A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! I'm very pleased you guys liked last chapter! It had some good moments between Beth and Daryl. This one, however, is a little different as they don't have any interaction at all. So I hope you all aren't too disappointed! Trust me, I have way more enjoyment when I can write their conversations and interactions, but unfortunately chapters like this one have to come up as well. Let me know what you guys think!

CHAPTER TWELVE

Concerns

Daryl was dreaming about her, the girl with long, golden hair. He was inside of an old, run down house and he could hear a piano playing somewhere, echoing in every direction. Although he could not see her, he knew that Beth was the one hitting the key strokes. No matter how long or how hard he searched, he could not find her.

In every room he investigated, a peculiar crow was perched on a piece of furniture, watching him carefully. Although it was a strange sighting, Daryl's main focus was on finding Beth and so he disregarded the bird. He even tried to call out her name, but no words could escape past his lips. Darkness blanketed every corner of the house, and the music (though the song was unrecognizable) became increasingly louder until it eventually stopped abruptly when he reached the family room. Daryl scanned the area carefully, until he heard a malevolent voice scream irritably at him.

"PATHETIC!"

He spun around to the source of the noise, but his vision was instantly obstructed by the crow that flew right in his face, clawing and pecking at his eyes. He managed to get away, feeling powerless to fight back. When Daryl reached the front door to escape and swung it open, a vision of Maggie stood at the porch with her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

"What have you done to her?" She asked angrily. Her voice reverberated loudly, causing the windows to suddenly shatter into pieces.

"I didn't do nothin'!" Daryl argued back, but Maggie lifted her arm and pointed behind his shoulder.

He turned around slowly; almost too afraid to see what she wanted to show him. A walker was slowly inching towards Daryl, growling with a deep hunger only someone on the brink of death could understand. It wasn't just any walker. It was Beth. Her skin was deformed, loosely dangling from her bones as her jaw snapped sharply. Her arms reached for him, and Daryl froze in utter shock. The pain of seeing her in such a state left him vulnerable and defenseless. The moment Beth's hands snatched him, her mouth opened and her black, rotted teeth sunk deep into the tender flesh of his neck.

Daryl awoke abruptly, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. He shot a glance beside him to see Beth sleeping soundly beneath the covers. Even with a messy head of hair, she was still as gorgeous as always. The gentle puffs of air that past her lips calmed him down as he drew out a sigh. Though annoyingly unsettling, it was just a dream. The feeling of waking up next to Beth, including a couple of times in the middle of the night, gave him warmth hard to forget. Daryl recalled searching for her on the bed after discovering that their bodies had moved away from each other since falling asleep, just so he could hold her once again. That desire for human connection with her was not something he expected of himself, and it left him confused on how he should handle it. It scared him half to death, but he also craved it, too. Daryl glanced at one of the windows in the bedroom, realizing that the light of the early morning was shining through the sheers.

Not wanting to disturb her, he quietly got up off the bed, deciding to depart without waking Beth up. Daryl didn't want to leave seeing a frown on her face, especially since he hated long, drawn-out goodbyes. Furthermore, Aaron was almost certainly waiting for Daryl's arrival to get started on their recruitment run. He snuck one last look at Beth before walking out, hoping that she wouldn't be too distraught when she eventually awoke to see that he had already left. What was outside the door, however, was someone he did not expect.

Once Daryl silently entered the hallway and shut the door behind him, Maggie happened to be standing outside halfway down the hall. She must've been heading towards the bathroom when he walked out. Her presence startled him, and he instantly felt disturbed at the remembrance of his ominous-like nightmare. Apart from that, he knew he was going to have a hard time explaining himself.

Maggie's mouth opened, knowing now that her speculation of something going on between Beth and Daryl was in fact accurate. She knitted her brow; her overprotected side brewed fiercer within her than before. "What were you doin' in my little sisters room?"

Daryl stood there speechless for several moments from her exasperation, but he quickly thought of something before Maggie's imagination got the better of her. "Beth was upset n' she wanted my company. Nothin' more."

Maggie shook her head in disbelief. "And what kind of company did you provide for her?"

Daryl had had enough as his anger grew by her persistent grilling. "None of yer business," he explained annoyingly as he walked past her, attempting to leave without any more questions on the subject. Of course, he knew damn well that she wouldn't be pleased with that answer and would most certainly not let him get off the hook that easily.

