Sorry

Premise: set during episode 2x12 "Better Angels" from where Daryl goes to take a piss. A scene where Daryl and Beth speak to each other for the first time.

Genre: General/Friendship


"I'm gonna go take a piss." Daryl tossed the map inside upon seeing Shane's return. He knew he and Rick would need to talk about things and he didn't want to get involved. After everything that's happened, after losing Dale, he was tired of getting involved.

He made his retreat into the house. "Thought I'd be a gentleman and ask to use yer can," he told Patricia.

"I'm getting the downstairs' ones ready," she said. "You can use the one upstairs, third door on the right."

Daryl felt awkward about going to the second floor. Sure, he was a guest in the house now but he wasn't going to overstay his welcome. His plan was to volunteer for outdoor watch at night. He sure didn't feel comfortable about sleeping in these beds after his accident with Nervous Nellie.

When he got to the second floor, his eyes darted a quick glance to an opened room on the left.

"We need to talk about what happened to you."

"What's there to talk about, Jimmy? I told you I'm fine! I'm still alive, aren't I? I didn't go through with it."

Daryl quickened his pace to the bathroom thankful that he wasn't spotted. That young teenage couple angst was not something he wanted to be in earshot of, and worse yet, he knew was it was about. That girl, Beth, the one he wouldn't fetch her daddy for, tried to kill herself recently. And the only reason he knew about it was because Lori and Andrea had a screaming match about it as soon as they returned to camp.

The argument between the couple continued once Daryl closed the door and went to do his business. Even focusing on the sound of his own urinating failed to drown out the indistinct yelling that he could still hear from down the hall.

'Good Lord,' he thought. Drama in the house. Drama in the camp. He was never going to escape from this, was he? He was almost tempted to yell as those two love birds to shut the hell up but that would only add fuel to the fire, he assumed.

Before he even stepped out the door, he could hear Jimmy said "we're not done talking about this!" Then he stomped downstairs to help the others with the move. Daryl then cautiously began walking towards the stairway but his damn instincts forced him to take a quick glance into the bedroom where the fight occurred. He suddenly realized that his feet had stopped moving just short of the stairs.

Goddammit.

He had to catch of glimpse of that girl crying and now for some reason he couldn't escape the second floor of the house. He sighed, then cursed himself, then took a few steps back taking a peak into the bedroom. Beth was struggling to make beds but it was a difficult task with those teenage hormones of hers.

Then he noticed the bandage around her wrist.

Goddamit, again.

Even with the door wide open, Beth failed to notice him until he lightly tapped on the doorframe. Beth looked up at him bewildered, then quickly scrambled to pull the sleeves of her denim jacket down to hide the bandage and then wipe her tear stricken eyes.

"Um...hey."

"Hey," said Daryl. He paused unable to find the right words or feelings for the moment. "Lori wanted me to get yer dad when ye had that...shock. But I wouldn't do it." He lowered his head in genuine guilt. "I had my head stuck up my ass with my own shit when I shoulda been helpin' ye. Anyway...just wanted to say sorry."

Beth understood immediately. "It's okay."

"Don't make it right. I can be an ass sometimes in case ye couldn't tell."

Daryl began to step back hoping to make a hasty retreat.

"Was she your daughter?"

He stopped. Sophia. That was a name that was going to haunt him for the rest of his apocalyptic days. "Nah," he said. "She was just...someone I thought I could help."

"Is everything alright here, Beth?"

Daryl jumped and turned around. 'Jesus,' he thought. Jimmy knew how to sneak up on a man.

"It's fine," said Beth.

Jimmy then glared at Daryl. "You lookin' for the bathroom?"

"Already did." said Daryl. "How's bout you move so I can get back downstairs?" Jimmy then stepped aside so Daryl could leave. "What the hell?" said Jimmy. "Was he hitting on you?"

Beth started to laugh a bit for the first time in a while. "Oh God, Jimmy! Don't be ridiculous!"

The conflict between the two teenagers would never get fully resolved because that night disaster would strike the farmhouse.