Thank you so so so much for your kindness, to everyone who's reviewed, or followed or even just read! I hope this new chapter doesn't disappoint you. Next one we'll finally have DARYL'S POV, let's se how that will work out for me ahah! I hope to update soon and that you enjoy this :)
As soon as Beth made it back to the ice rink, still quite shocked by what had just happened, Glenn assailed her, while the two women made their way towards Rick.
"Tell me that Daryl Dixon aka 'The Fugitive' isn't your new skating partner"
"Daryl Dixon isn't my new skating partner"
Glenn sighed, relieved.
"Good. Jesus, I thought Rick had completely lost his mind"
"Daryl Dixon is in a trial period to become my new skating partner"
"WHAT!"
"I know"
"But.. But he is old"
"He isn't that old. He's thirty, same age as Trankov, and Szolkowy is thirty-four!"
Beth protested weakly, reminding herself first that the best male pair skaters weren't at all younger than Daryl Dixon.
"Yes, but, Beth. They haven't been on a five years long break!" Glenn seemed completely incredulous, and she couldn't really blame him.
She knew that as soon as the news was out everyone was gonna lose their minds over it. The media was gonna go absolutely crazy, and she could already see the headlines calling Rick nuts and her desperate and Daryl… well, all sorts of things, probably.
She had no idea why Rick had decided to call Daryl. She wished he would have talked about it with her before showing up with him without warning, but then again, if he had she would have straight out refused. No one in their right state of mind would choose a retired skater with a terrible case of bad temper over a young, trained one who was willing to perform.
Maybe Rick hadn't had any other options, but she doubted it. After all, she had come in second at the last Nationals with Zach, she was pretty sure that there was more than more skater that would have been more than happy to skate with her.
And yet, here she was waiting for Daryl Dixon to come out of the locker room.
As she thought back to the exchange happened some minutes ago, she wondered how Rick had managed to convince Daryl to end his retirement, since the skater didn't look like he would have rather been anywhere but there.
"Are you out of your mind?" Carol's voice shook her out of her thoughts.
She turned around to see her choreographer arguing with a very guilty-looking Rick.
"Man, I'm so happy we share the rink. This next few weeks are gonna be such a show. I can't wait. Do you think I should bring pop-corn?"
Beth slapped Glenn on the shoulder, exasperated. She was never gonna tell anyone, but she already deeply regretted having accepted this deal.
She was about to go talk to Rick when Daryl Dixon came out of the locker room, skates on his feet and wearing a black tee and black trousers, looking as grumpy as always.
"C'mon. I don't got no time t'waist" he grunted, looking at Rick and Carol.
The woman sent him a very disapproving look, while Karen was unashamedly staring at him.
Glenn skated away from Beth, looking clearly intimidated by Daryl's presence, and he finally set foot on the ice.
And so it began.
She had to admit it, she was quite impressed. For someone who had completely given up on the sport, Daryl was not as out of shape as she had imagined.
Of course, his jumps lacked consistency and he couldn't pull off a triple, but she could tell that he was just a natural on the ice. He flowed, moving fast, much faster than Zach had, and he just had a fluidity to his skating that she found herself captured by, sitting on the benches observing him.
She also noticed how different their styles were when it came to jumps, spins, and pretty much everything else. Adapt to the other's moves was gonna be tough.
"He's good, uh?" Rick was sat beside her. They had decided they would have started working on their lifts in the gym later that afternoon. Right now the most important thing was that Daryl regained familiarity with the ice.
Beth nodded, an uncertain smile.
"Do you think he'll be back in shape in time to compete?" she asked, her eyes still fixated on Daryl as he flew on the ice.
"I'm sure he will. His body is a machine, I've seen him recover for injuries faster than anyone I've ever met."
Beth was silent for a bit, watching as Daryl fell trying a jump sequence.
His movement were not as polished as hers, not as neat, not as graceful. But they were full of an energy she didn't know, and despite his strong, masculine figure, they had an elegant quality to them.
"Our styles are so…"
"Different. I know. It's part of the reason I wanted him to be your partner, actually. Zach had a very similar style to yours, and while that made it easy for you two to work, there was that something that was missing in your skating."
Beth opened her mouth to protest, but Rick interrupted her.
"If you and Daryl make this work, you'll be on a whole different level: grace and strength, elegance and power, precision and unpredictability. You'll be amazing."
