A/N - Thanks everyone for reviewing and following this story. I'm really enjoying updating it. Here is a little treat for y'all. Happy new year! Warning: This chapter is definite M territory!

Daryl glanced backwards to see that Beth had stopped walking. She was standing still on the road, her light blonde hair sparkling in the late afternoon sun.

"You okay?" he muttered, wandering back to where she was stood.

"Yeah, sorry, I just needed to stop a sec," Beth replied, holding her hand to her lower back. They had been walking for hours now, with little food or water and she was exhausted. "You go on, I can catch you up," she added, looking to where the silhouettes of a few of the other members of their group were fading in to the distance. She could only clearly make Carol out now, who was walking slightly slower having baby Judith strapped to her front.

Daryl ignored Beth's request, instead producing a bottle of water from his backpack, handing it to her. "Here," he said in a low but not unkind voice.

Beth waved her hand at him, "Nah, we need to save it, for when we really need it."

"You really need it now," he responded, pressing it in to her palm this time, his hair blowing across his eye with the early evening breeze. His eyes fixed directly on her, full of concern.

"Thanks," Beth said meekly as she slowly unscrewed the top, putting it to her lips to sip.

Daryl continued to watch the young naturally gorgeous blonde stood in front of him. Despite the fact that he had barely had two seconds alone with her over the past few weeks, he still felt responsible for her. He always would.

He couldn't deny that he had been keeping his distance from her again though. It wasn't like last time. He didn't regret the kiss that had taken place between them, however uncomfortable it made him feel now. But everything had turned so crazy, had moved so fast from that point on, that there had scarcely been time to think about it again since. He had realized he needed to focus on other things.

They had raced back to their camp to inform the rest of the group, after their kiss had suddenly been interrupted by the astonishing sight of a large aeroplane flying above them. After which, more and more weird shit had started happening around their group. More aeroplanes had suddenly been popping in to the sky, plus fresh tyre tracks were strangely appearing all over the muddy roads around their camp, and most concerning of all, they had found leaflets scattered around the area covering their camp, stating in bold red text, 'URGENT MESSAGE GO TO YOUR NEAREST TOWN'.

They'd had precisely no clue who was behind it, and it went without saying they were suspicious, but proceeding with extreme caution, Rick had decided they should take to the roads again, try and find vehicles and approach the outskirts of the next town they came in to contact with, so they could investigate what the hell was going on.

With that decision in mind, Daryl knew he had to resume his position in the group as Rick's right hand man. They were counting on him. So any sort of fooling around with Beth was now out of the question. Or so he told himself anyway and he'd kept his distance a little again, whilst still keeping an eye on her from afar.

...

Silently Beth screwed the top back on his bottle, handing it back to him. Indicating with her head she was ready to go on. She knew he had been going slowly waiting for her. She wasn't as fast as some of the others. In a way his concern annoyed her slightly, it was almost as though he thought she was weak still, but in another way she was thankful and happy he had stayed back with her. This was the first time they had been alone in ages.

If she was honest Beth still couldn't quite work Daryl out. He could be so introverted and distant sometimes. She knew he cared about her, a lot. Having completely taken her by surprise, kissing her out of the blue by the river the day he'd saved her from a walker attack, the day they'd first seen the plane. But he had also been pretty hot and cold since. Half the time recently he had almost acted as though she didn't exist even, but then she would catch him staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking, and he had barely left her side since they had taken to the road again earlier that day, despite hardly uttering a word.

As he did up his backpack, Beth drew in a breath working up the courage to confront him about his behaviour towards her. She knew before they went on again, she wanted to clear the air now, she just couldn't bear the atmosphere between them anymore, "Daryl, I – " She said, glancing at him as he looked away and she hesitated.

She opened her mouth to start again, but before she had the chance to continue, he suddenly grabbed hold of her arm firmly, dragging her violently in to the bushes to the side of the road.

"What the.." she started, his grip tightening on her arm, burning her skin as she stopped mid sentence her mouth falling open, her eyes looking out through the camouflage of the trees, resting on the sight of a large army truck in the distance. It was stopped in the middle of the road, a group of about four or five men in army uniforms with large machine guns wandering around by the side of it, two of them forcing what looked like a terrified Carol and baby Judith up and on to it.

"Quick, we gotta do something, now," Beth yelled.

"Ssshhh.." Daryl hissed in a fierce whisper, clamping his rough hand over her mouth.

"Daryl, that's Carol and baby Judith, we gotta go and help them," Beth whispered, wriggling out of his grip, panic flooding her face, adding, "They could have more of our people, Maggie was further up there too. We have to help."

