Chapter 6: Chapter 6
A/N - New year and new chapter! If people are still interested in following this please let me know. I haven't update for a while after the MSF! But I am still excited to explore my own version of Beth and Daryl, (where she doesn't get kidnapped at the funeral home:)
Beth cursed slightly as she felt herself going over on her bad ankle again.
Steadying herself on the nearest tree, she took a deep breath, adjusting the straps on her heavy backpack weighed down with cans and bottles taken from the funeral home.
"You alright?" Daryl questioned, glancing sideways at the young blonde.
Beth just nodded in response, regaining her breath. She had convinced Daryl, badly, that she was okay again. But she could still barely put any weight on her swollen ankle.
Daryl wasn't stupid, he could see Beth wasn't in a fit state to be trekking through the woods. But he hadn't been too happy at the thought of her staying alone back at the big old creepy house that they'd been staying in either.
He'd made the decision; they had to stake the surrounding area out properly. He had an uneasy feeling there were other survivors close by, at the very least there had been someone else staying in the funeral home until very recently.
So, whether they were good or bad, Daryl wanted to make sure he and Beth were fully prepared when they encountered whoever else might be lurking around.
He hadn't said anything to Beth, but the night he had discovered the kittens, Daryl was sure he had seen a mysterious black car speed by in the distance. Now that he'd had the chance to sleep on it, he wanted to check for tracks or any other clues that might lead to finding out who was around and who had been staying at the house before they had got there.
"Hey, look, she's still following us," Beth suddenly exclaimed, looking back to see a flash of black fur and two bright green eyes peering out from underneath some long overgrown patches of grass.
Daryl frowned, looking back. It was the same small cat that had appeared out of no-where earlier that morning in the bedroom.
"It'll turn back soon," he mumbled.
They had come across many wild animals on their journey, but there was just something about this particular little feline that was different. She was special, a fighter.
"You think we should do something?" Beth said softly, still propping herself up against the same tree.
"Nah, we aint got time to be worryin about that," Daryl snapped back a little irritated. Not wanting to let on to Beth that he was just as concerned about their new little friend getting lost in the woods as she was.
He had spent a good thirty minutes playing with the kitten earlier back at the house whilst Beth had been getting cleaned up and he knew getting too friendly had probably been a mistake, that was most likely the reason that the little cat was shadowing them now.
"We gotta keep going," he said gruffly, marching forwards.
Hobbling on, Beth reluctantly followed him, a slight air of tension falling between them.
She knew Daryl would never abandon her, but something was different between them. He was less friendly, more serious. It was as though his mind was elsewhere.
They still hadn't made any real reference to their kiss either. It was clear Daryl felt uncomfortable about it, but Beth couldn't help but still wonder whether he also regretted it on some level too. If he had simply just been carried away with the moment and now he'd had the chance to focus again, he had realized kissing her like he had, had been a mistake. Just like it appeared he had realized staying together at the funeral home now, would be a mistake.
But despite that, there had been something unspoken between them the previous night when they had slept on the double bed together. Beth felt certain of that. They may have slept fully clothed. But it had meant something.
Beth had never felt so contented, so secure, so peaceful. She had fallen asleep with her head on his chest and woken to the sound of his heavy breathing next to her.
Taking some comfort in that thought, she carried on walking along in silence next to him.
Approaching a fork in the road, Daryl suddenly slowed down, spinning round and crouching down.
"What is it?" Beth said, catching up to him.
He ignored her at first, deep in concentration, before he mumbled, "Tire tracks, there was a car going past here last night, must have been going at some speed too."
"Oh," Beth replied her mouth falling open, before she said, "You think it could have been whoever was staying at the house?"
"Dunno," Daryl said, standing up, pulling the red rag out of his back pocket to wipe his hands, a grim look appearing on his face.
He knew, the chances of whoever had been in the car being decent, were slim. The tracks were fresh, possibly left the night before and from the looks of it they had been going pretty fast, probably on some sort of mission. Which was never going to be a good.
"You think, maybe, it could be the others? Looking for us?" Beth asked hesitantly, realizing as she said it what a long shot that would be.
Daryl screwed up his face, "Lets follow em, see where they lead," he said in response.
His eyes scanning the long stretch of road ahead, thinking this was as good a clue as they were going to get, right now.
"You carry on, I'll catch ya up," Beth said, realizing she needed a bathroom break that couldn't wait.
"Uh-okay," Daryl replied awkwardly.