"The Nationals are in four months. We need to compete at least once before then to qualify" she stated "We'll never m…"
"You will. I put you two in this position, and if you give me all you have I will make damn sure you will."
Rick looked at her.
"Do you trust me, Beth?"
"You know I do."
"Good. That's all that matters."
"Does he?" she then asked, going back to looking at Daryl skating on the rink.
Rick didn't answer.
Daryl hadn't joined them for lunch, and Beth was equally relieved and disappointed at that.
On one hand, she knew he would have been antisocial and unpleasant and that would have made her feel even more discouraged than she already was.
On the other hand though, so much of that sport was about being a team. Not only with your partner but with your coach and choreographer and with the people you had to spend all your time with, like Glenn and Karen, but also Jacqui, Michonne and many more.
All these people, she considered her family. Especially with the fact that she was miles and miles away from her real one.
The fact that Daryl wasn't even trying irritated her quite a bit, but she tried to justify him because it was his first day after years of retirement, and he probably was as overwhelmed as she was.
She kept repeating these things to herself in her mind as she and Rick climbed the stairs for the gym, which was on the top floor of the ice rink, a beautiful view and a lot of huge windows and a wooden floor.
Daryl was already there, lifting weights. Beth couldn't help but blush a little bit when she eyed his arms and noticed how muscular they were. He might have been off the ice for some time, but he definitely had kept working out.
If he had saw them, he didn't show it.
Rick walked to the centre of the room and Beth followed him, hating that she was feeling shy all of a sudden: this was her territory. She was the one in shape.
"So. We gotta start with the basic lifts, build up your confidence so we can try them on the ice as soon as possible. Now, Beth, Daryl has quite a different lifting technique from Zach. Daryl, come here"
Daryl moved towards them, and Beth had the distinct impression that he was like a huge feline, making no noise, all fluid and elegant movements.
It was the first time he was actually near her, and he smelled like pine and woods. She found herself liking the warmth of it.
She felt a bit distressed now that the moment to actually work with him had come. She knew she had to be professional, but he was still a stranger that was going to touch her and lift her and throw her, and she hadn't had any time at all to start warming up to the idea, or to him.
He looked as uncomfortable as she was, as Rick gave them the instructions on how they were going to have to adapt to each other and asked them to try a Swan Lift, which was considered pretty easy.
Daryl placed himself in front of her.
She could feel her heart beat a little faster, but that had to be the nervousness at being lifted up by a stranger.
He placed his hands on her waist, and the difference between his touch and Zach's startled her. Zach's hands were much smaller and more delicate. Daryl's were rough, and strong and big. She felt herself blush at the realization that Daryl was very much a man while Zach was still somewhat a boy, and her eyes rushed to the floor.
"Gotta look at me, girl" he said, roughly.
Beth noticed that the tips of his ears had turned slightly red. She could have sworn that Rick was trying not to chuckle at their interaction.
She nodded, and put her hands on his arms, holding them.
She finally stared into his eyes, and they were the bluest blue she had ever seen.
He cleared his throat, and then said "Ya ready?"
"Ready"
He lifted her, seemingly without any effort, and she could tell immediately he was taller than Zach. His technique was indeed a bit different: he was faster than Zach, more powerful but still precise.
"Ya heavier than y'look" Daryl grunted, putting her down. She gave him a frown, but she found herself wanting to smile and, for a moment, he looked like he wanted to grin, too, before he went back to his usual frown.
Rick was nodding satisfied and a bit relieved, before he started correcting some of their moves.
"Good, that was good. Let's try that again a few times, and then we'll move to other, more difficult things" he said.
It was gonna be a long afternoon.
Beth couldn't believe it, but she was starting to think that this thing could work.
Once they had started to adjust to each other, the lifts with Daryl had become easier and easier, and he had a strength and solidity to him that made her feel like she could trust him even when she was feet above the ground.
It had been a good first training. Sure, Daryl had barely spoken a word in the four hours they had been together working with Rick, but he didn't seem like a chatty person at all.
She was sure he was gonna warm up to her, eventually. After all, she was quite a likeable person: she brought homemade cookies and brownies to practice, she always remembered everyone's birthday. She liked people, and people tend to like her in return.
She came out of the locker room's shower and changed quickly into a pair of jeans and a simple, white t-shirt. It was the beginning of September, and it was still pretty warm outside.
She fixed her hair and put on a little make up, to look less dead-tired than she actually was.