"We will," Daryl said, his face flushing bright red with anger, scarcely able to control himself, everything in him screaming to rush out guns blazing towards the men taking Carol and Judith. But if there was one thing he had learnt from recent times, it was think first and act second. He would more than likely get them all killed if he tried anything reckless like that now. He had his crossbow and a gun, Beth had a gun and a knife, but they would be significantly outnumbered. So he was faced with no choice but to sit back and observe, try and work out where they were going and what they were doing. That way he could wait for the back up of the rest of their group, and that way they might all have a chance.

"They're going. Where are they taking them?" Beth exclaimed as the truck slowly drove off in to the distance.

Daryl stood up, without looking at Beth he said gruffly, "We gotta keep off the roads, there could be more of em.. We'll need to keep to the woods, then further up join the road again and pick up their tracks. The others will be further up there too, we can regroup, warn them."

Beth didn't need to look at his face to know he was worried. If they had taken Carol there had to be a good chance they had taken the rest of their group too. Silently she got to her feet and followed him. This time he made no special consideration for her, marching ahead, his eyes cold and fierce.

They walked on for what seemed like hours, Daryl walking ahead in stony silence, Beth doing her best to keep up with him. She had opened her mouth to speak a few times before thinking better of it after seeing the expression on his surly face. She had found out the hard way that when he was in one of these moods, it was best to leave him alone.

Eventually he slowed down and catching up to him, Beth said hesitantly, "It's going to be dark soon, we need to try and find the others."

"We ain't going to find em tonight,," he mumbled throwing his backpack down on to the ground violently.

"We have to try," Beth pleaded her voice shaking.

"What part of we're not going to find them, don't ya get?" he replied bluntly, before raising his voice even more, saying, "You want to be wandering round the woods in the pitch black all night? Be my guest princes." Before his voice softened slightly and he added, "You need rest."

"You need rest too," Beth snapped back, leaning down, gathering some branches to get a fire started.

"I need to think," he said in a low voice, almost to himself more than anything.

Beth carried on building the fire as another uncomfortable silence fell. She knew Daryl was furious and in a way he blamed himself for not being there to help Carol and Judith. But she wished he wouldn't take it out on her.

….

"You okay?" Daryl eventually mumbled, his voice calmer, looking sideways to where Beth was huddled next to him by the small fire they had managed to get going.

Beth just nodded, pulling her hooded jacket a little tighter around herself as she shivered. The nights were getting colder now with the shifting seasons the further north they were getting. She didn't respond further, she could tell by the way Daryl was looking at her that he felt bad for the way he had treated her earlier, now that he'd had time to cool off a little.

"You cold?" he said, his eyes resting on her slight shivering frame, edging slightly closer to where she was sat, genuine concern etched on his face.

Beth shrugged, she didn't want to admit it but she was freezing, unable to hide her chattering teeth and trembling lower lip. Just as fine droplets of rain started to fall around them. Causing her to shiver even more.

"Here," Daryl said, moving closer towards her, wrapping his arm around her, rubbing her back.

"Thanks," Beth muttered, warming slightly from his body heat. She had craved this kind of comfort from him for months. But right now, although his gesture was well meaning it was very methodical and lacking in any sort of genuine affection or passion, it was purely about survival. It would have been the same had it been Rick, Tyresse or Glenn that she had been stranded out here with.

"Can't build the fire up anymore, don't want to attract too much attention," he mumbled as he continued to lightly rub her back.

"How have we got back here?" Beth suddenly blurted out, shaking her head, allowing a small laugh to escape her lips with the irony. It was almost like they'd travelled back in time to those first few days after the fall of the prison, when it had just been the two of them, scared, alone and angry.

"What ya mean?" He questioned his eyes screwing up with confusion.

"You and me alone in the woods," Beth continued, allowing herself to relax a little more now next to him.

He didn't say anything, but Beth knew he was thinking back to that time too. His body was becoming less stiff and more comfortable as he continued to hold her close to him

Beth then thought about how it might just be the two of them again, but everything had changed. She had been younger and more naïve back then, more trusting, she had also been nursing a slight crush on Daryl, whilst he had pretty much acted indifferent to her in that way. But her schoolgirl crush had been nothing compared to the feelings she was developing for the rough redneck now. Unlike then also, Beth now knew, despite his frustrating behaviours, Daryl had some sort of feelings for her too.

Beth pressed herself in a little closer to him, digging her nails in to her palm. She knew he had reservations about showing his feelings for her, but surely whatever those reservations were they were irrelevant in their world now. They needed to live in the moment, he just needed to see that. She bit her lip, "Y'know," she started, "If I hadn't slowed down, we would have been taken too, who knows where we would be now."