"I know she's old enough to decide on her own what she wants," Maggie clarified as she followed the redneck down the stairs. Daryl didn't answer as he snatched his crossbow off the wall where he left it the night before. "But I know my sister, and I know she's the kind of girl who wears her heart on her sleeve."

Daryl glanced around the room, realizing it was just the two of them awake at such an early hour. He figured it was around six in the morning. He looked back at her, his vision partly covered by the bangs that shielded his face. "What're you gettin' at?"

Maggie sighed with relief now that she had finally captured his attention, though his tone was still slightly agitated. "You are the complete opposite of her…from what I've seen at least."

"You're scared I'm gonna hurt her," Daryl stated matter-of-factly, now understanding the point she was trying to get at. He wasn't going to hide the truth that there was indeed something developing between him and Beth. Normally, someone would automatically turn on their defenses and argue about how wrong their statement was, but unfortunately Maggie was right.

"You two are very different in age," Maggie continued, attempting to be as careful with her words as possible. "You have plenty of more experiences than Beth. If you think you can support her…be with her in a loving way and never run from any fears you may have which would inevitably hurt her, then I can't stop you two. But if you have doubts…insecurities…then perhaps she is better off bein' with someone who can give her what she wants and needs in a relationship; someone who is maybe around the same age and head-space as her."

Daryl found himself staring at the floor, biting his bottom lip in contemplation. Hearing the word "relationship" startled him. Maggie knew him better than he thought she did. He nodded slowly before looking back up at the brunette. "Why tell this to me instead of Beth?"

Maggie shrugged before replying sincerely. "Because I know she won't listen to me. Like I said, Beth wears her heart on her sleeve, whereas you think more logically. I imagine you can make the right decision better than she could."

Daryl placed the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder, thinking about the girl upstairs down the hall, sleeping soundly and unaware. He wondered now more than ever what the argument last night between the two sisters was about, but he wasn't going to ask. Instead, he decided to high tail it out of there before they discussed anything further. "Thanks for the pep talk," Daryl said sarcastically. "I gotta go."

He didn't bother waiting for a response from Maggie as he left quite abruptly. The cool morning air was silent except for the light whistle of the breeze which stung his face after he exited the house. It gave him a sense of relief as he took long strides towards Aaron's place a few doors down. Daryl had to keep reminding himself of the night before; the way he felt when he held Beth in his arms. Though as much as he tried, that thought kept fading as other, more undesirable ones muddled his brain from the conversation he had with Maggie a few moments prior.

Though Maggie did not necessarily say it in words, she was right in a lot of ways. Daryl had too many bad experiences in his past, ones that damaged him in ways that could not be mended. However, although being Beth's opposite, she was the only one that has helped him see things differently—more positively. Daryl's greatest fear was ultimately breaking her heart because of his own uncertainties and characteristics of being a loner, but most importantly his inexperience of knowing how to be in an actual relationship. He had to think about the long run—which was something he never thought hard about before. Last night he was optimistic and certain that this thing he had with Beth could work, but now the conversation with Maggie gave him doubts once again, reawakening the more rational side of him that he was slowly becoming blind to. Daryl was thankful he had a chance to at least be separated from Beth to mull things over for the next few days.

. . .

Beth woke up with a smile on her face, feeling like she was floating in defiance of gravity. Though it was a little disappointing to open her eyes and not see Daryl by her side, she expected it to happen. She knew he had to leave quite early in the morning, so she wasn't too bothered about his disappearance. All that occupied her mind was the thought that her and Daryl slept soundly in each other's arms the night before. Her heart fluttered like a little girl who anticipated the arrival of Christmas morning.

After changing out of her sweats, Beth raced down the stairs with her face beaming with happiness. She could smell the scent of pancakes being made, and followed her nose into the kitchen. Rick, Judith, Carl and Michonne were already there, waiting somewhat patiently as Carol flipped over the chocolate chip pancakes in a large frying pan. Beth instantly plucked a kiss on Judith's cheek as her smile remained evident on her lips.

"Someone's happy," Carl chuckled as he watched her tie her blonde hair up into a ponytail, unaware of why she was so cheerful.

Beth shrugged as she placed her hands onto the island counter and made a quick scan of the room. "Why shouldn't I be? Livin' here makes it easy to forget the world outside." Though she didn't want to reveal what actually caused her happiness, it was also factual that living in Alexandria kept her spirits up in a way that no other place had.

"That may be true," Rick replied as he bounced Judith on his hip. "But I worry about how safe we really are. These people don't know much about what it's like out there. It makes me wonder how they were able to survive for this long."