His eyes flitting in her direction as the pretty young blonde disappeared out of eyeshot in to the woods.
It was something they'd had to become accustomed to, waiting whilst the other went off alone for private moments. Although Daryl had always ensured to be gentlemanly about it, it still made him feel slightly uneasy and he always made a point of making sure she was never too far away, should she need him.
This time however his mind was focused more on the tracks on the road.
Slowly he made his way further forwards. His eyes fixed on the unusual tire tracks. Until something altogether more concerning suddenly caught his eye. It was the tracks of a group of people on foot, from the size of the prints there were about five or six of them, probably all male. He followed them for a short distance before they abruptly stopped.
Daryl sensed danger, something wasn't right, he thought.
Without even thinking he reached for his crossbow holding it up in the air, hearing a twig snap, adrenaline seeped through him as he stood poised for confrontation.
"Well, look what we have here, an archer," a rough male voice suddenly said and from the direction Daryl was facing, a group of about six men appeared out of the woods. Headed up by a tall older guy, with a long gray beard and straggly graying hair.
Daryl grimaced, he knew their type only too well, trouble. The worst kind of redneck lowlifes you could encounter.
He didn't say anything, just kept his crossbow pointed firmly in the direction of the supposed ring leader.
"Relax, bowman, we aint gonna kill ya," the older guy said, adding with a sly laugh, "Yet."
Daryl felt himself tense up, sensing five of six weapons pointed in his direction. He was outnumbered.
"That is a pretty impressive weapon you have there. I'm willing to bet you're pretty skilled with it too," the rough gray haired man went on to say, raising his eyebrows looking from Daryl to his crossbow.
"Now we could do with a skilled bowman like you in our crew. You're out here all on your own, how about you join us and we don't kill you," he said slowly, chuckling.
"I'm Joe and we're the claimed crew. The way it works, you see something; you claim it. So what do you say bowman? You join us?"
Daryl still didn't respond, keeping his cool, his cross bow raised. He looked in to the other guy's eye, he would have to think fast if the outcome was going to be anything but disastrous for him.
"Why would I wanna do that?" Daryl eventually said in a rough deep voice.
"Safety in numbers, we can share, you offer us what you got, we'll return the favour. You won't have to be walking these paths alone anymore. There are some real loose cannons out here, one guy in particular, a real asshole, we're hunting down at the moment. Tried to kill a few of our guys a little way back. Could do with your help, getting him," Joe answered.
Daryl glanced around at the other men in the group; they were filthy, covered in blood, dirt and sweat. A couple were watching him grinning, whilst the other remaining members looked on scowling in mild suspicion at their leaders negotiations.
Remaining deadly still in the same spot, facing the other men, Daryl felt his body flood with fresh adrenaline.
He was very aware they were currently all under the impression he was out here on his own, without any other people. At least none close by anyway. Beth had been gone a while and Daryl silently hoped she had seen what was going on and would have had the good sense to hide. At least until he had had taken care of the situation.
Although he was doubtful that would happen. He knew exactly what they would do to her if they found her, but he wasn't so sure she would realize that.
He opened his mouth to say something, assessing the situation, Daryl knew he would have to diffuse things somehow. He couldn't do anything too reckless. He was badly outnumbered. He knew that he had no intention of joining the rough looking group of men in front of him. But he would have to think of something, fast.
Before he had the chance to say anything further, his heart sank slightly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Daryl spotted a flash of blonde hair, a green jacket and light blue jeans. It was Beth.
Without turning to look in her direction, he still silently willed her to turn around and run away.
"Daryl, wh-whats going on?" Beth stammered, approaching the group. Looking tentatively around at the scene unfolding in front of her, reaching down for her gun, realizing Daryl's new acquaintances weren't exactly friendly.
Suddenly all eyes were turned away from Daryl in to the direction of the striking looking young blonde girl.
"Well, look like what we have here, boys. We got a young un," Joe said, breaking in to a wide lecherous grin at the sight of Beth.
Beth flinched, feeling very self conscious, sensing everyone's attention was fixed purely on her.
With her heart pounding violently, her fingers curled tightly around the cold gun tucked in to the waist of her jeans. Her startled blue eyes catching Daryl's serious eyes straight on, and she knew it was bad. She looked away and bit down on her lip hard.
"You kept this one quiet. Daryl, was it?" Joe went on to say, grinning some more in Daryl's direction. As Daryl just glared back at him.
