AUTHOR'S NOTE
This chapter is completely AU and does not follow the television series whatsoever. As stated in the content warning of the first chapter this story has rape content and this chapter has that. So if that material bothers you then please do not read beyond this point. There is graphic sexual content in this chapter and language, Daryl's in the story enough said.

Thank you to my guest reviews that I could not answer personally. Your review meant a lot thank you.

8 months later…

There was still no sign of the others. That night at the shack they decided to stick together, no more groups, no more strangers. They had to travel a while longer after that night to find a suitable place to attempt to settle. An old hunting cabin big enough for the two of them to be comfortable. It was near a creek, secluded, but close enough to a town so they could make runs. They found a car so they wouldn't have to lug everything on their backs on the big runs. But they still went on foot some times to spare gas for the smaller runs.

Daryl hunted once or twice a week but he never stayed out overnight. If he didn't find anything then he came back before nightfall as best he could. He didn't want Beth to be alone for too long in case other people came along. From the training he had been giving her and the traps they had set around the property he felt it was safe enough to leave her for a day but that was it. They had been talking about finding some fencing to put around the property to help fortify it from walkers, and people.

Few months back they had a run in with a group in town. A group of three men they had to haul up with till a herd of walkers passed. They were your typical post outbreak men. Society had regressed to the point where money was good for nothing but kennel and women were a prized commodity. Things were tense but agreeable to begin with but as time passed the men became antsy. Daryl didn't like how they were eyeing Beth. He knew what they were thinking and he didn't like it. The decision to risk dealing with the herd or kill the men was getting closer and closer.

"How much longer do you think?" Beth whispered from beside Daryl as she glanced at the men across the room. There was a time she would have tried to get Daryl to let them come back with them, try to form another group, but not now. She had got so used to just being with Daryl when they came across other people it made her nervous ever since the prison. She wanted to believe there were good people left but she was starting to believe Daryl more and more. The good ones don't survive. As double standard as it might sound their group was the only good people, if they were still alive.

Daryl shifted closer to her out of reflex. "Don't know." He didn't like how the guys started to talk amongst themselves. He sighed in frustration and shifted even closer to Beth with his back to her front. "You need to be ready." He felt her shift for her knife and reached down to ready his own. He would do what he had to protect Beth. One of the men from the group stepped forward closer to them.

"Hey man, we were just talking and uh, was wondering if we could…"

"…no." Daryl lifted his crossbow.

The guy held up his hands. "Easy man we don't want no trouble. We was just wonderin' if we could borrow your lady friend. You know how hard it is to find a decent woman these days and we'd be much obliged, we wouldn't' hurt her."

Daryl clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on the crossbow. "You ain't touchin' her." He decided it was time to leave or things were going to get ugly, fast. He started to back up against her and she followed his lead.

The guy rushed forward. "Whoa come on man!"

Daryl aimed and shook his head. "Don't do this…" he let the words hang between them. It was the only warning the guy was going to get. Daryl wanted to kill them just for even thinking they could have Beth.

The man's whole demeanor changed and Daryl knew what was about to happen. Within the blink of an eye Daryl put a bolt through the guys right eye and had his knife unsheathed and across the room at the other two assailants before they knew what happened. He stabbed the next one in the head then grabbed the other around the throat and shoved him against the wall and stabbed him in the head. He dropped to the floor and Daryl stepped back breathing heavily as he stared down at the men. He looked over at Beth as she walked to the window.

"Maybe we can get out the back? Take the long way?" she looked at the men on the floor and Daryl, with no judgment in her eyes, just sad understanding.

After that Daryl had been over protective and didn't like to have Beth out of sight or earshot. Over the last eight months a much stronger bond formed between them. Daryl wasn't sure what it was but he knew what it wasn't. She wasn't a kid, she wasn't his little sister and she was definitely more than just a companion to share company with. She hadn't been a kid for a long time. After the farm and especially after baby Judith was born. She had become Lil Ass Kicker's momma from day one without complaint and he knew she loved that little girl like she was her own. On more than one occasion he had praised her abilities to her father, Rick, everyone that she was capable. Back on the farm when she was a minor and a kid he didn't pay her much attention. He hardly paid any of them attention. He was too busy trying to keep himself distant after what happened to Sophia.

