AN: Thank you so much to all of you who are sticking with me. I know this slow burn is really dragging on but I need it to happen that way. Trust me when I say, it will be worth it. I have the whole thing mapped out in my mind and it will be fun.

As always, thank you so much to those who reviewed last chapter! I was so excited to see so much feedback! And I'm almost to 100 reviews! That makes my day! Shout outs to DarylDixon'sLover, Carowen, sillymommy2010, 2 lazy 2 sign in, Trixieviv, 2carlaa, heatherrk, BetaGirl09, rckyfrk (who also reviewed a quiet a few others as well today lol) and C.I. TigerFan. You're feedback keeps me going!

Chapter 12

Rain pounded against the window and the wind howled around the seven story building making it sound like a hurricane was ripping its way through Atlanta. Beth's body kicked and fought the sheets that wrapped around her as the visions behind her eyes haunted her to the core. She prayed to wake but her eyes wouldn't open. It was a dream she had had before but it never felt this real before. She would normally see him as a figure in the shadows and he would chase her into some room and attack her. But she'd always wake up at that point.

This time, there was nothing she could do as she fought the weight of the body on top of her as instantly as the nightmare began. She could smell his breath on her face and feel his lips on her neck. His hands ghosted across her skin as she tried to fight him off. He grabbed her wrists and held them above her head exposing her stomach and the tip of her new tattoo. He looked down at her exposed skin and growled.

"We can't have that there." He sneered. She fought the ropes that were suddenly and unexplainably wrapped around her wrists and ankles as she watched him pull a knife from his pocket. "This needs to go." She watched in horror as he brought the blade to her skin and she could feel it pierce her. She screamed as he cut the area around and under the ink. The pain was excruciating and there was nothing she could do to escape it.

Why wasn't she waking up?

"Beth! Beth!" She heard his voice over her screams and the sudden clap of thunder sent her reeling out of her bed and smack into his chest. Tears ran down her eyes as she realized she was finally free from the nightmare she had suffered. "What happened?" Daryl was here and Zach wasn't. She felt the dull phantom ache on her hip and quickly flung the covers off of her body to flip on the lamp beside the bed.

When her eyes adjusted to the light she pulled down her shorts and frantically looked over the tattoo and found nothing but the ink Daryl has to meticulously put there days ago.

"Beth?" Daryl's voice was soft and she turned back to him, her eyes frantically searching to make sure he was real and this wasn't more of the dream. Another clap of thunder sent her straight into his chest again as she let out a sob. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before she felt him awkwardly putting his hands on her elbows, clearly not knowing what else to do.

"It was so real. He had me and he was… he was trying to…" She couldn't finish though the hiccups. "He saw that tattoo and tried to cut it off. The pain… there was so much pain. It was so real." Her words were muffled against his chest but he seemed hear her clearly.

"Wasn't real." She could tell he was trying to sooth her and she was grateful but she couldn't shake the fear that Zach was waiting in the other room or just outside her home. They stayed that way for a few moments. She felt the comfort his body provided and her tears finally started to slow. "He ever… ya know?" He tried to ask her. She looked up from his chest and shook her head.

"Grabbed me a few times but no, nothing like the dream." Daryl nodded.

"Y'all right?" She sniffed a few times and he grabbed a tissue from her nightstand and handed it to her with a tap on her hand. She took it with a weak smile and wiped at her face and nodded weakly.

"I don't like to cry." She muttered sheepishly. "Sorry I woke you."

"Nah, I was awake." She started to lie back on the bed and Daryl rose to leave. "Better let ya rest." He murmured. She shot up quickly and grabbed his wrist.

"No, please." She couldn't miss the look of panic on his face if she had tried. Another crash of thunder echoed off the walls causing her to jump. "Can you… stay?" His eyes looked everywhere but at her.

"Don't think that's a good idea."

"Please. Just until I fall back asleep then you can go if you want. I just… I don't want to be alone right now." He shifted uncomfortably before her for a few minutes and she dropped her hand and looked down. Fresh tears started to fall at the realization that he was going to reject her and she'd be alone with that nightmare all over again. With him here she felt stronger and more capable of fighting this demon but that was fleeting right before her eyes.

"Move over." He grunted. Her eyes shot up in surprise and she felt rooted in place. "Well, ya want me to stay or not? Move over." That shook her into scooting over to give him room in the bed next to her. She got closer to the far edge and watched him pull the covers back up over her and lie down on top of them. He reached over and flipped off the light and looked up at the ceiling.

She mimicked his movements but suddenly became very aware of the man lying in bed next to her. Since the first day she met him in that dingy little bar she was instantly attracted to him. He was rugged and strong. He didn't seem to be afraid of anything at first sight. But now, she'd started to notice fear in his eyes and she wondered if it was because of Zach. The thought of Daryl being afraid of him only made her heart rate soar and her breathing come in short gasps. She could feel the bed shift while she kept her eyes clenched tight and tried to concentrate on controlling the panic surging through her body.

