Chapter 1
The storage units were cold and stank of mold. The weary rain-drenched travelers could see why. Overhead there was a patch of ceiling missing and rain was pouring through. Seemed like it had been gone for quite some time prior to their arrival.
"I suppose that this will have to do," the blonde woman murmured into the air before pushing forward, her hand still clenching her knife tightly. The gruff, older man sighed, almost inaudibly, before following the seemingly impulsive girl as she inspected their rest stop for the night. His crossbow was hitched over his back while he clutched his own knife.
Of course, the storage facility had already been picked through. This much was evident in the raised doors and scattered boxes that littered the corridor. Luckily, despite the rain, the sun had yet to go down, so they had a decent amount of visibility by way of the hole in the ceiling.
Daryl watched as Beth reached her knife hand out towards the concrete wall. She scraped the wall, hoping to draw out any walkers as she trekked, her head moving in both directions as they passed the open doors.
The dark-haired man was impressed at how confidently high the girl still held her shoulders in spite of the hell that they had just narrowly escaped. That she had just narrowly escaped.
"There's nothing here," Beth breathed out once they had reached the end. She slid her knife back into its sheath and looked over at her brooding companion.
Daryl just stared at her, eyes narrow and contemplative. She had yet to display any type of reaction and he knew that the lack of reaction in an otherwise passionately emotional girl was no good.
Beth rolled her eyes at him and kneeled down to one of the boxes near her feet.
"Sheets…and they still smell like fabric softener!"
Beth gathered the old sheets near her face and inhaled deeply, not caring that they were covered in dust. They'd keep them warm for the night and possibly others. The weather was turning, that much was obvious.
"Beth?"
The woman looked up, finding Daryl's eyes instantly. He was still regarding her with that same analyzing stare.
"You good?" Daryl questioned.
"Yeah," she muttered softly, dropping her gaze. They were both silent, the storm filling in the emptiness of the air, when their voices didn't.
"Let's see about findin' some clothes to change into. Can't afford to get a cold," Daryl suggested slowly, finally putting his knife away.
Beth set the sheets back down into the box and stood up. She was trembling partly from the cold rain. She did not want Daryl to notice, but he was as perceptive as ever. She was sure that he would peg her trembling as shock from their earlier escape.
After about ten minutes, Beth had managed to find a forgotten long sleeved flannel shirt that was three sizes too big and a pair of snug cargo pants to change into. She was padding around the cold facility on bare feet hoping that her boots would be dry enough by morning. She refused to leave those behind.
After changing into a similar flannel and neatly tailored jeans, Daryl had decided that he would bunk down at the end of the corridor, where she had found the sheets, to avoid the water that was dropping in from the ceiling.
She had her choice of units to choose from.
Daryl was using a pile of random clothing as a pillow. When Beth had held out a sheet for him to use, he had refused, telling her to go make a pallet and to get some rest in that gruff way of his.
It was as if their time in the funeral home hadn't even happened.
Beth stood staring at her thin palette knowing that it wouldn't provide the comfort that she needed after such a difficult ordeal. She sat down on the pile of sheets still trembling.
"I knew that you were lyin'," Beth heard from outside the unit that she was in. She flinched as Daryl's tall form took over the doorway in a flash.
"Yeah, well, I'll be fine," Beth responded curtly, defensive.
"Umhmm."
Daryl made a few steps into the unit before leaning against the wall opposite Beth, his arms crossed derisively. He was staring down his nose at her, intentionally making her feel all the more awkward.
He almost needed her to break down, to need him.
"Nothin' happened," Beth spoke. She was rubbing her arms to calm her shivering, but Daryl knew that no amount of heat would distract her body from the oncoming shock she'd be experiencing now that her adrenaline levels were going down.
"Somethin' almost did. If I hadn't gotten there, they would've—."
"Don't you think I know that?!" Beth exclaimed cutting Daryl off. Her teeth were chattering now from the shaking.
"There it goes," Daryl murmured lowering his arms.
"I don't need you remindin' me of it. I'm fine, so you can quit starin' at me like that."
Beth was crying now, and the man could tell that she didn't even realize it. She was focused on trying to make things seem like she was still okay.
"So they didn't do anythin' before I got there?" He had to ask.
"They tried," Beth smirked through her tears. Daryl moved slowly to reach into his back pocket to retrieve his handkerchief, careful to not make any fast moves for her sake.
He walked forward the few necessary steps to the woman and handed her the fragment of cloth. Beth blinked her watery eyes rapidly as she realized why she was being handed the handkerchief.
"You do what you were taught?" Daryl questioned, sitting down beside her. Months ago, this would've been considered too intimate.
"Hell yeah," Beth responded wiping at her eyes, "He was missing an eye when you encountered him right?"
Daryl nodded as he thought back to just a few hours earlier. Beth had been grabbed from the funeral home that they were resting in five days prior. He felt stupid for not realizing how much of a setup that the place was. Food in a cabinet just waiting for starving survivors.
He had run after that black car until he couldn't anymore, choosing then to let his eyes do the work while he tracked the car to a crossroads. He walked down each road, knowing that eventually the gravel would become dirt or pavement. Luckily all of the roads met up with dirt roads making it easy for him to pick up the tracks. He barely slept while he searched.
"I shot him in the other eye when I found the car," Daryl grimaced as he recalled the arrow sticking out of the greasy man's eye socket.
"It's almost poetic," Beth spoke. Her tears were slowing down but her shivering was still evident.
Daryl reached behind them and pulled one of the sheets over her shoulders.
"I'm glad you found me," the blonde woman whispered looking over at him through tear-dewed lashes as he pulled the sheet to a close around her neck.
"Told you I wouldn't leave you, girl. Maggie would kick my ass."
Beth grinned at the mental image conjured from his words. Her grin widened at his belief that they might find her sister.
The woman found herself yawning seconds later, the exhaustion catching up.
"This winter's gonna suck," she spoke sleepily, wrapping the sheet tighter around herself.
"Here," Daryl muttered pulling another sheet around both of their shoulders, his left arm encircling her small frame, awkwardly. He did this for warmth.
Beth's shivering slowed to a slight tremble at his touch. His warmth.
"Thanks."
"Umhmm."
Within a few short minutes, Beth was asleep and Daryl was still.
He was listening to her soft breathing and light snores that he had inadvertently familiarized himself with over the past few months.
He needed sleep. He was running off of a few hours and lying down earlier had made him realize just how exhausted and run down his body was.
The man sighed before slowly pushing Beth down on to her palette. She kept sleeping and he was envious. Daryl covered her in both of the sheets, making sure to tuck her in well, before standing up to move back to the pile of clothing that acted as a pillow.
He did well to resist the urge to lay down right beside the sleeping girl. He wondered, not for the first time, if he would ever be able to act on that particular urge.
"Maggie's definitely goin' to kick my ass," he mumbled as he threw himself down and covered his eyes with his arm.
Note:
With this chapter I hoped to establish a timeline for you guys. Let me know what you think, yeah?