Wasn't till after the farm when they scavenged for nearly nine months did he take much notice to her. Even then he didn't try to get to know her, but he did observe her a bit more when he thought he could without being noticed. He always chalked it up to her being the youngest female in the group and he was a guy that hadn't been with a woman in quit a long time before the outbreak. Natural curiosity got the better of him on occasion but he managed to keep it in check. Hell, truth be told he looked at all the women in the group, but the only one at the time he remotely considered was Carol. The whole ordeal with Sophia is what bonded them together.

Then they found the prison, sanctuary, a permanent place to call their own. Their first night Carol playfully flirted with him, he knew that, but it still scared the shit out of him. He told her to stop fooling around as they were headed back to the group sitting around the fire. That's when he heard her voice for the first time. The voice of an angel and Maggie wasn't too bad either when she joined in. You could tell she didn't want to force her singing on anyone but when her father asked her to sing she indulged him, and boy did she sing. Daryl didn't want to admit it but he loved to hear her sing. Always made him relax hearing her. After that night she would start singing out of the blue, especially with Judith.

Daryl had more dealings with Beth at the prison. Mostly to do with Judith and coordinating what was needed on runs and that sort of thing. They didn't really spend time together, not even as friends, but she had said she considered him a friend. Then the Woodbury people came. That was when things got tense. That was when things started to change. That was when he noticed he felt something for her and he didn't know what it was. Then the Governor came and destroyed the prison and unleashed the largest herd of walkers they had ever seen on them. Out of the destruction he thought he was the only one left by the time he destroyed the tank and killed the driver. He hadn't seen anyone for quite a while and then there she was.

"We gotta go Beth…we gotta go…"

Their first two months had been much like their lives after the farm. Only worse in a way because it was just the two of them. Then they found the place they were in now and it had been good to them. Winter was in season now and they hadn't seen a walker in weeks, nor any people. With only the two of them Daryl didn't have to hunt so much. But there was always something to do around the property. With that they had been spending more time around one another. Which forced Daryl to think about the relationship between them. Having Beth around was second nature anymore. They had grown so used to each other if they were to find any of the group they would have a hard time readjusting to the way things were before. Daryl didn't know if he ever wanted to go back to that.

It was dark out, a cold rain fell outside as they huddled inside the cabin. The fireplace was big enough to keep the space comfortably warm thank God.

"Hope it doesn't start to ice, hope it just snows if it does anything other than rain."

He looked over at Beth as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself. They had plenty of blankets and were sitting comfortably in front of the fireplace within the cabin. Even managed to snag a decent size mattress so they wouldn't have to continue sleeping on the cold, hard floor in sleeping bags. They still did that on the really cold nights but they would only share one bag to help keep one another warm. Daryl had got used to sleeping in the same bed as Beth. It was big enough so they could have their own space but one of them always managed to end up next to the other by morning. First couple times were awkward. There were times when Daryl would wake up pressed against her back with a hard on. He knew she had to know it but she never said anything about it. Hell, there were times he would wake up with her pressed against him and he would be hard. That's why he never said anything to her when it was her time of the month. He swears he smelled it and it drove him crazy. And during that time she wasn't pissy like most women she was aroused and horny. He caught her masturbating a couple of times when he would come back from the hunt. She was even brave enough to do it with him in the bed thinking he was asleep. He had to hand it to her she was quiet and still. If he hadn't been so attuned to her he probably would have slept right through it. He had to do his fair share of masturbating while out on the hunt and when he went to the creek to bathe. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore, he imagined for both of them.

"If it does we've got plenty to hold us over. Use the snow for water as a last resort." He knew he didn't have to reassure her but she was unusually quiet, which meant she had something on her mind or thought she done something to upset him. "Something on your mind?" he asked quietly.

She looked up to meet his eyes and smiled lightly. "No I'm fine, just can't seem to get as warm as I want." She rooted around in the blankets a little more and went back to looking at the fire.

He eyed her with suspicion knowing it was a load of bull. It was plenty warm in the cabin she just didn't want to talk about what ever had her bothered. Normally he would leave her be but tonight he didn't want too. He was in a mood of his own.

"Wanna tell me another one?"

She quickly looked at him and wasn't fast enough to hide the blush across her face. "What? It's freaking cold in here Dixon." She shifted around again. The fact she called him Dixon meant she was either pissed or embarrassed about something. Well, she wasn't pissed so…what was she embarrassed about?

