting on the couch.
"Well talk in the morning then," Maggie said with a watery smile, "Sweet dreams Bethy."
Beth's eyes darted between Maggie and Glenn before she flashed a grim smile and sought out her room.
She opened the doors to a hall closet and a dingy bathroom before she found a room with a small bed. Her bag sat in the middle of the mattress and her forearm machete lying next to it, still attached to her bandolier. Plopping down next to her things, dust flitted through the beams of light projecting from the candle on her bedside table.
It upset her that Morgan left her to fend for herself, knowing her disposition when it came to meeting new people, but she supposed she understood his intentions. She could only assume that he had wanted to make sure whatever decision she made was not influenced by his presence. Although she thought he had known her well enough to know that the decision had been made before the question had even been prompted. Morgan was her 'family.' Maggie and Glenn may have been blood relatives, but they were a long way from sharing anything close to the sort of sentiment she felt when it came to Morgan.
Alexandria suddenly felt like a prison and Beth had an overwhelming urge to breakout.
There would be no discussion in the morning. She already had an answer. She had no intention of going anywhere without Morgan and she had come to find a few people…interesting within the walls of this community. With her mind made up, Beth rifled through her bag and pulled out a few rations she'd kept from half eaten meals in the mess hall. Pulling her bandolier over her head and adjusting it to its proper place over her chest, Beth quietly opened the window to her room and stepped out into the darkness.
As she stealthily ran for the back of the wall, she could taste the cool night air on her tongue. Quickly ascending the support beams to the top of the wall, she then climbed down the thick vines and foliage that had grown up the walls since the years they had been erected. The sneaking out had started as a onetime occurrence. She had wanted to get out of their fortress just to prove to herself that she could, without being caught. She had planned on walking back in through the gates, knowing she would attract people's attention and never be able to sneak out again. However, on her way back, she'd seen the vines and overgrowth. Deciding to test their strength, she'd yanked on the nature-made ropes and when they didn't budge, she began climbing up the wall. From them on, she had a way to get in and out of Alexandria and none was the wiser. At least until Morgan had figured out what she was doing.
Letting go of the vines, she landed on the rusted, dented roof of a truck that had been pressed against the wall for an added obstacle. Beth never felt freer than when her feet touched the muddy earth and she began to run. The first few sprinkles of rain pelted her skin as she sprinted for her tree stand, intent on sitting in her haven until long after the sun rose. She was suddenly very thankful she hadn't told Daryl about her hiding spot. For the time being, she just wanted to be left alone.
…
He was checking with Dwight on some maintenance that needed to be done on the west side of the wall when the first gunshots were fired. Everyone's attention immediately turned to the trees. It was a few moments later when he saw her, tousled blond hair and wild blue eyes, bursting out of the woods.
"What tha' hell is she doin' out there?" Dwight asked beside him.
The walker's emerged soon after and the entire wall fell into chaos. Daryl started barking orders, Dwight ran to get more people to defend the wall, and gunshots continued to blare in the background.
"She's got one on her!" Someone yelled.
Daryl had never felt more helpless, watching Beth fighting a hoard of walkers and being too far away to help.
"I got 'er," Sasha answered further down the wall, lifting her sniper rifle and taking out the undead just before it reached the younger blond.
Daryl heaved a sigh of relief. With Sasha at the wall, there was a chance he could fight his way down to Beth and get her to safety.
"How many?" Rick hollered from the ground, chest heaving and hair disheveled from sleep.
Daryl began climbing down the ladder, "It's a fuckin' herd Rick. Where tha' hell is Byron and why didn't he report we had a herd comin' for us?"
"I don't know, but I fully intend on findin' out," Rick said gravely as Daryl stepped off the ladder.
More people began pouring out of houses, alarmed by the commotion, and Daryl scanned the crowd for Dwight. The man's scarred face was easy to pick out of a crowd, but he was nowhere in sight and Daryl didn't have the luxury of time. He needed to get to Beth now.
"Open tha' gates," Daryl yelled over to the two men in charge of pulling the chains that controlled the large, steel doors.
"Sasha! We got some goin' outside the gate," Rick yelled to the top of the wall, "Cover 'em."
Sasha pulled back the lever of her rifle, reloading the gun, "Tell them to hurry their asses up."