"They must be doin' something right," Beth shrugged, frowning in disapproval at how much of a bummer Rick could be.

Suddenly, they all heard someone barrel down the stairs followed by loud footfalls that sprinted into the kitchen. "Oh, pancakes!" Glenn shouted joyfully as he appeared around the corner. The whole room roared with laughter.

"You're gonna need the energy today going on that supply run," Carol pointed out as she smiled behind her shoulder after the laughs subsided.

Maggie quietly sauntered into the kitchen after Glenn, wanting to join in on his enthusiasm but also held the guilt of what she did yesterday evening. She glanced over at Beth, hoping to witness some reconciliation through just a look as the two sisters normally did when one was mad at the other. Eventually they both caught each other's eyes, and the blonde smiled. Beth was too happy to care about the white lie her sister told her, and it honestly didn't matter anymore.

By the time the afternoon arrived, Glenn, Noah, Eugene and the others left on their supply run and where expected back by early evening. Noah made a point to apologize to Beth before he left, hoping that the dinner the night before didn't put a strain on their growing friendship. Though he was very adamant about it, his face was riddled with disappointment, probably because he had hoped Maggie invited him only for the very reason that Beth wanted him there. Unfortunately, she had her sights on somebody else.

Several times throughout the day, Beth found herself staring at the entrance gate, wondering where Daryl was and hoping that he'd make it back with Aaron all in one piece. She would have to think and worry about that for the next few days. That awareness made her cringe. Beth made up her mind; she was going to talk to Deanna about going out past the wall with Aaron next time instead of gardening like she was asked. She didn't know what kind of response she would get, but anticipated that the older lady would be accommodating to it. Perhaps Daryl wouldn't be too happy about it, but Beth couldn't tolerate standing around stressing about it all the time. He was her companion after all—it was just him and her for several months. What would be so different about then and now?

Beth eventually found herself standing in front of the Monroe house, her hand clenching to a fist when she knocked on the door. It took a few seconds before she heard footsteps reaching the threshold.

"Oh, hello Beth! It's good to see you," Deanna said cheerfully when she opened the door, but her eyes were hardened with worry—most likely for her son Aiden who was out on the supply run. "Come on in. Would you like some tea?"

The blonde smiled shyly as she entered the house. The place no longer smelled like delicious lasagna, but instead carried a faint scent of clean laundry. "No, thank you."

"I wanted to apologize again for my slipup last night," Dianna spoke sincerely after she shut the door. "You were very quiet afterwards and I felt awful for causing you any embarrassment."

Beth shook her head. "It's okay, really. It was a simple mistake that anyone could make," she said as she was lead into the living room. The house seemed quiet, and she figured Spencer and Reg were out somewhere doing errands in the community.

"Oh good, I'm glad that didn't start us off on the wrong foot," Deanna said with a smile as they sat down on the couch. She studied Beth, and recognized that she appeared to be uneasy about something. "How have you been? You have the same apprehension in your expressions that I do."

Beth shrugged as she let out a weak smile in return. "I jus' have some things on my mind."

Deanna cocked her head in curiosity. "Well, we can talk about it if you like."

"That's…sorta why I came here today. I wanted to talk to you about the job you offered me," Beth felt the guilt beginning to develop inside her, knowing that she would decline even though they needed more people to help out.

Deanna nodded her head, accepting the fact that the blonde would refuse. She already knew what her answer would be since the night before. Her reactions made it clear. "You don't want to work in the garden, and I completely understand that."

Beth widened her eyes in surprise. "You knew?"

Deanna chuckled lightheartedly at the young woman's astonishment. "Well, you didn't exactly jump for joy when I brought it up, so it wasn't hard to figure out. Is there anything you would like to do instead?"

Beth felt her heart jump, realizing that this was her chance. "There was something…" she began, though hesitated briefly as she wondered what she was getting herself into. "I was hopin' I could join Aaron and Daryl on their runs to find other survivors."

Deanna knitted her brow as she stared at Beth, a little taken aback by the unexpected appeal. She didn't take the blonde as someone who would want to go outside the wall. It was impressive, but as Deanna pondered for several seconds, she wondered if there was perhaps an underlying reason behind it. She decided to innocently nudge for answers. "I must say I'm quite surprised by your request. I never perceived you as someone who would be interested in a task as dangerous as that. Can I ask why?"

