A/N: This is my shortest chapter yet, so I apologize! I know I promised them to be longer, but I wrote these over a year ago and it isn't until chapter six when they start getting over 4k words each. Look at this one as a filler, if you will. I will post chapter five tomorrow instead of waiting a day and a half or so like usual. I waited quite a while before I started posting chapters of Love and Survival on here because I wanted to get ahead. I also had a really long break from this story, but now I'm in full swing!

CHAPTER FOUR

Beth awoke the next morning with an unexpected surprise. She had almost forgotten about falling asleep on Daryl when she had first opened her eyes, but now she was lying on the ground with a blanket on top of her. Her body was facing the campfire and she had undoubtedly felt a presence behind her, along with subtle puffs of air that tickled her neck. Beth turned her head and torso, noticing Daryl sleeping close beside her. From the first night they spent alone together until now, they had never slept side by side. She felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest from the surprise of his presence, but when she studied the innocence in his features it had comforted her nerves and she drew out a smile.

When Beth turned her whole body around to face him, Daryl slowly opened his eyes. The small gap between them had startled him, realizing that he must have moved closer to her during his sleep. Perhaps his body sought out the warmth from the one beside him. Almost instantly he wanted to stand up in fear of the situation and also of what she might think, but something held him back.

It was her smile. Their faces were only inches away from each other, and Beth was watching him closely but with such tenderness that it stilled him. She said something to him—something about the morning but he wasn't paying attention. He was stuck in some transparent state of affection that she was somehow not aware of. Perhaps she didn't expect it, but then again neither did he.

"Daryl?" Beth chuckled, almost confusingly as he didn't respond to her.

Hearing his name, he quickly snapped back into reality. "Uh, yeah… right. The morning…" He stood suddenly, brushing the dust off his pants which had only puzzled Beth more.

"Thank you, by the way," she blurted out as she sat up and the sheet fell to her thighs, catching his attention.

Daryl cocked his head when he looked down at her with his hair partly covering his right eye, "For what?"

"For giving me your blanket," she stated matter-of-factly, "That's what you did, right?"

Daryl shrugged, not really expecting her to figure it out. "You were cold."

Beth smiled shyly. "You didn't have to do it."

"I know, but I wanted to."

Before she could say another word, he grabbed his crossbow and hung it over his shoulder, then quickly afterwards proceeded to tell the group that he was leaving to find breakfast. This left Beth to pounder in thought about their short conversation, realizing that he told her the same words she had said to him last night about helping him with his swelled up eye. Beth figured that this was Daryl's way of repaying her, or perhaps he was just showing his true colors of a gentleman she always knew he was. Either way, it definitely made her morning.

"He left in a hurry," Carol specified with a chuckle while she was re-lighting the campfire.

"I think I might join him," Tyreese added, standing up from the ground while fixing the knife in his sheath.

After he left, Beth walked up to Judith who sat comfortably in her baby carrier. "Can I hold her?"

Carol glanced at Beth, almost dumbfounded by the question. "Of course you can. She's all of ours."

When Beth picked up Judith, the baby became attached to her instantly, just like in the prison. It was as though they had never separated. Judith laughed and gurgled when Beth began making funny faces, but she only did it for a minute or so before she decided to start asking Carol some questions.

"So how long do you think it will be before we get to Terminus?" Beth asked curiously, attempting to avoid Judith's tugging on her ponytail.

Carol shrugged as she fiddled with her task. "Mmm, another day at least, judging by the maps."

Beth knitted her brow with mystification. "Maps?"

Carol nodded as she finally got the fire going and then turned her head to look at Beth, "There are maps pinned underneath every sign we have come across. They obviously want people to get there quickly without any trouble of finding them."

"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" Beth smiled as she felt the urge to get underway.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. We just don't know how old those signs are," Carol mirrored the younger woman's expression. She didn't want to dampen Beth's mood, but she still remained uncertain about the whole ordeal. After a few seconds of silence, Carol continued to talk but attempted to change the subject. "I hope those two will be able to catch a lot of rabbits or squirrels. I'm starved, and cans of vegetables just doesn't quite do it for me."

Beth chuckled slightly. "Yeah, me too," she agreed as she felt a grumble deep within the pit of her stomach, but grabbed a container of preserved fruit to tie her down until Daryl and Tyreese returned. Hunger was something she would never be able to get used to.

...

They had already been on the tracks for a couple hours when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Things kept quiet for the most part, except for the birds chirping which were reminiscent of what the world used to be. It gave them a sense of normalcy right up until they would bump into the next walker down their path. One walker meant nothing; in fact they were quite pathetic on their own. It was the packs that were the most intimidating.

Beth wasn't the one who wanted to be the first to complain about her legs and feet as they probably expected it of her, but she was feeling ready for a break. They had been walking for quite some time, and the others didn't seem like they'd ever stop. However, before she could speak up, someone beat her to it.