The blush, the squirming…was she…wasn't her time of the month he knew that he had that down to a science. He probably knew it better than she did. Been nearly over a week since he was out from the cabin…she hadn't done anything in bed all week…she needed a release. Did Daryl want to cross that line? He knew if he ever crossed it he wouldn't be able to take it back and go back to the way they were. He knew the only reason she hadn't tried anything was because of what happened eight months ago. When she had stripped naked and offered herself to him in their somewhat drunken stupor. He knew she felt rejected and had good reason not to offer him anything and he knew she was too proud to ask for anything in return.

He got up and stoked the fire some and added more firewood. Once he was done he stood and faced her. "Come on then, I'll get you warm." He approached her as she stood from her chair all wrapped up in blankets and made their way to the bed in the corner. Beth sat down and watched Daryl take off his shoes, his jacket and vest but left his other clothes on. He quickly got into bed and maneuvered behind her getting under the covers. "Come on woman."

Not wanting him to catch on that something was bothering her she maneuvered so her back was against his chest and snuggled as close as she could get. He was so observant it was hard to keep anything from him. A lot of times he wouldn't push to know but she could tell tonight he was feeling bolder for some reason. Had he caught on to her? Did he know she was flustered? Eight months ago she had offered herself to him, he denied her and not once since had he tried or even hinted at anything more than a close friendship they had now. They were very comfortable with one another and she was scared to death to break that balance with something as mundane as being horny. She had made up her mind if they ever did anything he would have to make the first move…it's been eight months, and nothing. She was at peace with it and as long as he didn't leave her alone she could live with it.

Daryl rested his chin lightly above her head and draped his arm over her stomach comfortably. Even though it was colder than a well diggers ass outside she only wore a thin shirt with a pair of sweats. Her hair lightly smelled of berries. Sure it was some shampoo she picked up on a run but she rarely used it, drew too much attention if you could smell her from a distance. Daryl taught her about more than just being silently stealth. You had to be stealth in other ways in this world to survive.

She shifted a little bit and he lifted his arm to allow her to get more comfortable. "You done yet?" he asked with a bit of humor. She sighed in frustration and moved to get up but he quickly wrapped his arm around her. "Where you goin'?"

"I can't get comfortable." She was on the verge of losing her mind. All week she had been cooped up with Daryl. In recent months when he went out to hunt she would lock herself in the cabin and masturbate too exhaustion. It was the only way to curb the yearning. She didn't know how Daryl did it. Maybe he did the same thing when he was out on the hunt, she didn't know. There were times she wondered if he just needed some good sex, a blowjob, something but she promised herself she wouldn't put herself in a position to be denied by him again. She couldn't take the rejection again, and if he still hadn't touched her in the last eight months…she didn't think he ever would.

"You got every damn blanket known to man wrapped around you no damn wonder." He pulled at the offending blankets trying to unwrap her. As he unwrapped her he noticed she was wearing his favorite shirt. There was just something about the way it fit on her. The material was light, thin, almost see through. Once he got her unwrapped he tossed them aside and pulled her back to him. "Now come'er, I'll keep you warm."

She laid back down and snuggled against him feeling his arm wrap back around her. His hand went under her shirt to rest against her belly and started to rub small circles. She closed her eyes a moment and swallowed. This was not helping her at all it was only making it worse. She was so wound tight if he kept doing just that she was sure she would cum. Out of reflex she tried to squirm away from him but she just rubbed against him instead.

Oh my God…

She felt him hard against her and stopped moving but his caressing continued, slowly, very slowly. She needed a distraction. "When do you think you'll go back out on the hunt?" At this rate she would need to do something tonight after he fell asleep.

He hummed with a light shrug. "Hard to say, depends how bad the weather gets." God she felt so soft against his calloused fingers. "We'll be okay for now though." He pushed against her letting her feel his erection. How she reacted would determine his next move. He felt her stomach tighten and she didn't move away, but she didn't press back against him either. They had been in this situation before and they mutually ignored it. He didn't want to ignore it anymore. He didn't want to ignore her anymore. Fuck it if they ever found the others they would deal with it then. They couldn't continue to do this. They were together in every sense except this. Why not?

Beth had nearly moaned aloud when she felt him. She wanted so bad to tell him don't stop but she wasn't sure what to do. Did he mean to do it?

