A/N: Didn't get very many reviews on the last chapter. Hope I'm not losing yall :( Thank you for the love i did receive :) Again, i do not own the characters or the setting in which they are living. I just own their actions in this story ;)
"There is a old homeless shelter up this way we haven't hit due to the biters. But it seems yall know how to handle yourselves around them so i think we can handle it." Shepard said as she rounded a corner.
"How many are there?" Rick asked.
"A dozen. Maybe a few more. Not too many but we only went out in pairs so it was too risky. I think we can manage it with three." She said parking the car in front of the large building that used to be the homeless shelter. "They stocked up on MREs, canned goods, and clothes so we should make out like fat rats here. Get yall enough to last a while, while you're out on the road." She said getting out from the car. Rick glanced at Daryl sitting in the backseat before opening the door and taking out a walker that had been stumbling from an alley across the street. Daryl followed the the officer to the front door, holding up a finger to the officer and banging on the glass of the door lightly. He looked at rick and nodded knowing Rick knew what he was doing.
"Shepard you keep an eye on the street." Rick stated and the officer nodded standing behind them looking over the street. Daryl opened the door slightly letting a walker amble out one at a time allowing Rick to take each one out until no more were waiting at the door. "Come on. And remember keep your eyes peeled." Rick said before opening the door and entering the building, Daryl and Shepard right behind him. Shepard and Rick headed to the kitchen taking out a few straggling walkers on the way and Daryl headed to the housing area in search of clothes. After opening the door the death growls started and he knew from the sounds of it, there was definitely more than one. Closing the door back he went to another door finding an abandoned office. He closed the door behind himself making sure there would be no surprises. He spotted a door to the left of the desk and approached it cautiously knowing anything could be waiting there. He opened it slowly shining his light in and finding stacks of shirts, pants, coats, and more. 'Jackpot.' He thought to himself as he grabbed the pack off his back and started stuffing in men's clothing. Maggie had told him before he left what size pants he needed to get for Beth. He reached up to the shelf labeled 'Women's' pulling all the jeans and shirts down he fumbled with tags finding two pairs of pants in her size. Looking over the shirts he found one in pink, girls liked pink right? The next was baby blue and it reminded him of her eyes. He stuffed the two in the pack and started stuffing the clothes back in the closet. A yellow shirt dropped to the floor and he thought back to the golf club, the search for booze, the shack, the funeral home. A scream rang out in the building breaking his thoughts and he grabbed the yellow shirt, throwing it in the bag before running down the hallway to the main room again, crossbow raised. The room was empty so he went in search of the kitchen. Rick was standing over a walker he had just taken out and past that laid Shepard gripping her neck as she bled out.
"What the hell happened?" Daryl asked.
"I was in the back storage room and i heard her scream and found this bastard behind her ripping into her throat." He said gesturing to the dead walker.
"we gotta go, her scream 's gonna have every walker on us like stink on shit." Daryl said lifting Shepard's limp body up over his shoulder. Rick nodded grabbing the two fully loaded bags over his shoulders and started jogging back to the entrance of the building.
"Too late." Rick said looking out the front door, seeing a horde of the dead ambling in the street. "We give it a few hours, if they ain't cleared out. We call for backup." He said looking over at Daryl. Daryl laid Shepard's unconscious body down on the ground, taking out his blade and impaling it in her temple.
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"What happened between you two?" Maggie asked as she brushed Beth's hair. Beth shrugged her shoulders not knowing exactly what to say. 'What changed your mind?' The scene played in her head again now and the same outcome came. No answer from Daryl, just that gaze that made her core clench. The gaze was enough to make her fall apart at the time and again in this moment just thinking about it. 'Oh.' The moment she muttered it she wanted to take it back. The word didn't fully express what she was feeling at that very moment. She was feeling consumed. Consumed by the burning feeling in the pit of her stomach, the swelling in her chest, and the intense feeling she was feeling from Daryl's gaze. She had changed his mind about there being good people but this stare felt like it meant much more than that. Just like the look she had gotten from him in the basement when talking about the beauty she found in the person restoring the walkers back to people. It was like he was silently trying to tell her something that failed him in words. She knew of his past and knew of the life he had lived before all of this but had he never before experienced what she was feeling right then?
