Beth spent the rest of the day looking nervously at the clock in the common room. She had never been the type of person that snaps and is mean to anyone: that wasn't the way she had been raised, and especially wasn't her character. However, that man seemed to have the ability to get on her nerves. Beth had been taught to never make assumptions about someone, especially if she barely knew them, and based on that, she should had bitten her tongue when she had talked with mister Dixon. She did know Mrs. Dixon, though, or at least, that was what she wanted to believe. And every day, when she smiled the slightest or seemed to be more animated, Beth couldn't help but wonder who could be so cruel to left behind someone so hurt, as if she was a burden.

Finally, after walking around the nursing home, the clock struck five o'clock, and practically in that instant, the door opened. In that moment Beth was bent down, looking for the file of one of the residents with the spoon of her yogurt in her mouth, and when she stood up she hit her head with on side of the counter. She hissed in pain and when she stuck up, rubbing her head with one hand and holding the spoon with the other, she saw a man entirely dressed on black looking at her with a frown. Beth flushed suddenly, her eyes wide. That man was attractive. No. He was gorgeous. He was the kind of man who Lori and Rosita would stare at as soon as he turned around. He had long, dark hair which slightly hid his eyes, but that didn't stop the feeling of those blue daggers piercing her.

She blinked, and realizing that she should do something, she dropped the spoon on the counter and cleared her throat, trying to recover some of her professionalism (and dignity):

"Hello!" she said, bringing a smile to her face, "Mr. Dixon?"

He nodded, but stayed silent. Beth exited the office and approached him to give him a quick and firm handshake. She was surprised to feel that, even though he had rough and calloused hands, he didn't have an unpleasant feel at all. She withdrew her hand immediately, mortified by the thoughts that she was having in that moment and she hurried to change the direction of her ramblings to avoid the blush that was seizing her face again.

"This way, please" she said, gesturing to the aisles that leaded to the rooms. The man didn't say anything, but Beth heard his footsteps cushioned in the carpet, following her. She swallowed, angry with herself for feeling so shy suddenly, and she almost made a mistake and knocked in the wrong door.

Calm down, she said to herself.

She knocked softly on room 412's door and stuck the head out the door, as always.

"Mrs. Dixon?" she said, smiling, "I brought you a surprise".

She opened the door slowly before she gestured Daryl to come in. The man stared at her for a few moments before he obeyed, and once they were both inside, Beth stood there, not knowing what to do. Should she stay, should she leave? A part of her, the sensible one, screamed her to leave, that she had nothing to do there, but she felt unable to unpin her feet and turn around, so she stayed in the entry, observing the scene.

Daryl wasn't a very tall man, but he occupied much of the space of the small room. Besides, his aspect contrasted greatly with the clarity of the room. Beth looked at his vest, with the draw of two wings in its back. She wondered if he belonged to some bikers club. If Shane was telling the truth –and the agent had no reason to lie to her- he probably was.

Then, he turned around and gazed at her intently, and Beth felt infinitely tiny.

"Do you want me to…?" she asked with a small voice, but he shrugged and she sighed. Mrs. Dixon was looking through the window, as usual, practically absent to anything else, "Sometimes she needs a little chat to… come to".

"I dunno what to say" he muttered, returning his gaze to the old woman.

"Maybe…" she started, but stopped. It was obvious that they had been apart from years and the reason had been absence of will more than anything else, and an emotional reencounter wasn't an option. So they'd have to break the ice slowly.

She approached Mrs. Dixon's bed and took her hand slightly, which provoked her to flinch. At least it was something.

"Mrs. Dixon" she called her name again, "your son is here".

The woman didn't move for seconds that seemed like hours. Beth held her breath the whole time until finally, the old lady turned her head and scanned Beth, with those penetrating blue eyes that her son had inherited.

"Son" she whispered.

"Yeah, he's your son, Daryl. See?" Beth encouraged her, gesturing to behind her shoulder, where Daryl was awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. Beth tried to smile him softly, "Please, come closer".

Daryl stayed still for a moment before he walked the steps that separated him from his mom. However, just before he was going to get to Beth, he stopped again. Beth turned around to look at him, confused. His jaw was tense and he seemed to look everywhere except her or the old woman that was lying on the bed. And suddenly, without saying a word, he spun around and exited at full speed.

Beth glanced at Mrs. Dixon one more time before she followed him through the aisle. Fortunately, the old lady was so medicated that she'd probably believe she was dreaming. Beth quickened her pace until she reached him on the entry, putting herself in front of the door.

"Mr. Dixon, wait!" she exclaimed, breathless, "Please, don't leave".

"I have to go back to the city" he growled, his glare fixed on the door behind Beth, "I've got nothing to do here".

"That's not true" she protested, "Your mom needs you".

"She doesn't even know who I am", he countered harshly. Beth felt small for the second time that afternoon, but she didn't quail. She had worked too hard to find him to just let him go without fight.

"Of course she knows. She remembers you, and your brother Merle, but she thinks she's imagining it. She just needs a little bit of time. Time and patience", she added.

"Just the two things that I don't have" Daryl answered, almost grunting. Beth exhaled sharply.