The ugly older man took a step closer to Beth, causing her to edge backwards, stumbling slightly in to the path of another one of the 'claimed' group, as she gripped the nearest tree to keep her balance. This group member was slightly younger, but was equally as repulsive, with a dirty face, uneven shaggy beard and several missing teeth.
"Now, after our kindness at sparing your life and offering you a place in our group, you weren't thinking of keeping this little treasure all to yourself were you?" Joe asked Daryl directly.
Daryl remained silent, his eyes narrowing with rage, his arms still holding his crossbow up ready to fire if needed.
Beth winced as she glanced at the disgusting looking man edging closer towards her. His stench filling her nostrils, making it hard for her to breath. She looked towards Daryl, her bright blue eyes pleading with him to do something.
"Leave her alone," Daryl said gruffly.
"Come on now, bowman. It's been a while since these good men have seen a female out here, and this one here is a real beauty. I'm sure you've had your fun with her already, only fair to share." The odious leader said, with a wink in Beth's direction. Making her want to retch.
"The young ones are the best," The stinking man, hovering close to Beth by the tree, said with a smirk.
Causing Daryl to lunge forwards slightly his face full of anger, moving his crossbow in the direction of the man in front of Beth.
"What's your name, blondie?" The foul looking, younger man, said to her. Placing one hand provocatively up against the tree where she was stood, leering and licking his lips.
Beth looked away and down at the ground. "Go to hell," she spat.
"Well, that's not very friendly now is it?" He responded, with an cocky smile, reaching his hand up to touch the loose hair falling on her face with his grubby fingers.
Beth felt her skin crawling, her whole body shaking with fear and repulsion.
She could sense Daryl's rage too, from where he was stood a little way away from her, still pointing his crossbow at the disgusting man in front of her, and she prayed that Daryl wouldn't do anything stupid.
She also prayed he would think of a way out for them fast, or she feared for the worst.
She froze some more as she heard the click of a rifle. Looking up, she saw another of the group members had a weapon pointed directly at Daryl's head.
"Drop it," he said loudly to Daryl.
Daryl knew he was defeated, slowly dropping his crossbow.
As much as it pained him to stand down, he knew he had no choice. Dying out here, wouldn't help Beth.
He could see the fear in her eyes. He knew he had to do something to help her. He couldn't leave her out here with these people.
He sucked in a breath, glaring at the men surrounding the beautiful blonde girl, he knew he would stop at nothing to protect. This situation, had been what he had feared above all else. The reason he had hoped Beth would have stayed hidden. He knew what these men were capable of, the things they would do to her given half the chance, they were animals.
"Tell me your name, bitch. Or your boyfriend dies," the man pressed up against Beth said. Causing a strong wave of nausea to hit her, with the waft of his rancid breath.
"B-beth," she answered, in a quiet voice, her hands shaking some more.
"Well how about it then, Bethy," he said, breaking in to another gappy smile, jerking his rough hands up and under her shirt.
At the sight of the filthy, feral, redneck with his hands on Beth, Daryl snapped.
His survival instincts kicking in, reacting so fast that he took himself by surprise even, as his elbow went up fiercely knocking the rifle pointed at his head straight out of the man to his rights hand.
Reaching down for his crossbow, he had never moved so quickly. In one swift movement he had fired, knocking an arrow clean it in to the back of the head belonging to the man molesting Beth. Blood spurting from his mouth, as he tumbled to the ground away from where he had been taunting her.
Firing again, Daryl quickly managed to take out two of the other men, before they had the chance to retaliate.
Beth acted quickly too, with trembling fingers she lifted her gun, firing at another of the men, stopping him from shooting Daryl, knocking him to the ground.
But before she had the chance to fire again, the fifth man had aimed his weapon clumsily in Daryl's direction, pulling the trigger.
Beth wasn't quite sure whether it had hit Daryl or not as he fell backwards with the pressure.
And everything stopped for Beth.
She looked down stifling a scream, to where Daryl lay on the ground, blood trickling from his side a little.
If anything had happened to him, she didn't know what she would do. She was about to cry out his name and rush over to his side, when she realized there were still two of the bad guys left standing. The younger man that had just tried to shoot Daryl and the older gray haired man, Beth presumed was the leader.
Paralysed with fear, Beth could only watch with horror as the younger man raised his weapon again in a lifeless looking Daryl's direction, and she knew she had to do something.