Let him lead…

When she didn't stop him he slowly slid his hand higher under her shirt. She couldn't resist anymore she had denied herself for too long. She let her body relax against him and rested her face against her outstretched arm exposing her neck to him hoping he understood the invitation. Daryl closed his eyes and pushed himself against her again. They both moaned as he slid his hand further to cup her breast. The moan that fell from her made him growl and lean down to kiss the side of her neck as he pulled her against him over and over, slowly.

"Daryl…" she breathed.

Before she knew what happened he had her on her back. He sat up and removed his shirt as she looked up at him. She had uncertainty in her eyes but desperate want and need too. He reached down and unbuckled his pants as he stared down at her with hunger in his eyes.

She swallowed as he unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. She was scared to speak. Scared he would change his mind if she said the wrong thing. She was so nervous now that something was happening. Before there had been alcohol to lower her inhibitions and plus they still had not got over the shock of the prison. Their emotions were on high and coupled with the alcohol it's amazing they didn't fuck like rabbits that night in that shack.

He didn't remove his pants but reached down and grasped the top of her sweats and pulled them down and tossed them to the side. She kept her knees together as he kneeled before her with his pants barely staying up on his hips. She tried to calm her breathing down and her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She had wanted Daryl for so long, even before the fall of the prison.

Daryl lightly ran his hands up and down her legs and didn't try to part them. He could tell she was nervous, maybe even a little scared. When they were at the prison she had been with Zach. Daryl liked the guy well enough. A bit talkative on runs but his heart was in the right place and he seemed to genuinely care about Beth. Even though Daryl didn't particularly care about their relationship in the fact he just didn't want them together. But whether or not they had sex he didn't know until after the incident in town. When Daryl had killed the group of three they were on their way back to the cabin when Beth had confessed she was scared of losing her virginity by rape. It had always made Daryl nervous to happen up on people with her but he felt sick to his stomach whenever the thought of someone trying to rape her came to mind. That made him even more reluctant to try and bed her. Even though she had offered herself to him at the shack he couldn't be sure it was what she really wanted.

"You want this?" he asked so lowly she almost didn't hear him. If she wanted him, he wouldn't disappoint her. If she didn't want him then he would help her get dressed and leave the cabin for a couple hours so they could both relieve themselves and from then on they would continue as they always had.

She nodded. "I do I just…" she trailed off as he leaned over her and parted her thighs. "…you know I've never…"

He nodded as he pushed a stray hair away from her face and leaned down into her neck and kissed her hungrily but patiently. He wanted her so bad it hurt. He wanted to rip the rest of her clothes off and bury himself balls deep inside her, over and over till she couldn't walk. He wanted to cum inside her, mark her as his, maybe even deep down get her pregnant, but that was something he had been keeping to himself. He had been imagining having children with Beth. Imagined her belly swelled with his child, made him hard just to think about most of the time.

She closed her eyes and moaned as his hands trailed down her body to the tops of her underwear. Without breaking contact he ripped her panties and pulled them away leaving her bare to him. Her shirt was still on but he wasn't about to rip it they could be hard to come by. He kissed down her neck and collarbone where he figured out she was very sensitive. He pushed her shirt up where she helped him pull it over her head leaving her completely naked before him.

Beth shivered but she wasn't cold. She watched as Daryl looked her over, nervous what he might think. She always thought she had small breast but Jimmy nor Zach ever said anything bad about it so she tried not to think too much about it. Where ever his eyes looked his hands followed but he didn't touch her too intimately just yet. His eyes met hers and she had never seen him look at her that way. He leaned down and kissed her fisting one of his hands in her hair.

"Jesus Beth…" he was breathless, he tried to keep control of himself. It had been so long and he wanted her so bad, but it was her first time and he didn't want to hurt her or scare her. "…I don't…I can't…" he didn't know how to tell her. "I want you so bad…" he hoped she understood what he was trying to say and looked into her eyes. They could say so much to each other just by their eyes. It was something they learned over the months and it came naturally.

She cupped his face between her hands. "I trust you Daryl…" Whatever he wanted she didn't care. That's how it's always been between them. Whatever made him happy she would do it without hesitation.

He could have cried he was so relieved. He couldn't wait any longer as he reached down and slid his hand between her legs. When he felt how wet she was he groaned into her neck as she gasped at the feel of his fingers moving over and inside her.