Without meaning to, Beth began to feel the heat rise in her cheeks as she shrugged. She hoped her blushing wouldn't be a noticeable sight. "I just believe there are good people out there that need to be saved."

Deanna smirked playfully as she noticed the blonde's face flush with a crimson shade. "You came here today feeling troubled. Are you by any chance worried about Daryl?"

"No!" Beth said abruptly out of surprise as she moved forward to the edge of her seat, but then realized that her reaction made her look even guiltier. "I mean yes, but—"

Deanna was unable to hold in a laugh which interrupted the blonde's explanations. "It's okay Beth; I'm not going to judge you. Daryl is the quiet and mysterious type which happens to intrigue many women. Maggie told me that you two were surviving on your own together for quite some time before you all found each other. I could see how feelings would develop."

"Yes…" Beth's voice trailed off, still feeling a little embarrassed but also relieved. Deanna was the first person to figure out her feelings for the redneck, at least that's what she thought. "Please don't tell anyone. I don't know if they would be as understanding as you."

Deanna waved her hand in front of her. "Oh, of course I wouldn't, it's not my business. Does Daryl feel the same way for you?"

Beth smiled slightly, remembering last night. "I believe so," her tone was giddy with excitement.

"Well, then it shouldn't matter what others think. You do what makes you happy," Deanna smiled cheerfully, pleased that she could voice her opinion on the subject. "Now, as far as going on runs, that's really up to Aaron. He prefers a small group of two so it's less intimidating to other survivors. However, I could put in a good word for you," she winked slyly at the blonde. "As far as needing more gardeners go, you don't need to worry about that. We'll manage."

Beth's smile turned into a grin, grateful for the older woman's thoughtfulness. "Thank you."

Deanna opened her mouth to reply, but she barely got a word out when they heard the engine of a van driving past the house towards the garage where they kept all the supplies. It was Glenn's group. Deanna and Beth stood up abruptly, looked at each other once, and then rushed out the door. Both of them knew what the other was thinking without having to say a word as they raced to the vehicle which was now parked beside the garage. Aiden hopped out of the driver's door, giving Deanna an instant feeling of relief. Maggie met up beside Beth who both stood impatiently behind the van as the back doors swung open. Everyone climbed out, including Glenn who was sitting in the passenger seat. Maggie gripped him into a tight hug and kissed him on the lips. Everyone seemed to be accounted for, except for one.

"Where's Nicholas?" Deanna asked, though she already feared the answer.

Glenn cleared his throat. "He was—"

"He was ambushed by biters. He didn't make it," Aiden interrupted rudely. "We got what we wanted though. Alexandria won't be running out of power any time soon."

"I'll start installing them parts and get the solar grid back up and runnin' like usual," Eugene blurted out, attempting not to think back on the horrors he faced on their trip which ultimately led to Nicholas' death.

It wasn't until Beth, Maggie, Noah and Glenn reached the house thirty minutes later that the two sisters started prodding for answers about what happened. Glenn was adamant that he didn't want to start explaining the grisly details until they got inside. The blonde figured that there was something that Aiden did not mention previously. Beth and Maggie both stood quietly in curiosity as they listened.

Glenn proceeded to explain that Aiden had deserted Nicholas who was trapped underneath a large, heavy shelf that had fallen on top of him, ultimately crushing his leg. There was a herd of walkers shuffling closer, but he and Noah figured if the four of them worked together, they'd have enough time to help him before they escaped. However, Aiden negated the idea, threatening that if they didn't go with him at that very moment, he'd take the van and leave them all there to fend for themselves.

"We had no choice but to go with him," Glenn explained, though the sadness and guilt was evident in his eyes. "Aiden is an asshole…among other things."

"I won't forget Nicholas' screams behind us when the walkers got to him," Noah added, collapsing exhaustively into the sofa. "They echoed through the entire building."

"That's horrible…" Beth said as her brow knitted in antipathy. Goosebumps rose onto the surface of her skin.

Maggie scoffed as she looked at her husband. "No wonder he interrupted you when you tried to explain to Deanna what happened."

Glenn nodded with a frown. "Not like we could do anything anyway. Aiden is her son, and she's the one person we can't touch. That means her family, too."

"Should we tell Rick and the others?" Noah looked at the three of them as he anxiously bounced his right knee repeatedly.

"I think we should keep it to ourselves for now," Beth said after a brief moment of thought. "Rick might do somethin' we'd all regret."