He still didn't respond as Beth carried on bravely, "It makes you realise, we wake up each day knowing there is a very good chance it could be our last. All this fighting, surviving, we have to grab hold of the good things while we still can. No regrets."

She trailed off unsure of how her statement had been received, whether the handsome archer had realized what she had been getting at or not.

He remained silent, but in response she felt his fingers moving a little lower down her back as he drew her even closer to him, allowing her to rest her head on his muscular chest so she could hear his heart beating against her ear. Slowly and carefully he stroked the top of her silky blonde hair, the caress full of affection this time as the bitter night air whipped through them both, causing her to lean even further in to him.

Beth didn't care that Daryl wasn't talking, his actions told her all she needed to know. Her whole body warming with the feel of his beside her, and leaning down still keeping the closeness between them he gently planted a small kiss on the side of her head.

When the rest of their group had been around and there had been talk of making plans for the future, this kind of behaviour between them would have been unthinkable to Daryl. Any kind of romantic relationship with Beth would be out of the question. Despite the kiss they had shared in private, getting close to her in that way in public would just not be an option. However, Daryl wasn't quite sure why, but when it was just the two of them alone together, being with her felt so natural, so right. The closeness and intimacy between them came so easily, it was as though there was an invisible force drawing them together.

Beth turned to look at him, moving backwards slightly so they were facing, their eyes locking together. "I –I," she started again hesitantly, a strand of her wet hair from the rain suddenly plastering itself across her lips, silencing her.

This time he responded by moving his thumb up to lightly brush it away, wiping the moisture from her lips so he could taste her as he slowly found himself moving in to kiss her. Their lips locking lightly at first, before speeding up, the pressure increasing as they released all the tension that had been building over the past few weeks.

"What was that?" Beth said as they both suddenly broke apart hearing a twig snap.

Daryl immediately reached for his crossbow, holding it up in the direction of the dark trees in front of them alerted to danger as several more twigs snapped. and a dark figure suddenly appeared with a gun pointed in their direction.

"It's okay, y'all can come out," Rick yelled back at the trees grinning at Daryl and Beth as their leader came fully in to sight. Carl, Tyreese, Abraham, Eugene, Gabriel, Glenn and Maggie slowly appearing after him weapons poised.

"Beth," Maggie said dropping her gun, rushing towards her sister flinging her arms around her crushing her slightly. "You're okay, oh thank God, you're okay, they didn't get you." she exclaimed her face full of relief.

Beth hugged her sister, a little taken aback. They had only been parted a few hours. She knew Maggie was a little over protective of her now more than ever, but still.

"There are people rounding up all the females." Rick explained, "Michonne, Sasha, Tara, Rosita. Maggie was the only one they didn't see."

"They got Carol and Judith too," Daryl said, watching as a fresh look of fury formed in the sheriff's eyes.

"Okay, listen up everyone," Rick said loudly. "We all need to stick together now. No splitting up in to smaller groups again, we keep closely as one group. We are going to need each other…Some very weird shit is going down..."

Four years later

Daryl closed the door carefully, making his way towards the front room of the house he shared with Beth. He could hear voices so he knew she wasn't alone.

Beth felt her stomach flip, hearing Daryl's footsteps approaching. She bit her lip, glancing at Noah. He shifted awkwardly; there was always for some reason a slight air of tension between her gruff redneck husband and her younger more laid back friend.

"How's it going?" Daryl said sheepishly as he entered the room. Looking from Beth to Noah, avoiding eye contact with his wife. Forcing a friendly nod in Noah's direction.

"You're back," Beth said coldly.

"Yeah," he mumbled a tad guiltily.

"It's err..getting late, I'd better be going," Noah said rising to his feet.

"You don't have to," Beth said defensively looking at her friend. Apart from Daryl, Noah was the only person in Atlanta that she could trust these days, whenever she needed him he was always there for her.

"Don't go on my account, man," Daryl added awkwardly. Normally he was a little off hand with his wife's friend, but he knew he had some grovelling to do on this particular occasion, which meant he had to at least try and make the effort to be civil.

"No, really, I need to be getting back, I've got a delivery coming in tonight," Noah said turning towards the door. He ran a small bar a few blocks away. Beth could never quite understand why he still stuck around the rundown mess that was the former city of Atlanta. But selfishly she was glad that he did.

"Noah came by to drop off a book on medicine for me, his uncle was a trauma surgeon," Beth explained to Daryl.

"Oh," Daryl grunted in response.

…

As the front door closed, Daryl leaned in to kiss Beth. She wrinkled her nose and pushed him away, she could smell the alcohol on his breath. She was pretty mad at him for just taking off on his bike earlier that day after their argument, but she knew now wasn't the time to bring it up she was tired. She'd talk to him about it the next day after they'd both had some sleep. Without saying a word she turned to walk towards their kitchen.