"You're gunna hyperventilate if ya don't stop." She tried to nod in understanding but couldn't. "I'm gunna count to five. Need ya to inhale on one and exhale on five. Think ya can do that?" She opened her eyes and saw just how close his face was to hers. She wanted to acknowledge him but she couldn't. Her eyes were fixed on what she could see of his face in the dark and it did nothing to calm her nerves. "One" She did her best to take a deep breath but her chest felt like it would explode. "Two, three," she couldn't go any further and exhaled. He started counting again and again she could only make it to three. "Keep trying."

A few more tries and she was breathing deeply as he instructed and exhaling when she was asked. Her heart no longer felt like it was going to explode in her chest and she felt the exhaustion of the panic attack take over. He lay back down on his back with an arm thrown over his forehead.

"Thanks. Where'd you learn that?"

"Nowhere special." His voice was flat as he responded. "Get some sleep." He ordered.

"Goodnight." She rolled over on her side to face away from him and felt the tug of sleep pull at her almost instantly. If she had to guess, she was asleep within minutes regardless of the man next to her and all of her curiosities surrounding him.

The next morning her eyes fluttered open and she was shocked to see that she had, at some point in the night, shifted and was now using his shoulder as a pillow and her hand was resting on his chest. She was also surprised to find his hand resting on hers as if holding a little piece of her to him. She tried to sit up slowly and extract herself without waking him but she failed and he stretched as he woke casually, completely unaware of the situation they had found themselves in during the night. His arms extended out above his head and the left one smacked her in the face. He looked shocked at the unexpected contact and jumped up off the bed faster than she'd ever seen anyone move. She looked down as a blush formed over her features and rubbed her cheek. She was trying hard not to laugh at how clumsy that had been.

"Sorry" they both mumbled at the same time. Beth couldn't contain herself any longer and despite her embarrassment, she began to laugh hysterically.

"Think somethin's funny?" She waved her hands in front of her wave trying to signal no, nothing was funny, but her body betrayed here and more giggles erupted from her mouth. Once she was finally able to regain control over herself and after taking several stern glares from the man before her she began to explain.

"I'm sorry, but I've never seen anyone move that fast in my life. You looked like you'd been electrocuted or somethin'." Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes but they were welcomed in this situation.

"Guess your cheek is fine then." She nodded and smiled up at him. "Well now that ya got to laugh at me, I'll be going." He turned and stomped out of her room leaving Beth with a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tried to run after him but she heard the front door slam and he was gone. She wanted to go after him but her laughter had offended him. She thought it best to just let him cool off.

The rest of the day was spent talking to Michonne, Maggie, and Glenn about what had happened last night. They were furious that they weren't told about it when it happened but she had assured them that everything was fine and she, Rick, and Daryl had it under control. She left out the part about the nightmare and her unconventional pillow this morning, though. She might be blonde but she was not stupid.

After a bit of arguing they let it drop and began to finalize the plans to leave for New York. They were all leaving tomorrow morning, Maggie included for the first few days anyway, on a non-stop flight to JFK International Airport. Michonne had wanted to get Daryl to come over and go over the schedule but Beth had insisted she not bother him with a lame excuse that he probably didn't sleep well on her couch. Michonne reluctantly agreed to fill him in on the way with a skeptical look that sent a flush through Beth's face. She cursed the fact that she couldn't like worth a damn but she was grateful that she let it go.

They spoke for another hour or so about when she needed to be where and how they were going to keep it as low key as possible so no unexpected guests showed up. Maggie was giddy with excitement about spending the weekend in New York and demanded time with her sister to shop. Beth would be lying if she said she wasn't excited as well. She'd never been to New York, let alone done three gigs in two weeks there. She was ready for things to get moving and praying to God it all went smoothly.

Michonne excused herself midday and Glenn left to get some work done. Maggie insisted on Beth sitting for remainder of the afternoon. Beth had rolled her eyes at her sister's choice of words but smiled when she suggested they have a sister/movie veg fest. Who could say no to that?

At some point, not long after The Devil Wears Prada, Beth must have fallen asleep on the couch because when she woke it was nearly one in the morning and her home was empty. She found a note on the table from Maggie saying she had gone home to pack and that she had set some alarms to wake her up early enough to get the rest of her things ready to go. She smiled at her sister's thoughtfulness but her eyes shifted to her front door. She wondered what Daryl had done with his day and if he had cooled down some. She contemplated going to see him for what felt like hours before finally resolving to get in her bed assuming he was in bed as well.

She had a blissfully nightmare free night. But she did dream. And the dreams that peaked their way into her subconscious were of strong arms holding her and the feel of her body pressed to his.

AN: I have BIG plans for New York so stick with me to get your Bethyl feels going! Please let me know what you think!