"Beth? Whats wrong?" Maggie's voice interrupted her thoughts bringing her back to the current day.
"Hmm?" She hummed out.
"What were you thinking about? Ya blanked out for a minute there. You looked happy." Maggie said starting to french braid Beth's hair.
"Daryl." She whispered out. "He's, he's so much more than people give him credit for." She said trying to put together words but failing miserably with trying to express what she was feeling right now.
"He's changed. Like in a good way. I think its got somethin to do with you but i don't know what it is. He wouldn't give up on you. And the whole time you were passed out he never left your side. Like you were his lifeline or somethin." Maggie said as she finished the braid. Beth stood up from the floor slowly, wincing at the pain of her stitches pulling slightly. "Come on lets get you in bed." Maggie said helping Beth get back in her bed.
"Maggie, something happened but i don't know what it was. It was right before i was taken. He was alright with it just being us. Just living in that funeral home that was secure with me. He let his guard down that moment and i could see somethin but i don't know what it was. And then all hell broke loose." Beth explained.
"Beth hes like 10 or 12 years older than you. You mean to tell me you think Daryl Dixon was falling in love with you?" Maggie laughed a bit at the thought. Daryl was too closed off from those kinds of feelings let alone for a girl Beth's age.
"What the hell Maggs. Daddy and Mom were years apart like that. You think that cant work?" Beth asked starting to get a bit defensive.
"All's I'm sayin is this is Daryl we are talkin about. He hasn't given any girl hes came across a second glance. You honestly think he would go for a little girl?" Maggie said sitting down at on the side of Beth's bed.
"I'm not a little girl Maggie. That little girl died the moment i changed my mind about livin. And as far as age goes, I'm an adult now." Beth fumed. She went to sit up in her bed but fell back in pain.
"Get some rest Bethy. We can talk about this later." Maggie said tucking the blanket around Beth and turning to walk out the door.
"Hey, can you tell Daryl to come in here?" Beth asked.
"Hes out with Rick on a run with Officer Shepard. I will tell him when he comes back." Maggie answered with a smile before closing the door behind her. He had left without telling her. 'I hate goodbyes.' 'Me, too.' Ut rang in her head calming her nerves a little at him not telling her about the run. Beth closed her eyes seeing Daryl staring back at her, sitting at that kitchen table again, jelly and spoon in hand. He was telling her something and she needed to know what it was. Wait, was he leaning in? Was he going to kiss her before they were so rudely interrupted by walkers? God she hoped so. Beth opened her eyes unable to sleep. Her heart beating fast in her chest at just the prospect that maybe Daryl was falling for her. Maybe he liked her more than she realized back then. Did she love him? She knew she liked Daryl. Inside that tough exterior was a boy who was sweet, caring, and adorable. Yeah, she liked him. She though back to the urgency that came over him at her ankle being trapped in that trap, the humor in that piggyback ride, and the tenderness in the way he carried her to the breakfast he prepared for them in the funeral home. He had been so sweet to her. 'Damn romance novel' she chuckled at the thought. Every act commited to memory could've been regarded as romantic to anyone who wasn't blindly naive like she was then. If he didn't love her it was obvious he liked her. Beth felt sure of it now. Now she just had to wait until he got back to talk to him about it.