Daryl had other plans as she heard him follow her. She opened the dishwasher and started unloading the content, sensing his presence in the doorway to the room, ignoring him, feeling his eyes following her every move.

"Where were you?" Beth eventually questioned.

"I was with Carol, had a few beers," Daryl replied quietly.

"Oh," Beth responded practically throwing the silverware in to the drawer. She wasn't quite sure why that annoyed her even more. But ever since she and Daryl had married things had been slightly awkward with Carol. It wasn't that Beth thought the older woman was in love with Daryl or anything, maybe once, but not now. But she would always have a close bond with Beth's husband, one that Beth herself would never fully understand.

"How is she?" Beth added, still avoiding eye contact with him.

"She had a few interesting theories about you?" Daryl said, his gaze still fixed on his wife.

"Oh yeah," Beth replied.

"Reckons, you're going to go on to do great things….and, I,...I, overreacted, because I don't want things to change or something… " he mumbled. This time looking away and down at the floor.

"And what do you think?" Beth said, her tone softening slightly. She knew Daryl and this was about as close to an apology as he was capable of.

He shrugged, taking a step further towards his wife. This time reaching for her more cautiously, placing his hands around her waist drawing her towards him looking in to her eyes.

Slowly his lips meet hers, her arms instinctively flying around his neck. His hands tightening on her waist as he hoisted her up on to their worktop, his lips moving down to press in to the skin on the side of her neck.

Beth could feel her breath quickening as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He reached down to undo the button to her jeans, yanking them down. Lunging back in to another passionate kiss. Daryl put everything in to that kiss, showing his emotions didn't come easily but they flowed in to that kiss. He loved Beth with everything in him. He would never intentionally hurt her, and he would continue to fight for her despite his insecurities, until the day he died.

Within seconds the air between them became more and more electric, their minds wiped clean of anything that had been bothering them before. All that mattered was the moment. All that counted was happening here, in their embrace. Both forever thankful, never forgetting the times when they had been starved of these kinds of intimate moments.

Beth still had her arms around Daryl's neck, his hands holding her body tightly against his strong muscular frame. His hands wrestling their way underneath her shirt exploring the soft smooth skin on her back. She wriggled slightly, letting him know she was ready for him to take her shirt off. Obliging he slid it off with one swift movement. Breaking the kiss, undoing the clasp on her black lacy bra allowing it to fall to the floor, causing her to give him a brief look of longing communicating her need for him. Her hands roaming his upper body, tugging his shirt off in the process, while he started kissing her behind her ear and down her neck causing her to sigh contently. Beth traced the muscles on his chest back up to his neck, as he looked deep in to her eyes, trying to tell her how much he wanted her.

She wriggled down the work top slightly and out of her jeans in the process, and she pushed him backwards trailing kisses down his front, feeling his muscular upper body tense with the sensation of her touch, making him groan in satisfaction. She momentarily played with the waist band of his jeans, teasing him, before slipping her hands inside his underpants, feeling his hardness, causing him to moan even more as his head fell back. Pushing his pants down, she released his huge erection, rubbing it up and down in her hands. Her lips moving down his body some more, the ends of her hair tickling him. "Beth, please," he said torn between not wanting to come like that and his ultimate pleasure. He reached down to gently prize her hands away from him as he held them up and above her neck. Allowing his fingers to trickle down slowly between her legs removing her panties exploring her with his fingers, watching as she let out a small moan, his mouth then moving down to suck hard on her right nipple.

Beth tangled her fingers in his long hair moaning in ecstasy. She was breathing uncontrollably as he withdraw his mouth slightly, desperate to feel him inside her, she pushed him backwards with the palms of her hands, hooking her legs even further around his hips as he guided himself in to her and they started moving quickly. they knew each other's bodies so well now. Beth couldn't think anymore. She couldn't breathe anymore. All she could do was drown in the sensation of his hardness moving inside her. They fit perfectly.

She was driving Daryl mad with her young fit body and how it was making him feel, how it always made him feel, he needed her so much, harder, deeper. He drew her to him again pressing their lips together in another passionate kiss, causing them to both groan deeply. Their climaxes coming quickly, Daryl coming hard inside her, Beth feeling her head fly back as she cried out his name multiple times. Both their heart beats racing together, vibrating all over their bodies in to every cell, as they tried to capture their breath.

Beth moved to rest her head against his shoulder. Her heart rate slowing down. Remembering just how she still felt every single time they made love, as though all was right in the world. Nothing else mattered.

They had been through the ultimate darkness and somehow come out the other side, they had a chance now, she wouldn't allow it to slip away.

a/n - Thanks again for reading, would love to hear any more reviews :)