"Hold up," Daryl announced as he pushed ahead of them; stopping when he reached a sign that had been nailed to a post, "It's one of them signs you were talkin' about." He scanned closely at the words before reading them aloud, "'those who arrive survive.'"

"They've all been sayin' that," Tyreese explained as he caught up to Daryl, "I want to believe it's true."

Beth was listening closely, but her eyes were staring down at her feet. A chocolate bar wrapper was poking out from beneath her shoe. It was an odd sighting to see something like this in the middle of nowhere looking spotless and brand new, and the fact that it could have been just a coincidence seemed out of the question. Someone was here recently, but before she could think about it any further, Carol snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Looks like we have company," Carol wielded her knife instantaneously as she spoke and faced the walkers that approached them.

Beth followed with her own blade as Daryl took out his crossbow. Tyreese remained still, not wanting to join in. He had done enough killing since yesterday as far as he was concerned. There were only four walkers, so it would be easy enough for the three of them to do the job. If he were to be named a coward, he didn't care.

"Tyreese?" Carol questioned the man behind them as she looked around her shoulder, her brow knitted in confusion.

"I'd like to sit this one out," he replied as Daryl and Beth had now casted a puzzling look at him, "Please." He was still stricken by the deaths of Lizzie and Mika.

Beth glanced at Carol who nodded slowly in understanding before they turned once again at the trifling threat in front of them. Almost instantly, Daryl aimed his crossbow and released a bolt; watching it fly straight through the forehead of the walker that was missing an arm. Before he could take out another, Beth had already rushed in, causing his heart to beat rapidly with startling worry. Carol followed in pursuit; grabbing the neck of a female walker and stabbing it stiffly in its temple. Beth did merely the same thing only with a little more trouble. When the walker fell, the blonde barely kept her balance as she still held onto her knife which was embedded deeply into the walker's skull. It only made Daryl's heart pound more as he witnessed the last walker attempting to grab at Beth which then successfully got a hold of her wrist. Without another thought, he put an arrow in place and aimed carefully but swiftly; he did not hesitate as he pulled the trigger.

Beth was trying to pull away, but when the bolt pierced the walker's head, the sudden release of its grasp made her fall over on her ass. Carol was already behind her, prepared to strike when Daryl's arrow got to it first.

"Are you alright?" Carol asked alarmingly as she grabbed Beth's hand to help her get onto her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Beth replied with a tinge of embarrassment; not wanting to talk about it further as she brushed herself off.

Daryl ran up to them only to bend down and jerk Beth's knife out of the walker's skull. Without reluctance he took out his red bandana from his pocket and wiped the blade of any blood before carefully handing it back to Beth. He looked at her briefly, and her eyes glossed over staring right back. Her chest was still heaving from the exhilaration of the events just moments before. It wasn't until she began to smile that his stomach fluttered uncontrollably.

"Beth can handle herself," Daryl spoke gently; forcing himself not to smirk back as he turned away to finish up collecting his bolts. He didn't dare look at her again until the sensation inside of him died down.

Beth's smile widened even more at Daryl's compliment. Despite the fact that he walked away before she could even make a response, his obvious blushing catered to her satisfaction. Carol only chuckled to herself before returning to Tyreese's side which was then followed by silence.

It wasn't long before the group continued on again, and Beth had merely forgotten about the pain in her legs and feet altogether. The only thing she seemed to take notice of was Daryl walking only a few paces ahead of her as his crossbow hung lazily on his hip. The way he held himself as he took every stride gave her flutters inside her stomach. This man was beginning to drive her crazy; the good crazy.

...

It was a few more hours before the sun began to set, tinting the sky with hues of red and oranges. As much as Beth wanted to stand out and watch the marvellous view from the open field, the others wanted to remain hidden amongst the trees. The branches blocked most of her vision to the sky, casting her group in the shadows and away from possible danger. When the moon appeared, the cold chill came with it hand in hand.

They settled quickly, doing their nightly ritual of laying blankets, starting a fire and cooking what little scrapes they had. Daryl made sure he caught a couple rabbits before dark, but the meal didn't get very far between the four of them. Luckily they still had some baby food for Judith and a few more cans of beans and vegetables, but even that they were running low on. As much as Daryl was pleased to be reunited with Carol and Tyreese, he couldn't help but think about how food never seemed to be too much of a problem when it was just him and Beth.

As the night carried on, Daryl offered to take watch, keeping himself distant from the rest of the group as he leaned heavily against a tree trunk. Beth watched him from time to time, finding it rather difficult to fall asleep. It bothered her that he hadn't spoken a word to her since their encounter with the walkers. He didn't even exchange glances with her. Beth figured he was avoiding her, but she had no idea why. This frustrated her beyond belief, so she decided it was best just to talk to him and get this paranoia off her chest.