"Get 'er and get back," Rick said solemnly, placing a hand on Daryl's shoulder and ushering him toward the gate.
Daryl took two steps outside before he heard his name being yelled. Turning back he could see Dwight running towards him with a handful of his more experienced shooters.
"You thought I'd let you have all tha' fun?" Dwight snickered as they ran towards the tree line.
"Couldn't afford t'wait," Daryl replied with his eyes trained on Beth.
She was sluggish, barely able to lift her blade, and he knew she was on the verge of collapsing. He yelled for her, but he knew his voice was lost between the shots being fired and the chaos around them. He panicked when he realized she hadn't noticed the walker approaching her from left. He tried hollering for her once more, but his attempts were in vain. She spun at the last minute, throwing the arm covered in the metal brace of her weapon up just in time for the corpse to bite down on her blade.
He willed his legs to move faster, but it suddenly seemed like the more speed he gained, the farther away Beth was from him. The world around him dimmed, engulfing him in darkness, and he forced himself to push harder. He could see that she was losing the battle. She was exhausted and the only thing keeping the walker at bay was a thin slice of metal.
He could no longer hear the bullets whizzing past him or Dwight's voice giving orders. There was only complete silence. He tried to scream for her, but his words stayed lodged in his throat. He wasn't covering any distance. It was as if he was running in place and Beth was just out of reach. His eyes widened as Beth's arm gave way to the teeth gnashing on her machete. His vision turned crimson as the walker tore into her throat.
A scream pierced the air.
…
Daryl shot up in his bed. A scream erupted from his lips as he fumbled to get the sheets off of him and clambered up his bed, into the wall. His chest heaved and he was covered in a light sheen of sweat. He could feel his heart thudding against his chest as his eyes darted frantically around the room. Once obtaining his surroundings, he let his muscles go lax when he realized it had all been a dream.
Burying his face in his hands, Daryl tried to get his breathing under control. The sun was filtering through his window, but from its height in the sky as it peeked over the roofs of the houses, he calculated that it had only been a few hours since he'd returned home. He knew he should try to get a few more hours of sleep, but after his most recent nightmare, he grimaced at the thought.
His night had continued as usual after Beth left. He'd eaten a quick meal, taken a shift along the wall until the early hours of the morning, and then dragged his feet home where he'd collapsed on his bed, still in his clothes. While immune to his own scent, he couldn't help but notice the subtle hint of an aroma he had never thought he'd smell again, each time he inhaled. Beth had slept in his bed the past three days, so it should have come as no surprise that her fragrance permeated his sheets, but he'd found himself breathing in deeply nonetheless. He'd been able to fall asleep with an unfamiliar sort of ease and had hoped for a dreamless slumber. However his dreams had taken a new turn, replaying the recent events of the herd attack and manipulating them into his worst fear; he had once again been too late to save her in his dream.
A knock on his door suddenly caught his attention and Daryl sighed. Running his hands through his hair, he got out of bed and sluggishly removed his clothes from the previous day. Knowing Dwight was the only one brave, or stupid enough to wake him so early, he languidly gathered a new set of garments. Once dressed in a clean pair of pants, he grabbed a stained, gray t-shirt and shuffled down the hall as another set of knocks persisted. Opening the door, not bothering to put on his shirt, Daryl was blinded by the early morning sunshine.
"Dwight, man," rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms, Daryl grumbled, "you gotta' stop waking me up so early when I got night shift."
When no reply came, he blinked his eyes open to see not Dwight, but Morgan standing on his porch.
"Sorry for callin' on you so early in tha' mornin'," Morgan said politely, but his body language exuded anxiety.
"Nah. 'S okay," Daryl pushed the hair out of his eyes and stood a little straighter, "What's goin' on?"
"Is Beth here?" Morgan cut right to the chase.
"No," Daryl shook his head.
"Damn," Morgan ran a hand over his face, "She musta' snuck off again."
"What happened?" Daryl asked while quickly slipping on his shirt as he grabbed his crossbow by the front door and stepped out on the porch.
"Last night," Morgan sighed, "Apparently things didn't go as well as I'd hoped they would. I woke up an' Beth wasn't anywhere t'be found."
"You check around?" Daryl questioned as he scanned the community with sharp eyes.
