I got a lot of requests to make chapter 3 "A Place for the Night" into an actual fic. Your wish has finally been granted. The fic is titled "Atonement". Feel free to check it out on my page and give it some review love.


Someone Like You

Premise: Pre-season 4. Hershel and Daryl have a conversation about Beth but Daryl doesn't like where the conversation is going. This was based on a tumblr discussion by user SheriffGreene (aka niallbranson) on what Hershel would think of Bethyl.

Genre: Family/Humor


"What do you think of him, Daryl?"

He looked up from his dinner, surprised that Hershel was talking to him. "Huh? Who?"

"What do you think of Zach? Think he's good enough for my Bethy?"

The first thought that came to Daryl's mind was 'What the hell is he asking me for?' He wasn't her brother. He wasn't her kin. Granted he did think of the Greenes as his family. He'd been around them for so long. But why ask him? Did his opinion really matter who Beth was dating? Did he really care?

"The hell should I say?"

"Just humor me, son," said Hershel. "What kind of man is he?"

Beth and Zach started "dating" only a few weeks after he came to the prison. It never really bothered Daryl. Seeing alot of his friends pairing up actually made him feel relieved. It gave him a sense of normalcy to be surrounded by.

"He's a nice guy," said Daryl. "Dumb as a brick sometimes...but still a nice guy."

"Jimmy was a nice guy too. He really stepped up when the world turned." They looked over at Zach and Beth who were sitting at a table on the other side of the courtyard, doing some PDA in the middle of their meal. Hershel sighed. "I wish that were enough in this world."

Daryl tried to focus on his breakfast again. "Y'seemed alright with Glenn."

"Glenn is a man who can take care of himself...Maggie too. They each have something they can give to one another to survive. Being a gentleman won't guarantee my daughters' survival. It would be nice but it won't do much. I don't worry about Maggie. She's proven me that. It's Beth I worry about."

"She don't get out enough," said Daryl. "Maybe she oughta go on a run or two. Get some experience."

"You know she's going to need more than that. I don't have many years left on me to be looking after her. What she really needs is someone who can assure her survival. I think what she needs is someone like you."

Daryl nearly choked on his meal when he heard this. Was Hershel serious? What was he thinking? Surely Zach could be competent out there if he went on one run. What did Hershel mean someone like him? Some rugged old redneck who's eaten squirrel raw, showers only on occasion, and didn't have more than a 6th grade education? Was that really the kind of man Hershel wanted for his teenage daughter? It took some time for Hershel to approve of Glenn being near Maggie. But Glenn was a normal young friendly type of guy. Daryl was the type of man that Hershel would be chasing off his farm with a shotgun.

He cleared his throat, hoping Hershel didn't notice. "You serious, man?"

Hershel laughed. "And why not? You know what it takes to survive out there. You've been shot with bullets and arrows and you're still standin'. Huntin' and trackin'...it's in your blood. But most of all, you're not just doing it for yourself. You look after other people. You care about them. I've known you long enough to know this. If I were to be completely honest with you Daryl...I'd trust you with Beth's safety more than any other being I've known in my long old life."

Now Daryl knew that Hershel was losing it. Not that Daryl wouldn't be willing to protect Beth. Of course he would. He would protect the others too. But Beth, he knew, was more vulnerable than most in this world...a near extinct species if you would call her type that. The idea that she was still alive after everything they've endure was in itself surreal.

"Trustin' me can be a crazy thing," said Daryl.

"I maybe old, but I'm not crazy just yet."

Daryl was getting too uncomfortable with this conversation. Normally, he wouldn't mind it but he felt uneasy by the context of him and Beth. He didn't know why. They were only as close as family could get though they didn't speak to each other much. She was a shy person and in a way...so was he. They were pretty much on the opposite ends of human beings as one could get.

He went back to his meal, hoping this would be the end of it.

"So what do you think?"

"Already told you 'bout Zach," Daryl said as he was chewing his food.

"I meant what do you think of Beth? You think she's pretty?"

Daryl choked on his food again. 'What the hell?' he thought. Why won't he stop asking him stuff about Beth? Where the hell was he going with this?

Hershel gave him a mischievous smile. "I can wait all night, Daryl."

Who knew that old man could be such an ass?

Michonne came up to their table. "You ready to go, Daryl?" She noticed he was having trouble with his food. "What's wrong with him?"

"I guess he didn't like what I was giving him," said Hershel.

Daryl looked at him in disbelief as he finally got his throat clear. "Come on, Daryl. Let's go." He would consider Michonne as lifesaver at that moment. Had she not come for him, he didn't know if he would survive the end of that entire conversation with Hershel, who now chuckled as they left.