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"They're thinnin out a bit." Rick said looking over to Daryl sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. "We'll give them a little bit more time and we should be able to make it to the car." Rick said sitting down next to Daryl. "Wanna talk about it brother?" Rick asked looking over at Daryl who was playing with the hem of his shirt. "Beth?" Rick asked. Daryl looked over at him through the hair in his face. "Its kinda obvious somethin's there Daryl. I mean i haven't seen it from her side but its obvious she means somethin' to ya." Rick answered Daryl's stare. "You care about her, that much i can tell. I know i asked before but is the feeling romantic?" Rick asked. Daryl stared for a minute and was just about to open his mouth when a bang from down the hallway stopped him. The sound of walkers echoing down the hallways.
"We gotta go Rick." Daryl said grabbing his pack, Shepard, and his crossbow. "The livin' quarters were full. Sounds like they got out." Daryl said making his way to the door. Rick gathered his things and made his way to the door.
"Ok, you get yerself and Shepard to the car, i got you covered." Rick said pulling his gun from its place on his hip. The walkers emerged from the hallway making their way to Rick and Daryl. "Go. Now!" Rick hollered and Daryl didn't hesitate. Daryl exited the building dodging a walker on the sidewalk. Rick stabbed the walker and got to shooting any that were too close for comfort as Daryl loaded Shepard and his bag in the back. after closing the back door he ran up on a walker that was making its way too close to Rick, stabbing it in the back of the head.
"Come on!" Daryl yelled at Rick who was rounding the front of the car. Daryl hopped into the drivers seat starting the car up just as Rick closed the passenger side door behind him. Daryl jammed on the gas as the car got rolling, dodging walkers that were throwing themselves at the car. Once they were out of the thick of it Daryl released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding and navigated themselves back towards the hospital. "Folks at the hospital ain't gonna be too happy about Shepard." Daryl said before turning the corner, the hospital came into view.
"We'll deal with it." Rick said his jaw clenching tightly.
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Beth woke with a start not realizing that she had fell asleep in the first place. There was yelling in the hallway. She worked through the pain and lifted herself off the bed stumbling to the door feeling lightheaded. She opens the door leaning against the frame for support she spots Daryl holding one of the female cop's body in his arms.
"Death follows you people." One of the officers says loudly. "You guys have tonight but you are gone tomorrow. We cant afford to lose anymore of our people." He says before storming away down the hallway. Beth's hands on the door slip causing her to fall.
"Beth!" Daryl's frantic voice calls out as he drops Shepard's body to the floor. He sprints to Beth who is on her knees in her doorway. He kneels down and picks her up in his arms again. The doctor walking up casually behind him.
"Shes dehydrated. I will have one of the residents bring some water to her room." He states loudly. "And i will leave some extra pain medication in her room for your travels." He whispers to Daryl before walking past him to take care of the fallen officer's body. Daryl walked Beth back into her room closing the door behind him. He placed her on the bed then removing his crossbow and pack from his back and sitting them down in the chair he'd spent so much time in.
"Daryl?" Beth spoke softly.
"We're gettin ya some water. Hold on." Daryl said as he walked to the door in search of this water that was supposed to be coming. He spotted an older man coming down the hallway with two bottles of water. He left the room for a split second to meet the man and thank him for the water. He entered the room cracking one of the bottles open and handing it to her.
"Thank you." Beth said after she gulped down the first bottle. He handed her the second bottle and turned to the bag on the chair. He grabbed the shirts and jeans he had gotten for Beth out and sat them on the arm of the chair before pulling out a pair of jeans and a worn black dress shirt.
"New clothes?" Beth asked as she sipped on the second bottle. He nodded before walking to the door to go change in one of the spare rooms. "You gonna shower first before you put on those clean clothes?" Beth asked unsure if she had ever seen Daryl clean straight from a shower or bath. The thought of Daryl in a shower making her skin heat a bit causing a blush to creep up her neck.
"Ya sayin i stink, Greene?" He asked with an amused look on his face.
"Don't we all?" She said with a chuckle.