"Yeah," Morgan nodded, "She ain't here."
Daryl clenched his jaw. Beth was still recovering from the last time she had ventured outside the walls. With his nightmare still weighing on his mind, Daryl felt as anxious as Morgan looked.
"She's been…sneakin' out," Morgan's tone dropped quiet enough for only Daryl to hear.
"I know" Daryl admitted smoothly
Morgan nodded and further explained, "When this place gets t'be too much for her, she sometimes runs off somewhere. She won't tell me where she goes though. She knows I'd go after her if she did," he sighed deeply, "I'm gonna' start lookin' in tha' woods and-"
"I'll find 'er," Daryl declared, cutting him off.
"I'm partly responsible for her runnin' off," Morgan countered, "I can't ask you t'risk yourself goin' out there."
"She'd never forgive herself if soemthin' happened t'you," Daryl retorted, "'Sides, I know tha' area better'n you."
Morgan dropped his head, "Thank you."
Daryl patted the man's shoulder and moved around to walk down the steps of his porch before Morgan stopped him once more.
"When you find her…will you tell her somethin' for me?" He asked still standing on the porch.
Daryl's eyebrows drew together in confusion.
"Tell her…choices, chances, and changes," he continued vaguely, "She'll know what I'm talkin' 'bout."
"Alright," Daryl agreed, "I'll let 'er know."
Morgan gave a faint smile and with the conversation over, Daryl moved towards the gates of Alexandria.
…
He traveled through the woods, stepping over the twice dead bodies, as he advanced towards his deer stand. He stayed low to the ground, keeping his footsteps silent while maneuvering through the trees and around the underbrush. He had counted at least a dozen bodies along the way. Had circumstances been different, he would feel more impressed instead of trepidation at the knowledge that Beth had been out here, by herself, fighting for her life.
Stepping lightly on the fallen leaves, Daryl was slightly surprised to see the dead around the tree in which his deer stand had been built were already neatly piled together. Only two people knew where his hideaway was located, Rick and Dwight, but he obviously needed to add one more name to that list. He wasn't sure if he should be angry or relieved when he saw tendrils of golden hair peeking around the tree, but he decided to just be content with the fact that he'd found her uninjured.
"Morgan send you?" Her voice floated through the air.
"He told me you had snuck out again," Daryl admitted, "but I came lookin' for you on my own."
Daryl saw a flash of blue as she looked down at him, "How'd you find me?"
Daryl smirked and began climbing the short, wooden boards he'd nailed in the tree to act as a ladder, "You happen t'be sittin' in my deer stand."
"It's nice up here," she murmured, turning her gaze back to the morning sun.
"Why I picked this spot t'build it," Daryl agreed, stepping onto the small wooden deck.
Beth scooted over, revealing half of the wooden board he used as a seat, and Daryl carefully sat down beside her. Daryl felt apprehensive being so close to her. He'd carried her back to Alexandria, depositing her in the infirmary so that the town doctor could give her a once over, but he hadn't had time to focus on the warmth of her skin or how much he'd missed the way she smelled. Sitting next to her now, he recognized everything.
"You gonna' ask me why I'm here?" She broke the silence first.
"You gonna' tell me?" He countered, leaving the direction of the conversation to what she felt like revealing.
Beth sighed and Daryl held his breath. It had been over a week since Beth had reappeared in his life, but he still relished in the sound of her breathing. Breathing meant she was alive and he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he hadn't lost her…not completely.
"Maggie wants me t'go with them to Hilltop," Beth disclosed impassively.
"Figured she'd ask as much," Daryl replied sourly.
"You coulda' given me a heads up," Beth grumbled.
"Whadn't my place," he glanced at her.
"It's not mine either," Beth breathed, "She may be related t'me by blood, but she's a complete stranger. She's not my family."
Daryl may not have cared much for Maggie after the situation with Beth, but if their conversation last night had gone anything like this, he could only imagine how the older Greene had taken it.
"Morgan agreed to whatever I decided," Beth sagged against him.
"Course he did," Daryl leaned his elbows on his knees, subtly supporting her weight, "He wants what's best for ya'."
"Leavin' me t'discuss this sort of stuff with complete strangers when he knows that I'm not good with people?" Beth glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.
