Thank you SO much for your wonderful reviews! You all are absolutely amazing and have made me feel so happy for continuing this story. I hope you all enjoy this fast update. I'll probably update every 5-6 days. It takes a while to write and edit. Again, thank you and please enjoy. :)
"It truly is a pleasure to meet you, young man," Dale's friendly smile eased Daryl's nerves just enough to shake his hand without looking like a complete jackass this time.
He had been a nervous wreck over picking Beth up at the diner after her shift was over. She promised Dale was nothing to get worked up over-just the same as Sasha, but Daryl still had a hard time keeping his cool. First impressions started to mean something to him after meeting Beth, stumbling onto her doorstep battered and bloody.
The older man patted Daryl's back and pointed towards the two girls sitting across the room. Daryl watched the way Beth threw her head back with joyful giggles; her breathless laughs were accompanied by Sasha's full out cackles. Beth calmed herself somewhat, wiping away a few shed tears before shyly smiling his way. Moments like this were always reminding him of just how lucky he really was.
"You know, I used to be real good friends with her father back when she was just a lil 'un," Dale sighed, reminiscing better times, "She's always been this way. Full of life, full of love for everyone. Her father would be so proud to see her now."
"Doubt he'd be proud t'see her with someone like me," Daryl thought back to what seemed like forever ago. His wounds finally healed, leaving even more scars on him than he had before. He had been so close to losing his life, losing her.
"Nonsense. He was a respectable man and you are as well. You kept her safe to the best of your abilities. What happened is in the past and those men can't get to you or her anymore," Dale sensed his doubts. He could see the hidden worry still lingering, "He would be proud to know his daughters are with you and your brother."
"How would you know?"
"Because I am," Daryl turned towards Dale, watching the way his eyes read so surely. Dale shook his head, "I'd like to think of Beth like my own kin. Watched her grow up to be the woman she is now and I trust you. I trust you'll take care of her and so far you're doing a damn good job. You may doubt yourself sometimes, but hell, everyone does. It's a part of being human. You can doubt all you want, but in the end I know you'll always be by her side."
Daryl listened to the man, catching on to every word and absorbing the unfamiliar compliments. Never had anyone-besides Beth-applauded his efforts before. It was foreign territory to him. A new sort of language. All his life he was labeled by his father. Labeled as nothing more than a worthless piece of shit that would never have anyone to care and love for him. If only his dad could actually peer into his life now.
"You take care of her, you hear?" Dale squeezed Daryl's shoulder, "No matter the circumstances. She could be yelling at you while throwing your things to the curb and I still want you to show her just how much you want to stay," Daryl smirked a bit at his chuckles, "If the goddamned world was ending I'd expect nothing less than you sticking by her. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"What are you two laughing at?" Beth appeared at Daryl's side. Her coat hung on her arm loosely along with her purse fitted into the crook of her elbow.
"Oh, I'm just giving him a hard time. It's about time he's came around."
"Yeah, well, better late than never, right?" Beth smile warmed the chilly room instantly. She hooked her arm with Daryl's, ready to finally head on home after the late night.
"You two be careful. Supposed to be getting a little chilly tonight. Maybe we'll get a few flakes in the meantime," Dale brought Beth into a half hug, nodding to Daryl after.
"Ha! I only wish," Beth sighed, "Oh, I almost forgot my check. I'll be right back."
Beth disappeared from the main lobby and into the back room. Dale looked towards Daryl again, his smiled faded into something more serious.
"You'll remember what I said, right?" Daryl nodded, "Watch over her. Good things can slip away easier than you think."
Dale's words still lingered in his mind even when Beth reappeared. They said their goodbyes and headed out for the night. He helped her into the truck quietly, still pondering Dale's guidance. The man was nothing short of wise. His words affected Daryl greatly. He promised himself again-as he did long ago-to still protect Beth with every fiber in his body. No matter what they'd go through, Beth would never go without a protector. He knew he felt something strong for this woman, though it was rare for him to admit with words, they both knew it to be true. He wouldn't let Dale down. He couldn't.
The truck managed a few miles close to the outskirts of the city before a few meandering body's attention were caught. Their awkward shuffles hesitated at the sound of the lone engine. The rusted vehicle's whines bounced off the destroyed rubble scattered on the stretched out road, making their presence seemingly known. Four quiet souls watched in the confinement of the metal beast, holding their breath as the stiff bodies slowly made their way closer. Their movements from far away looked meaningless, but once noises were made, their steps started to have purpose.