But before she had the chance to move, the older guy slapped her hard against her cheek bone, causing her to fly backwards. Her gun falling dramatically out of her limp wrist, and instantly the ugly older man had it covered with his foot forcing her to remain frozen to the spot, looking on in dismay.
From where he lay on the ground, Daryl reached out slowly for the discarded rifle from his first tumble with one of the, claimed group members.
Grasping it tightly, he pulled himself up, quickly aiming and firing at the menacing looking guy that had knocked him to the ground moments earlier, taking him by surprise, killing him instantly.
This just left Daryl, and Joe, the leader of the claimed group.
Any hint of the self controlled cockiness, he had displayed earlier had left the older guys face, replaced with a look of pure hatred and all out war. Daryl had successfully taken out all his men and now he was looking for blood.
"You're going to wish you hadn't done that," he yelled, looking Daryl square in the eye, pointing a gun in his direction.
"Because, think about this, after I kill you, it's just gonna be me and her," he said, cocking his head in a terrified Beth's direction.
Daryl was on his feet again. He knew, if he pulled the trigger on the rifle, the older man would probably have just enough time to pull his and shoot him back. Instead he lunged at the mean looking group leader, using his fists to smash in to his face hard, causing them both to plunge to the ground.
Daryl carried on the assault, picking up the older man's head, smashing it to the ground repeatedly, appearing to have the upper hand. Before seemingly from no-where the other man had a blade in his hand, sticking it in to Daryl's side as they rolled over.
"Run, Beth, Run," Daryl yelled breathlessly, in the young blonde's direction.
Beth felt her mouth fly open in terror, before she scrabbled around trying to find her gun on the dirty ground.
Her eyes still on Daryl wrestling with the rough older man. Her heart pounding, as adrenaline and panic rushed through her, realizing Daryl had been injured.
He was still struggling with the other man on top of him.
When suddenly completely out of no-where Beth saw him pick up a big rock, bringing it crashing down on to the disgusting older man's skull, before shoving his lifeless body off him.
Catching his breath, Daryl sat up, checking the other man was definitely not breathing first, before his gaze turned to Beth.
Her face was bleeding and her hair was wild, falling messily around her face, but she was okay.
As their eyes met, she rushed across to where he was still sat, flinging her arms around his neck crushing him slightly as she held him tight, taking comfort from the sensation of his beating heart against her chest through his torn shirt.
Daryl put his hand up to firmly grip the back of her soft blonde hair, holding her head tightly against his neck, breathing out with relief that she was okay.
"You're hurt," Beth said, her eyes wide with concern, as they broke apart and she looked down at Daryl's bloodied shirt.
"I'm okay, I'll live," Daryl mumbled, in a low voice almost a whisper, adding, "It's not done any real damage."
Slowly, Daryl got to his feet. Picking up his crossbow and backpack.
"Come on, best make our way back to the funeral home, we can get cleaned up there," he said, as Beth just nodded.
They both knew, there was food there, and a warm bed, not to mention medical supplies.
...
Propping themselves up against each other, they stumbled back along the path they had walked earlier that day in silence.
Both in shock still.
Until unable to walk anymore, Beth collapsed to her feet.
"I'm sorry," she exclaimed letting out a sigh.
She didn't want to appear to be weak, but she was exhausted, having twisted her ankle even more in the fight she wasn't sure how much further she could physically walk.
Feeling herself going a little faint she closed her eyes, just as she sensed something warm and furry tickling her hand. She opened her eyes to see the same small black kitten from earlier had appeared again.
"She waited for us," Beth exclaimed, a warm smile spreading on her lips, her eyes sparkling.
"Here," Daryl said leaning down offering Beth his hand, pulling her gently to her feet.
Crouching back down to gently stroke the cute little cat under the chin, his eyes lighting up too, as a small smile formed on his lips.
"You want me to carry you?" He said to Beth, his attention still on the cat.
"No, no," Beth said quickly, "You can't do that. You're hurt."
"Aint far, I'm okay," Daryl responded, getting back on his feet.
"You're in no fit state to walk," he muttered, scooping her up in to his strong muscular arms before she could object.
...
Slowly and steadily, with Beth's arms looped around Daryl's neck, they continued to walk back in the direction of the temporary home they had abandoned earlier that day.
Both taking a small comfort from the sight of their small black companion, now trailing along closely by their side too…
A/N - Thanks for reading, please leave a review if you have time :) Next chapter is going to be a good one ;) Things are going to get emotional and start to move of for our favourite couple!