Daryl smirked.
Sighing, Beth continued, "I know he wanted to give me some privacy with Maggie and didn't want me t'feel pressured with him bein' there or whatever, but he already knew what my answer would be tha' moment they discussed it with him."
"And what's your answer?" Daryl asked in an even tone.
"I'm not goin' anywhere," Beth said with a finality that made Daryl's chest swell.
They sat in silence for a few moments, absorbing the tranquility around them, and breathing in the cool morning air. It had rained during the night, covering the ground with a layer of mist, making everything seem iridescent in the rays of the sun.
"Morgan wanted me t'give you a message," Daryl's voice rumbled from how quietly he spoke.
Beth looked at him expectantly.
"He said t'remember choices, chances, and changes," he rambled the words out awkwardly.
Beth rolled her eyes.
"He said you'd know what it meant," he added, even more confused by her reaction than the message.
"Oh I know exactly what it means," she muttered, "He's such a stubborn old man."
Daryl didn't want to ask, but he was curious as to what this private conversation he had relayed to her meant. She must have been able to read his expression because as her shoulders sagged dejectedly she elaborated.
"Morgan has these…sayings," Beth explained after a moment of thought, "about life."
Daryl remained silent and waited for her to continue.
"He called it 'The three C's in Life; choices, chances, and changes. He told me that 'we've all got t'make hard choices in life, but you have t'make a choice to take 'ah chance or your life will never change.' In other words," she drawled, "he's suggesting I take a chance…no a risk, and leave him behind t'go with my 'sister.' He's all about making sure I don't have any regrets. Says he has plenty enough for tha' both of us."
"Sounds like somethin' your old man said t'Rick once," Daryl looked from Beth down to his hands, "Said that everything we do in this world, we risk our lives, but tha' only thing we can choose is what we're riskin' it for."
"Sounds like my dad and Morgan would've gotten along," Beth laughed softly.
"Two old geezers tradin' wise man's tales," Daryl smirked.
"We're supposed t'respect our elders," Beth smiled, sitting upright and nudging him with her shoulder.
Daryl's breath left his lungs in a rush. For a split second, she had sounded exactlylike his Beth and her smile was the same she had given him a thousand times.
"That's what Morgan said anyway," she continued, oblivious to his reaction, "I've never been very good at it though,"
Taking a deep breath, Daryl snorted, "Yeah, me neither."
Silence resumed between them and Daryl pushed off of his knees and leaned back to rest his head against the rough bark of the tree.
"Do you mind…" Beth's voice trailed off.
"Hmm?" Daryl's rough voice hummed.
"You mind sharin' your tree stand?" She inquired hesitantly.
"Nah. You're welcome to it," Daryl blinked up at the fading leaves still attached to the branches above them, "I've gotta' make some adjustments though."
"Adjustments?" Beth's questioned beside him.
"Yeah," Daryl sat up and met her gaze, "Seat big enough for tha' both of us an' a few more support beams to hold our weight."
"You tryin' t'say something?" Beth's tone took a mischievous lilt.
"Yeah," Daryl smirked, "Twenty foot drop would hurt like a bitch if this thing fell out from under us."
"I'm sure it would," Beth's voice had lost its playful undertone.
Clearing his throat, realizing the sun was much higher in the sky than when he'd arrived, Daryl knew they needed to get back.
"I told Morgan I'd find you," Daryl informed her.
"And you did," she turned her eyes away from the sky to look at him, "but I suppose you're expectin' me t'go back with you?"
"'Less you want t'attract more attention to yer' sneakin' out. People were wonderin' how you got through the gates," Daryl replied, "Rick's pretty proud of our walls and it'll be my ass if he finds out we got someone not only sneakin' out, but also back in without anybody noticin'."
"I think I caused enough trouble the other day," Beth sighed.
"You done better than our scouts," Daryl murmured as he began climbing down his makeshift ladder.
He waited for Beth to begin climbing down; his hands hovered as she neared the ground in case she fell, and once they were both back on Earth, they began making the trek back to the Safe Zone.
"Thanks," she said beside him as they moved through the trees, "for listenin' to me and not sayin' anything."
"It's no big deal," Daryl shrugged his shoulders.
"T'me it is," Beth said so quietly that he almost didn't catch it.
