AN: I am so sorry that this took me so long to put up. I wanted to get more written so I could go back and re-read this again before I posted it and with the holidays I just didn't have time. Family in town and what not. Anyway, after this weekend things should pick up. Thank you for the support! I was really excited about all the reviews on the last chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 4

He pulled the curtain down and looked around as everyone seemed too terrified to run. He moved to the bar and called to Dave, "What the hell happened?" He shouted over the roaring fire.

"I don't know. One minute everything's fine. The next this."

"We gotta get the people out the back." Dave nodded and rushed around to get the patrons attention and usher them out the back. Emilia was by his side in a matter of seconds to help him. Daryl turned back to the parlor and reached for Beth. "Let's go. The place is up in flames." She grabbed her purse and followed closely behind him, though not by choice since he grabbed hold of her wrist and wasn't letting go. People filed out of the bar, some staggering and confused, other in tears and screaming but all seemingly unharmed none the less. Once Daryl was sure everyone was clear of the building he turned to look Beth over. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion. She looked like she was going into shock.

"Who could have done this?" Emilia questioned in between coughs.

"Karen said she saw someone she'd never seen before pacing in front of the bar about an hour ago." Dave said to no one in particular. Daryl looked around for anyone he didn't recognize. Everyone that had exited the bar had been regulars and he knew most of them by name. Beth's hand squeezed his arm tightly and he looked down to her.

She looked like she had just seen a ghost. He followed her gaze and saw the man from the photo Glenn had handed him so many months ago staring right at them. Zach. That fucking bastard.

Without thinking, he removed Beth's hand from his arm, pushed her back to Dave, and took off after the kid. He could barely recognize Beth's voice screaming at him and Dave yelling after her. As soon as Zach saw Daryl's advances he turned and ran as well. Zach darted down alleys in between buildings trying to lose Daryl but it wasn't working. Daryl was fast and he knew this area well. He was gaining on him and quick. Zach shot glances back every now and again and seemed to notice this as well. He ran back up another alley and into the Rite Aid on the corner several blocks over. No one seemed to notice the pursuit as everyone was watching the bar burn down with cell phones out.

Zach zipped up and down the different isles and pulled items off the shelves as he went in an attempt to slow Daryl down but it didn't work. Daryl jumped and dodged the items flying off the shelves. Zach was running himself into a corner and was too stupid to realize it. Daryl leapt forward as he was turning at the end of the isle and grabbed Zach by his arm causing him to fall hard to the ground. Daryl wasted no time in jumping on the kid and connecting his fist with Zach's nose. Blood poured from it but Zach didn't grab for it on instinct as had been expected. Instead, as Daryl drew back to hit him again, Zach reached for something on the ground next to him. It was a can of some sort and Zach used an unexpected amount of force to smash it against Daryl's head causing him to fall to his left off of his target. Daryl jumped up at the same time as Zach, his hand coming from his head with no signs of blood. His eyes darted back to Zach and he wasn't anticipating the kid to turn on him with a gun in his face.

"Ya gunna point that thing in my face you best go ahead and pull the trigger." Zach's hand shook and his eyes darted around quickly. Daryl just stared at him. "Come on kid. What's it gunna be?" He taunted. Daryl saw his muscles tighten as Zach pulled the gun back and swung the butt in Daryl's direction. At the same moment he flinched Daryl tried to intercept the gun and slipped on the debris on the ground causing the gun to hit him right in the jaw just as he regained himself. Zach used the opportunity to turn and dart away and in the time it took Daryl to recover and run out of the building the kid was lost in a crowd of people that formed. "Fuck." He muttered as he made his way back to the bar.

The fire was raging as he walked up to it. The fire department had arrived and directed everyone from the back of the bar to the front though another alley way a ways down from the threatening blaze. The bar was gone. The parlor was gone. His job was gone.

He looked around for Beth but didn't see her. Dave was talking to a police officer and he didn't care that he was interrupting his statement.

"Where's Beth?"

"Michonne took her to a car." Dave motioned down the street where the black sedan sat running. Daryl took off towards the vehicle, his feet moving him before his mind could catch up. As he approached she got out of the car and ran to him while a dark skinned woman with braided hair followed quickly behind her.

"Oh my god, you're hurt!" She screamed as her hand came up to his jaw. He didn't even realize he was bleeding until he saw it on her fingers.

"S'fine. Zach got away. Pulled a gun on me." She started to cry. He stood there awkwardly as she did while Michonne put an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry!" She gasped between sobs.

"You must be Daryl." The other woman regarded him momentarily. Daryl nodded. "Michonne. The prick is getting bolder. He's never done anything like this before."

"What's he done before?" She took off her jacket and wrapped it around Beth's lithe body and turned back to Daryl.

"Showed up at hotels, slashed tires so he could try and get her alone, sent a lot of threatening letters to me and Glenn. We just assumed he was all talk."

"Clearly not." Daryl grunted.