Beth stood up and marched over to Daryl, feeling confident as she did. However, when she reached him, she realized she didn't quite know what to say. Beth was at a loss for words and before she knew it, the man she came to confront was staring right at her. His bangs messily covered his brow.

"Hey," Beth cleared her throat, feeling a little shy. Her agitation grew weak with his concerned expressions.

Daryl nodded as he regarded her, and then looked back at his feet, barely being able to hold a stare. He could feel his mouth already beginning to dry up from her presence.

Beth wanted to retort instantly by his lack of response, but she held it in. "Is everythin' alright?"

Daryl held his tongue for a moment, contemplating on her question and how he could answer. He was a little surprised by how Beth was beginning to understand his actions and emotions just like Carol had. Usually he hid that well from people. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Beth huffed lightly as she brushed a golden lock out of her eyes, knowing full well that he was avoiding her question. She usually let it go, but this time she was eager, just like that night at the Funeral Home. "You're not fine. I'm not stupid ya know."

Daryl shot her a glance at the word she used and his tone softened. "I know you're not stupid. You're far from it." The last thing he wanted was for her to believe he thought that.

Beth's stomach fluttered once again as she felt her cheeks begin to burn whilst under his stare. "You've been distant today," she pointed out matter-of-factly, trying to forget the sudden feelings that stirred inside her.

Daryl shrugged as he shifted his weight against the tree trunk. He wanted her to say more, but the following silence told him that she was waiting for a response. "I don't mean to be."

"Can I ask why?" Beth was beginning to feel anxious as she crossed her arms.

Daryl rubbed the side of his face with his hand for a brief moment, wishing he could just walk away, or perhaps disappear altogether. He didn't want this conversation because talking about personal topics like this one was just not his forte. Within twenty seconds of silence, he thought about saying something a few times, but his mouth could never open. Instead, he looked back down at his feet, feeling defeated and somewhat annoyed. He wasn't sure if he was annoyed by Beth's prodding or because he was too chicken shit to answer her. It was most likely a bit of both.

Beth felt a wave of disappointment splash over her by his quiet demeanor. "I guess that's a no," she sighed, "But if I did somethin' wrong then I feel I have the right to know, Daryl."

His eyes looked up by the sound of his name rolling off her tongue. Once again she spoke with false accusation about what he thought. Daryl finally decided to cast a side glance in her direction. "You did nothin' wrong Beth, its jus' me."

Beth chuckled half-heartedly. "The 'it's not you, it's me' scenario? I get it."

"You could put it that way," Daryl shrugged, "It's just what it is."

"I thought things had changed between us—I thought we could talk about stuff," Beth's voice began to heighten in a higher, more emotional tone. "Our last few nights alone together—"

"This is different. I can't explain it," Daryl interrupted her, shaking his head as he finally lifted himself off the tree.

Beth knitted her brow. "But it's to do with me?"

Daryl kicked the dirt with his right foot. Why did she have to know everything? Better yet, how was she able to have such an effect on him? He began to chew on his bottom lip, feeling smothered by her questions. He could feel her curious stare burning his skin as he looked up to see her features being lit up from the moon. "Beth…"

She nodded suddenly. "Okay, I get the hint that you don't want to talk about it. It's just frustratin' is all. I'm sorry…"

The same irritating strand of hair that fell a couple minutes ago had fallen down once again across Beth's cheek. As she went to instinctively sweep it back, Daryl had surprisingly beaten her to it. She felt the roughness of his palm lightly brush against her cheek as he did the task. Instead of pulling his hand away right afterwards, his fingers lingered behind her ear as his thumb softly caressed the area under her cheekbone.

Beth's heart began to race, but she couldn't help but wonder about his motives. However, she wasn't going to ask him another question. Instead, she closed her eyes in the contentment of his touch. Perhaps this was his way of trying to explain what was going on without having to say it. Wild notions began brewing inside her head, and she pondered about his affections for her. Perhaps this was why he avoided Beth throughout the second part of the day. Maybe he was realizing how he felt for her.

"You should get some sleep," Daryl said as he slowly parted his hand from her cheek, "I'm the one doin' the night watch, remember?"

Beth opened her eyes hazily as she smiled blissfully in his direction. She hesitated for only a moment before she replied. "Okay. Good night Daryl."

He nodded as she turned and walked away. As he watched her lay down on the empty blanket by the campfire, Daryl had wondered if maybe he made a mistake caressing Beth's cheek the way he did. He didn't realize what he was doing until it was already too late. But maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. Either way, he had all evening and early parts of the morning to think about; just as long as trouble didn't decide to show up.

Daryl sighed, knowing full well that it was going to be a long night.