Daryl was trying to think of a reply when she continued.
"I can see why I liked you," she looked up at him, "when I knew you before."
Daryl kept his face neutral and turned away, feeling exposed until her scrutiny.
"You wouldn't be sayin' that if you remembered how much of 'ah piece of shit I was when I met you," Daryl admitted bitterly.
"Guess it's a good thing I don't remember then," he could hear the smile in her voice and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips.
"I suppose so," he finally glanced at her and was met with the same smile he'd seen in the deer stand.
As they got closer to the clearing, Beth stopped, and realizing she was no longer walking beside him, Daryl twisted around curiously.
"I gotta' go this way," she motioned toward the bushes beside her, "Otherwise they'll see me crossin' the field.
Daryl nodded, making a mental note of where she was crossing, "Alright."
"I'll go find Morgan, explain things t'Maggie. Mind if I bring my machete over later?" She asked, "If you still wanna' help me replace the lining?"
"Sure. I ain't gotta' do nothin' until this evenin' so just come by whenever," Daryl agreed with a nod.
"'Kay," she gave a small smile, "I'll see you later then."
He watched her maneuver down the path she'd created and once she was out of sight, he turned and exited the woods. When the gates of Alexandria came into view, he scanned the clearing for any sign of Beth, but there were no traces of her anywhere. Smirking, he trudged through the dry, dying weeds and eventually stepped onto the road made by the wagon's that came and went between communities.
Although the day had begun as a nightmare, he wasn't disappointed with the way it had ended. He'd found Beth, being able to keep his word to Morgan, spent the morning in one of his favorite places with someone who seemed to appreciate it as much, if not more, than he did, and even had arrangements to meet with her again after she'd finished up her family business.
Entering the gates and walking down the dirt path toward his home, Daryl glanced around the community that he had helped Rick shape. He passed by Dwight's house, waving as Sherry tended to her yard, and catching Dwight at the gate.
"You know," his second in command began, "one of these days you're not gonna' come back from outside those walls."
"I'll worry about that when it happens," Daryl replied smugly.
"Yeah and your ass will be leavin' me with a shit ton of extra work," Dwight sneered, "It's dangerous out there. I sure hope your lil' excursions are worth tha' risk."
Daryl looked back toward the gates, a small smile gracing his lips, "Yeah. They're worth it."
Sighing, Dwight patted his arm a few times, "Rick's got info on Byron. I told him I'd let you know when I saw ya'."
"I'll swing by 'fore I go home," Daryl replied, swatting Dwight's arm away.
"Alright man," Dwight turned back toward his yard, "I'll catch you later."
Daryl grunted a reply and proceeded down the road.
Dwight's words echoed in his thoughts. Daryl had a huge amount of responsibility to the people of Alexandria. His trips outside the wall were a risk, but a necessary one for his sanity. There were so many things that were out of his control and it had only gotten worse when the world fell into chaos. However, it was just as Hershel had said; nothing in life ever came without taking some sort of risk.
'The only thing you can choose is what you are risking it for...'
...
A/N: I used a combination of 2 quotes in this chapter during the scene when Beth explains Morgan's message to her through Daryl.
The first quote is: "The 3 C's of Life: Choices, Chances, Changes.You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change." - Unknown.
The second quote is an altered version of: "You step outside, you risk your life. You take a drink of water, you risk your life. And nowadays you breathe, and you risk your life. Every moment now...you don't have a choice. The only thing you can choose is what you are risking it for. Now, I can make these people feel better and hang on a little bit longer. I can save lives. And that's enough reason to risk mine." - Hershel to Rick and Maggie in season 4 episode 3: Isolation.
Also, I know Morgan isn't THAT much older than Daryl…well…actually I don't. We don't know exactly how old Daryl is, but Morgan IS quite a bit older according to the websites I scoured. I'd even go as far as to say he's a bit older than Rick. Plus with everything Morgan has been through, it would age him mentally more so than physically. So I'm going to guesstimate he's probably at least a decade older and that gives Daryl plenty of room to joke about Morgan being an 'old geezer.'
As I said, I haven't been feeling great the past week, so I hope that doesn't reflect in my writing! Leave me some feedback and let me know what you thought about the chapter! XOXO