"I've gotta talk to Glenn about getting more protection for her." Michonne pulled out a cell phone and began typing on it. Daryl looked over Beth who now seemed slightly more composed but just barely. She still looked as though a twig snap would set her off again.

"Ya'll right?" He asked for the second time that night. She nodded weakly as she wiped at her eyes trying to catch the tears as they slipped over her lower lids and looked up at him.

"I can't believe you just chased after him like that." Michonne looked over the two for a moment and went back to typing.

"He burnt down the bar an' put everyone in danger." He stopped and ran a hand roughly through his hair, clearly aggravated. "Shouldn'ta gotten away."

"Just adding this place to another one of the cities he has warrants out for his arrest in." Michonne's dry humor was lost on them both.

"It's not your fault, Daryl." Beth placed a hand on his arm as she moved closer to him. As soon as she touched him she retracted her hand. Not because he flinched at her contact but because she looked terrified. "Do you think he's still watching?" Her eyes darted around looking at as many faces as she could.

"He's gone. Kid nearly shit himself when I punched him in the face." Despite herself, Beth couldn't help but smile as she gasped.

"You punched him?" Daryl smirked.

"Right before he pistol whipped me. Bastard is getting an ass beating if I ever catch up with him." Beth started to respond but Michonne walked back over.

"So, Daryl. What do you plan on doing now that the bar is gone?" His head snapped towards the woman with a glare in his eyes. "I mean seein' as how you don't have a job now." That shot fire through Daryl as he turned on the woman. She seemed to be relishing in the fact that he was now unemployed, his friend's business was burnt to the ground, and all while she was likely supposed to be watching out for this asshole.

"And just where were you when this bastard was burning down the bar? Some guard you are if you didn't even see him pacing the place!" Daryl got right up to her face as he spat accusations at her. "Got witnesses putting him outside of the bar an hour ago! Ya shoulda seen him!"

"I told her to go get some dinner and be back in a few hours. I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to me." Beth yelled as she stepped between the two. Michonne stayed quiet, a smirk on her face.

"How'd you like to help us?" Daryl's expression turned to one of confusion. "Help us until we get this little punk locked up. Beat the shit out of him first if you'd like. I'll look the other way. Then you can return to your hill billy town and help them rebuild."

"You're outta your damn mind woman." Daryl laughed as he started to turn away from them. He caught the sight of utter panic on Beth's face as he did and he felt instant remorse causing him to stop.

"Daryl, please?" Beth's voice was but a whisper. "I felt safe in there with you tonight. Please?" Her eyes were wide and scared and her breathing was slightly labored and rapid. He seemed to instantly drown in the deep blue pools and suddenly her fear was his. He didn't know how it happened. After what Zach had just done, Daryl was afraid he would not stop until she was his or dead. He'd tried to kill her and everyone around her tonight. He was armed and could take a shot at her at any moment. He'd been around desperate people in his past. He knew what they would do when they felt like they couldn't sink any further and how far they could go to get what they want. He'd watched people die over a single hit of poorly made meth.

"Fine." Her eyes closed with a sigh but her body began to shake. "You're going into shock. Ya need to sit down." He grabbed her waist while opening the car and pushed her in. He turned and looked at Michonne. "There's a store on the corner, go get her somethin' sweet to drink. 7up or something." The woman nodded and jogged away. "Beth, look at me." She shifted her eyes to him but they were nearly blank and empty. He remembered seeing his ma like this a time or two when he was a kid. He cupped his hand to her cheek and tried again. "Beth, c'mon girl! Wake up!"

Michonne ran back over and handed Daryl the pop. He thanked her as he unscrewed the cap at brought it to her mouth. "Beth, I need ya to take a drink." Her mouth opened slightly and he tilted her head back while he poured the liquid past her lips. He watched her swallow and after a few more gulps the shaking seemed to slowly ease. Her breathing was still rapid and shallow but started to regulate. "Come on, girl. I need ya to look at me." A few moments passed and her eyes finally flicked back to his and dilating relatively normal again.

"I'm ok." She whispered weakly. He nodded and turned to Michonne.

"Ya need to get her to rest." Michonne eyed him skeptically.

"For a redneck, you seem to know how to respond to someone in psychological shock all too well."

"Been 'round it enough ya pick up a thing or two." He turned and looked back at the car. Beth was starting the sway slightly, probably exhausted and slightly dizzy. "Make sure she drinks the rest of this." Michonne nodded as Daryl turned to walk back to the bar.

"We can't stay in the hotel tonight like we planned. Not sure where we can go." Michonne called after him. Daryl groaned as his mind connected the dots to the only logical solution.

"I got a cabin twenty minutes from here. Let me finish up with the cops an' I'll take ya there." Michonne nodded in approval and jumped in the car. Beth offered a small smile and closed the door as he turned away from them. Running a hand down his face he muttered "what the hell are ya doin' Dixon?"

Do I hear Whitney Houston playing in the background? I kid, I kid! But seriously, there's a little box right below this where you can tell me what you think!