"Daryl…" she half whimpered and whined as he circled her clit at a steady pace. He wanted to make her cum before burying himself inside her. Getting her more wet and getting her off should help with any pain or discomfort she might experience. Daryl didn't know how to talk to a woman to save his life or how to deal with emotional shit but he knew how to please a woman in bed. You wouldn't think so with how uncomfortable he could be around women but he didn't like to brag.

The way she started to shift let him know she was close but this being her first time letting someone else get her off she probably couldn't quite get there yet. He moved and slid two fingers inside her and it didn't take him long to find her sweet spot. Her head was thrown back and she grasped his forearms. Tighter and tighter he felt her get so he reached down and laid open mouthed kisses in the crook of her neck knowing how she reacted earlier and was shocked at what happened. Soon as he touched her neck she gasped and clenched his hand between her legs and she jerked a couple times. She loosened her grip a little and he continued to slide his fingers inside her and almost died at how wet she was, she was gushing.

As she recovered she heard his pants being slid off and felt him move back between her thighs. He lifted one of her legs to nearly rest over his shoulder and she looked up at him just as he pushed inside to the hilt. She gasped and he groaned finally being deep inside her. Tears sprang to hers she was so overwhelmed.

"Oh my God Daryl…" she breathed.

Daryl nestled her neck and move inside her carefully at first. She was so wet, so tight, he knew it would be like this with her. The sounds that fell from her made him want her more. Daryl liked it rough most of the time but he didn't want to be too rough her first time. Based off previous conversations he had an idea she might like it a little on the rough side too once she got used to it. When she didn't protest he shifted so he could look down at her and maneuvered her other leg and pushed harder and faster. She moaned and whimpered and grabbed the pillow over her head and held it tightly.

Daryl looked down and watched himself move in and out of her. Her pussy was perfect. Made him harder to look at her. It had been so long, God she felt so good. Last time he had been with a woman was a few weeks before the outbreak. None of the women at the quarry or the farm would have given him the time a day. Maybe Andrea if he had put some effort into it. If she would fuck Shane she would've fucked Daryl if he wanted her too and she would've done it willingly. After Woodbury there were a few prospects but none that really enticed him, not like Beth.

He was getting close, he could feel it coming. He wasn't in his prime anymore and it had been years since he'd had sex he was surprised he lasted this long. Now the decision to make. Did he pull out when he came or did he cum inside her? Rationally he knew they shouldn't have done this without protection. Everyone knew the pull out method wasn't a hundred percent. But God help him he couldn't bring himself to pull out when he came. He felt that familiar sensation and knew he was about to cum.

"Goddamn Beth…" he breathed as he shifted for a different angle and pounded away in her. She took what he gave and he felt it now…when it happened he cried out, almost in pain. He slowly stopped and stayed buried inside her as he caught his breath. He looked down at her as she tried to gather her own wits.

"You okay?" he pushed her hair away from her face to look her over. She didn't cum but if she wanted him to make her cum again he would.

She nodded and closed her eyes unable to say anything. When he came she felt it. It was in that moment she realized they hadn't used protection. It didn't matter to her. Far as she was concerned she would be honored to carry Daryl Dixon's child. As many as he wanted. The world could use more men like him. Did he realized they hadn't used protection? Would he get mad? What if she did get pregnant? He was still inside her and she wasn't about to tell him to move.

He nuzzled her face lovingly but didn't move from atop of her. "Shouldn't have waited so long to do that…" He nipped at her jaw and made his way to the hollow of her throat.

"I don't disagree…but you can do that to me anytime you want." She closed her eyes as he started to kiss the side of her neck to behind her ear.

"Be careful what you wish for…" he let the words hang in the air as he sat up and reluctantly pulled himself out of her slowly. They both winced a little, not used to such activities. He shifted to lay behind her and pulled one of the blankets over them. No words were spoken, no declarations of love or anything, just them being…that was all that mattered to them.

Took me a while to get this chapter right. I must have rewrote the flashback scene a dozen times. The rape content in this was just implication which is why I had it in content warning. I rewrote the sex scene a couple times too so I hope it ended up ok. I want to continue this, make it more of a multi-chapter story but I don't know. It can be completed as is but I'll wait and see how everyone reads it. Thanks!