"Listen, sir", she said, starting to get pissed, "I have no idea what happened between you two, but whatever it was is over now. She isn't the same. You can't blame her for something that she probably doesn't even remember" she finished, staring at him, trying to fix her eyes with his. When they finally did, she saw rage, frustration, and the glimpse of something that Beth tried to decipher, unsuccessfully. She tried to reassure him in everything she had just told him, but he didn't seem willing to collaborate.

"Beth, the boiler is still broken and the technical, that jackass, says that-" Rosita appeared from a corner, and she stopped immediately when she saw Beth trying to prevent the passage of a man twice her height. Beth looked away for just a second, but it was enough to allow him to run away.

Before she could react, he had left on his huge bike, hidden by a cloud of dust.

Two days later, while Beth was trying to decide between being healthy and eating a cereal bar or send sensibility to hell and eat a Mars bar, she heard a roar outside. At first she thought that she was hallucinating, but then, when she withdrew from the old vending machine and looked through the window, she saw him. He was getting off his bike, and before she could realize, he was already entering through the door. She turned her head violently to see him come in, and then he saw her standing there, scanning him from top to bottom.

"What are you doing here?" she asked when she had approached him. Daryl shrugged.

"The other day I heard your partner saying that you needed someone to fix up the boiler. I can do it" he just said, shrugging again when she looked at him questioningly. But then Beth smiled, so widely that her cheeks hurt.

"That's really nice of you" she said softly, "I'll go talk to my boss. Please, sit down" and she gestured to one of the rickety chairs of the entry, at the same time that she turned on her heel. She had to stop herself from trotting while she searched Lori. She wasn't going to tell that to her bosses. They'd end up scolding her about involving herself with patients' relatives and the last thing she needed was to be fired. Her salary was low enough and she didn't want to be unemployed.

Lori listened to her in silence while she explained all in a hurry. Once she had finished, the woman raised her eyebrows and leaned in to see Daryl, sitting on the edge of the chair, with his elbows resting on his knees and fiddling with his fingers, before she turned around to look questioningly to Beth. She flushed.

"It's not what you think" she clarified.

"Mm-mm" Lori answered.

"It isn't" Beth insisted, "He's Mrs. Dixon's son".

"He's the hottest relative that has entered these gates" Rosita said while she came in the room. Lori looked at her with a frown.

"Do you always have to say things like that?" the woman asked.

"Do you always have to be so bossy?" Rosita countered quickly. Lori opened her mouth to retort, but she was interrupted by Beth.

"So, is it okay with you?" Beth asked. Lori sighed.

"Yeah, of course, I'm the first one who wants to have hot water, but do me a favor and don't let Jensen see him or he'll kill us both".

"Got it" Beth assured with a smile before she walked back to the entry.

Daryl was still there, with his gaze fixed on his hands, and he lifted his head when he heard her coming.

"My boss says everything's alright" she said.

"Alright" Daryl answered; "I'll pick up the tools" Beth nodded and waited for him to come back.

Five minutes later, while she led him to the boiler room, nervousness was starting to affect her. She had only went there twice since she had first started working on the nursing home, and she was always in a hurry, trying to avoid running into the cockroaches that lived happily there. Beth didn't feel an excessive antipathy towards insects, but cockroaches were something that she just couldn't stand.

They'd been there for a while, and Beth was constantly shifting her weight from one foot to the other, watching him work, passing him tools every now and then, and Daryl didn't miss the nervous looks that the girl was sending everywhere.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…" she swallowed, embarrassed, "I don't really like cockroaches".

Daryl let out a chuckle – deep, husky and almost guttural- and Beth shivered. She inspired sharply and contained herself to not deflate like a balloon.

"They're not my favorite either" he answered, his gaze fixed on his task, "Finished".

"Thank you so much" she said immediately, "How much?"

"Nothing" he responded, but Beth shook her head.

"No, seriously, how much is it?"

"I don't do it for the money" Daryl countered.

"Then why?"

Daryl stared at her and stayed silent, looking down at the floor. Beth took a couple seconds to understand.

"Just time and patience" Beth repeated quietly.

"How much time?" he asked, without daring to look at her.

Beth shrugged.

"As much as she needs to come back" she just murmured. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds, until Beth broke the silence, "We should go back upstairs".

Daryl made a sound of agreement, and followed her upstairs, back to the first floor. Beth accompanied him to the door, not wanting to pressure him to see his mom if he didn't feel ready.

"Wait a sec" she stopped him, grabbing him by his sleeve. She ran towards the break room and pulled out a few coins from his pocket, introducing them into the vending machine and taking out the wrapped chocolate before she came back to the door, "If you won't let me pay you, at least let me give you this".

Daryl watched the chocolate with an incredulous look. He looked at her then, but she just smiled softly.

"Thanks" he grunted.

"Thank you", Beth answered. Their fingers touched for an instant when she passed him the chocolate, and in that moment an electric current ran through her. She couldn't help but squeeze his hand, and she felt very embarrassed, but she didn't blush. When she lifted her head, he seemed more uncomfortable than her, though.

"Goodbye, Mr. Dixon" she told him.

"Goodbye…"

"Beth. Beth Greene"

"Goodbye, Nurse Greene", he said, piercing her one more time with those steely blue eyes before he left.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!