Okay, I definitely like the prequel much better. I'm not sure this is any good at all. But whatever. Enjoy.

Today was the day, he decided. Today was the day Daryl Dixon would finally go to his brother's grave. Why today? Daryl wasn't sure. It just felt right, like it was time to let go. He hadn't wanted to believe it, to accept that his older brother, the only person in the entire world who had ever done anything decent for him, Merle Dixon, was gone. It had been a few months since it happened. Rick knocked on his door late one night and told him his brother was dead. Drug overdose. What a stupid, fucked up way to go. That was Merle Dixon, though.

Daryl clambered out of his truck, slamming the door behind him. Heavy, dark clouds were starting to roll in, and he supposed it was appropriate for the place, for the situation. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and started off towards the freshest of the graves, way in the back of the small cemetery. He arrived at his brother's grave quickly taking note of the bright flowers at the grave. Who the fuck would leave those there? Daryl stood quietly for a while, just staring at the inscription on the stone.

Merle Dixon

1959-2013

It said nothing more. No declarations of how great a man he was, because he wasn't. No words of how loved he was by a family. No wife, no children. Hell, no parents. He was just some asshole redneck with a baby brother he dragged along with him. Daryl clenched his balled his fists and closed his eyes against the tears threatening to fall. If he cried standing here he was sure Merle would crawl out of the ground just to kick his ass for it. He would probably kick his ass for leaving those damn flowers sitting there. God, what the fuck.

Daryl took that moment to step back and observe his surroundings. He'd been out of it when he approached, but now he noted the little white building standing stark in the middle of all of the graves. He looked over at the graves around him, how some were really fresh, the grass not even having had the chance to grow over it. His eyes landed on the girl sitting a few feet away wrapped around herself. He noticed the flowers placed on the grave in front of her matched those in front of him. What. The. Fuck.

He knew the girl. Of course, who didn't know Beth Greene? She was sunshine and sweetness and smiles for anyone, no matter who you were. She probably knew him. Daryl hadn't seen all that much of the youngest Greene, but she always had a kind word and a smile the few times he did run into her. Living in a town as small as theirs, you couldn't do jack shit without everyone knowing. So he knew why she was there, whose grave was in front of her. He knew. What he didn't understand was the flowers. What he didn't understand was why she was looking at him now with those bright blue eyes of her and a smile to match. He raised an eyebrow questioningly and she shrugged.

Daryl turned back to his brother's grave. They sat in silence for a while as the dark clouds ahead blew closer so they were almost on top of them. It was just as the first clap of thunder sounded in the distance that she spoke breaking their silence.

"I knew him." She tells him quietly. "He helped me once when I was having some trouble of my own. Trouble grieving."

Beth fell silent and Daryl looked back over at her. All he could think was what the fuck. His redneck asshole of a brother? Didn't sound right.

"Wanna know what he said?" She asked him from her place on the ground. Thunder boomed overhead as he thought it over. He could hear the rain pouring down into the streets, into the trees not too far away. Finally, he nodded. Beth grinned and laughed a little. "I didn't really appreciate it at the time, but he said 'You can keep on drowning yourself in alcohol for now, but sooner or later you gotta get over it.'"

This was crazy. She was crazy. Absolutely fucking insane. Was that supposed to make him feel better? How the hell had that made her feel any better? She unfolded herself and stood up stretching before she walked towards him.

"What the fuck, girl?" He choked out. Because really, what the fuck.

"Point is, Mr. Dixon, when you care about people hurt is kinda part of the package. You just gotta make room for it." Beth said. "Get over it, so to speak."

Daryl supposed that made a little sense. Just a little. She was still crazy.

"Why'd you put those flowers there?"

"You wouldn't."

He hummed unsure of what to say. He had so many things he had come prepared to say to the ground, the stones, the sky. Yell. Just scream and let out all the frustration Merle left him with.

"Its okay to cry." Beth murmured, lifting her hand slowly to graze his arm, tracing it downwards to his hand. Daryl was surprised he didn't want to pull away as she locked her fingers between his. She squeezed his hand as the first tears fell.

What the fuck.

"He was an asshole, but he was all I had." Daryl ground out quietly.

"Its okay to cry." Beth repeated, near drowned out as the rain moved directly above them. The cool drops fell and covered them in sheets, blended with his tears as the pair stood over the grave of the only person who ever gave a shit about Daryl Dixon. Except maybe he wasn't the only person anymore.

Daryl looked over to the small blonde who'd laid her head against his shoulder and squeezed his hand tighter. Maybe that was why today was the day. Beth Greene had been waiting for him, and even though he thought she was absolutely fucking insane, he couldn't help but think maybe Merle did do something more than just decent for him. Good, even. He gave him the chance to stand there with this girl as the rain poured down and his grief seeped out of him. He, he guessed, gave him her.