"We'll keep an eye on Aiden," Glenn agreed. "But if he pulls something else like that on any of us, something has to be done about it."

. . .

Daryl and Aaron had been out on the road for three days since they left Alexandria. They combed areas around the vicinity until they eventually reached the outskirts of Calverton, a small town 52 and a half miles away from their community. Still, they had no luck finding any survivors. The only moving bodies they saw were the dead ones. Their hollow, blank stares glowered in resentment and loneliness, their unsated hunger growled fiercely in the pits of their stomachs.

The nights were colder than they were two weeks ago, and Daryl was glad he remembered to pack his scruffy, red and brown patterned poncho. The trees were practically bare, their branches clawing effortlessly into the steel grey sky from the gentle breeze flowing through the air as the last few leaves held on desperately. Daryl saw that as an analogy to his own life and the many others who struggled to keep on living. Riding his motorcycle gave him a sense of ease, even though each walker he spotted only reminded him of the cruel reality of life as it was now. He stayed close behind Aaron who had been leading the way since they started, driving the 1998 Lincoln Town Car.

The two parked their vehicles on Bastable Mill Road and decided to travel on foot as they so often did when they reached a town. Trees and fields surrounded all sides of them, until they eventually reached an intersection that comprised of a small market and several houses. There wasn't much else around since the area was only a farming community. They figured they wouldn't find anything there, but it was worth a shot. Only a couple of walkers were spotted, so there was nothing overly intimidating nearby.

Daryl didn't share too many words with Aaron throughout the trip. The guy was way too placid for his liking. Not that it was a bad thing, but Daryl knew he was like that only because he had never experienced anything emotionally traumatizing since the walker disease started. Aaron has never slept with one eye open, afraid of any lingering threats that loomed over his head. He never even knew how it felt to have a loved one murdered or killed at the hands of another human or walker, which Aaron disclosed to the redneck yesterday. Being an only child, he never had any close family and his parents had passed away well before the world went to chaos. The only person Aaron had was his boyfriend. Daryl envied him in some ways, hating the fear of watching someone else he cared about die, and consumed by the visions of those who were already gone. And then there was Beth…

Losing her was now Daryl's greatest fear of all. He thought about her several times during the trip, usually in the evenings when he was no longer constantly moving throughout the day. He reflected back on the night before he left, and what Maggie said to him early the next morning. Daryl wanted to make things work, he truly did. However, he just couldn't trust himself and the baggage he carried. It was a hefty load weighing him down, and he didn't want to burden Beth with his problems. Daryl let the thoughts of her sink in for a brief moment, until something suddenly caught his attention.

He and Aaron were walking towards the Calverton market when Daryl spotted a single crow perched on a power line. It was cawing loudly, with a mixture of hoarse and grated coos, sounding as though it were laughing manically at them. Aaron thought nothing of it; in fact he didn't even venture a glance in its direction. However, Daryl stared the bird down, squinting his eyes in irritation and displeasure.

"You okay Daryl?" Aaron had caught on to the redneck's disturbance.

"It's that damn crow," Daryl announced annoyingly as he nodded in the direction of the bird once they reached the front of the store.

Aaron knitted his brow and let out a confused smile. "What about it?"

"It's fucking aggravating," Daryl replied with a grunt. All it reminded him of was his dream he had several nights ago, and it pissed him off.

Aaron chuckled slightly as he shrugged. "That's a crow for you," he said as he began walking away from the redneck towards the door of the market. "Come on, we should check inside and see if there's anything useful."

Daryl didn't reply. He stood in his spot, studying the crow obsessively. If it wasn't for his dream, he wouldn't have thought anything of it. Aaron placed his hands on his hips as he watched Daryl curiously. It relieved him once the redneck finally broke contact from the bird and gave the man with curly hair a side look, but that's when things got a little crazy. The crow flapped its wings as it entered in flight and began soaring down the road. Daryl snapped his attention back at the animal, and instantly bolted in its direction, following in pursuit.

"Daryl!" Aaron yelled after him, but it was no use. He sighed, deciding to go after his companion.

Daryl didn't quite understand why he opted to chase after the bird, but something in his gut told him to do it. He followed it for a good ten minutes; over train tracks, a field and eventually another road. He began to question himself, wondering why on earth he was following a dumb crow. But once Daryl reached the road, the bird flew off into a tree and a sudden, blood curling scream emitted from the direction of a storage facility across the street. Both Daryl and Aaron stopped in their tracks, giving each other a horrifying look of apprehension.