"You never have." He said causing her to blush. He turned quickly exiting the room, Daryl's personal Danger Zone. He cleaned himself up as much as he could with a washcloth and got dressed, ripping the the sleeves off the dress shirt and putting his vest back on. He walked back to Beth's room, the door closed. He knocked gently not wanting to wake her if she had fallen back asleep.
"One second." Beth hollered out a few minutes before opening the door and gesturing for him to come in. She closed the door behind them. They had a lot to talk about, or atleast she thought they did. "Thank you for the clothes." She said as she joined him sitting on the edge of her cot.
"Ya needed somethin' ta wear." He mumbled out shrugging his shoulders. He looked up and over at her. She looked beautiful. The color back in her skin and glowing just like the smile she wore. Pieces of her hair falling loosely around her face from falling out of the loose braid in her hair. She had changed from her hospital gown into a pair of the straight leg jeans he had brought her and the yellow shirt with a v-neckline.
"What?" She asked with a smile.
"How ya feelin'?" He asked. She had to have been in pain unless she had more pain killers in her than he thought.
"I'm good it hurts a little but its starting to get bearable with the pain killers. The doc came in and said I'm healing well. I guess the stitches are the kind that deteriorate after its done healing." She said lifting her shirt and showing the long incision with stitches. Daryl could feel his neck heat at seeing the milky skin of her stomach and he swallowed the lump in his throat looking away.
"Well that's good." He said looking around the room aimlessly.
"Daryl can i ask you somethin?" She said as she smoothed her shirt over her stomach.
"Hmm?" He hummed out looking back at her.
"Do you like me?" She asked looking down and playing with the hem of her shirt.
"Mhmm, came lookin fer ya didn't i?" He said with the hint of a smile on his lips.
"I mean do you like, like me." She stated knowing he took the friend route on the first question. Daryl didn't answer but looked around the room. Daryl grunted shrugging his shoulders. "Don't." She said mocking his actions. She smiled it reminded her of that time. When things were starting to look up. When he practically told her he was feeling things he didn't quite understand with that gaze that made her body turn to flames. That gaze he was giving her at this moment. As soon as she realized that gaze her skin blushed in understanding.
He looked away from her quickly not knowing what to do or say next. He felt Beth's fingertips on his jaw turning him to face her silently. Her blue eyes were shining and he wanted nothing more than to let himself drown in them.
Beth had spent so long wondering if she was the only one who felt something that night and now she was sure she wasn't. She was grateful to have this moment as it may not have ever happened if Daryl hadn't found her and she hadn't survived. She kept one hand cupped on his face and placed the other on his shoulder. She leaned in brushing her lips against his and feeling him tense at the contact. She let her lips linger against his unmoving ones before slowly pulling away.
It was as if something inside him snapped at that very moment. Her lips were so soft, warm and inviting. He felt every nerve ending in his body tingle and the rock hard feeling in his chest burst open in warmth. She started to pull away but he wasn't ready for it. Not when he had waited so long for it. Not when the chance almost slipped away when Dawn shot her. Life was short but it was even shorter when death lurked around every corner waiting to tear you to shreds. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her back to his lips.
This kiss wasn't like the first. Daryl had relaxed and his lips moved against hers this time. The feeling was urgent and delicious. She had kissed guys before but it had never set her soul on fire like Daryl was doing right now. His tongue slid against her bottom lip and a pulsing between her thighs started. She opened her mouth to him not knowing what to do. His tongue slid into her mouth circling her own as he slid an arm around her back pulling her as close as possible to his body. He tasted of smoke, sweetness of peaches, and something else that could only be described as being distinctly Daryl. He pulled his tongue from her mouth, pulling away from her mouth and nipping her bottom lip. She sighed at the loss of contact immediately.
He pulled away after drinking her in. He felt as refreshed as a man in a desert finding water. Her eyes fluttered open, pupils blown and he knew his probably looked the same. He had never wanted anything more in his life. He wanted little Beth Greene, he needed her, like the ships needed a lighthouse close to shore.