She had decided she was going to ask Daryl if he wanted to come over for dinner, as she and Zach used to do all the time, so that they could get to know each other. After all, if this ended up working, they were gonna be in each other's presence for an incredible amount of time: having a friendly relationship was essential to the success of this thing.
She started walking towards the men's locker room, deciding she was gonna wait for him outside.
As she was walking down the hall though, she heard Daryl's voice coming out of Rick's office.
"I want out"
"Daryl, let's talk about this-"
"I don't wanna talk about nothing! I wanna go back t'Georgia. This ain't workin', Rick"
She stood still, a few feet away from the door, listening with her heart pounding in her chest.
"You know as well as I do that it can work! You've seen how well practice went today, I know you can do it!"
"Yeah well, I don't want to! I don't want nothing to do with this world anymore, I don't want no press stalkin' me 'round, no people starin' at me like I'm some piece 'a trash, and I sure as hell don't wanna skate with your Barbie Princess t'save your ass! 'Cause she sure as hell ain't worth all this"
Before Rick could say anything, Daryl stormed out of the door.
As soon as he saw Beth, he stopped dead in his tracks.
She knew she looked scared, standing there with her best intentions ruined and her eyes wide open.
"…are you leaving?" she asked, even though it was rather obvious.
"You'll have to find yerself someone else, girl. I ain't doing this."
And, without looking at her, he left.
"He hates me, Mags. I'm not making this up. You should have heard the way he called me a 'barbie princess' when he was talking to Rick"
The good news was, she wasn't crying. No, this time, she was mad.
How dare Daryl Dixon treat her like that? Who the hell did he think he was?
"That's just not possible, Bethy" her sister's voice filled her ear from the phone. Beth was sitting on the from porch of Rick's house.
He had asked her to come over for dinner, and she knew it wasn't just because him and Lori had sort of adopted her. She knew he wanted to discuss the situation with her, this time.
"Well it is, because he left. I don't know what Rick did to convince him to be here, but he obviously didn't wanna do this, and apparently training with me was the last straw. I must be worse than I think I am"
"Don't be silly. He's obviously got issues. I looked him up on Google and the things I've read… To be honest, Bethy, I'm kinda glad he's not gonna be your partner."
Beth sighed.
"He looks hot though" Maggie added, making her laugh.
"You know Glenn is still madly in love with you? You should go out with him next time you come visit"
Maggie laughed some more "In love, huh? Well maybe I should. I'm tired of assholes, that's for sure. And that Daryl sounds like one, so you're much better off without him"
"Only I don't have a partner, without him"
"Rick will find someone else, I know he will! C'mon Beth, you're one of the best pair skaters in the country! People will be lining up to skate with you!"
"Not now, though. The season's about to start, no one in their right state of mind would do a change of partner now."
"You guys will figure it out, I know it. In the meantime, if you see this Dixon guy again, you better tell him to go to hell, with love. No one can treat my 'lil sister like that. Okay?"
Beth smiled. Talking to Maggie always made her feel better.
"Okay Mags, thanks"
"I'll see you soon, I promise. And say hi to Glenn!"
She was in the kitchen helping Lori with dinner while Rick took a shower.
She loved being with Lori: she could be maternal and nurturing, but fun and friendly at the same time. She was such a classy, strong woman, and Beth aspired to become like her one day. She knew she could confide in Lori, and more than once she had gone to her for advice.
"He's always been a bit of a loose cannon, you know"
Lori had spoken in a casual tone, but Beth knew she was trying to tell her something.
"Yeah, I've noticed"
Lori smiled, passing her some carrots to peal while she dealt with the sauce.
"I've known Daryl for a long time, since he was your age, or maybe even before that. I know he comes off as rude and angry, but that's just the surface"
Beth wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but she decided against it. She always listened to what Lori had to say to her. Lori continued.
"I know what happened today must have been hurtful for you. But I also know that Daryl Dixon would never do anything that he doesn't want to do. He is scared, Beth, but he'll come around. The frown, the harsh words… it's all an act. This sport was never kind to him, and life has dealt him some bad cards."
Beth was staring at her, the carrots long forgotten.
"He's a good person, and he's an incredible skater. He's scared, but I've seen the way Rick's eyes sparkle when he talks about your training today. You guys could to great things together. Don't let him scare you off, too. Let him lean on you. Let him trust you."
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