Merle turned the key, shutting off the truck and struggling to keep his eye on the moving bodies while reaching towards the door. He watched a lone woman come his way; her eyes-even from far away-seemed to be locked on him.
"What are you doing?" Maggie frantically grabbed for his arm. Merle dismissed her, shaking off her fingers as he reached into the truck bed for his gun he'd thrown back not too long ago.
"'m gonna knock some sense into these bastards! Actin' like they swallowed a whole bag of Blue," Merle gripped his gun with one hand, pointing it towards the progressing woman, "Hey you!" Her movement halted in front of him. His brow furrowed at the flesh that seemed to be melting from her jaw bone. Gravity pulled muscle and skin downwards, giving the once beautiful girl a nasty look about her.
"Get your ass back in here!" Daryl called out, but Merle couldn't hear him. All his attention was on the glazed, green eyes in front of him. They watched the way he backed up slowly. He dropped his gun, inching backwards with a hand raised towards her, clearly defeated.
"Now you get the fuck away from m-" His empty threat was cut short by the diseased woman. She lurched forward clumsily, shifting her weight without much thought. She slowly stumbled towards him, giving Merle enough time to jump back into the vehicle and close the door. Her blood crusted nails scratched the closed window as she clenched her teeth together mechanically.
"Jesus Christ." Merle breathed. He watched more people gathering near the truck. They threw themselves at the vehicle without any rhyme or reason.
"Start the fucking truck already!" Daryl's yelling only seemed to worsen the body's motives outside. As Merle fumbled with the key once more, the groaning and sneers outside intensified. Beth grabbed Maggie's hand and clenched her eyes shut.
"Go!" Maggie screamed at Merle. Just as he opened his mouth to argue back, the truck's engine roared to life. Not another thought crossed his mind before sending the pedal to the floor. The truck's weight crushed the bodies in its path easily. They had made it through the small crowd slowly, but surely.
"What the hell'd you do that for?" Daryl looked out at the city. His head started to throb after leaving the group of chaos.
"Ain't you try and talk to them yet? May've needed some help, Dumbass."
"Like they want help. Looks like they want us dead, Dumbass." Daryl spat back.
"Enough with the accusations. Just drive." Beth's usual cheerful voice was replaced with annoyance. As if the the city's destruction wasn't enough to argue about.
"Well blondie, how's 'bout you tell me where the hell I'm goin'?" Merle snapped back.
"Take a right up here. It's on the corner." Beth cringed. The truck swerved sharply to miss a fallen man. Maggie watched from the back window, taking in the sight of the body crawling across the street behind them now; its lower half ripping apart the more it clawed away at the asphalt.
Every human the four seemed to come into contact with was nothing more than a hollow body. Glazed eyes replaced the beautiful spectrums of colors that once lit up a person's aura. Their movements, stiff and awkward like they had completely forgotten what was once second nature. Flesh seemed to give way easily, as if their skin was slowly rotting away, practically diseased.
But that seemed to be the case, wasn't it? A disease had taken over the city's population. But for some reason it had left the four in the rusted out vehicle alone. Whatever infected hundreds, thousands of people hadn't touched them. Though none of them thought about it, they were all safe-for the time being.
"Stop." Beth managed to give Merle enough direction to make their way to the back of the diner. She scanned the vacant lot. Though a few bodies shuffled on from the far end of the parking lot, the place seemed almost completely deserted. One lone car peaked past the bulky trash bin near the diner's wall; Dale's.
Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the beaten up truck-much like Merle's-hoping to God there was nothing to worry about. But, oh, there was everything to worry about. Tears stung her already irritated eyes. She gripped the small knife in her hand unconsciously, looking down at her lap before pushing her way off of Daryl and out of the vehicle.
"Beth, you ain't goin' alone." Daryl attempted to lock his hand onto her wrist only to have Beth's neck snap back towards him. Her eyes meant business.
"I was hoping I wouldn't be going in alone in the first place." She instantly regretted the rude tension that flowed from her lips, but was there a proper way to react to this nonsense? She stood and watched his expression fall flat. He nodded, pressing his lips together in a silent understanding.
"I'm goin' in before you."
"We'll just keep watch out here. Make sure none of these meat bags get ahold of my truck." Merle patted the hood of his vehicle before climbing back in. Maggie watched Beth fearfully in the confinements of the truck. She nodded towards Beth, mouthing 'stay safe' before she watched her baby sister head towards the back door.
Daryl stepped in front of Beth instinctively, pulling a hand towards her middle and taking his other to the door. A faint click sounded before the heavy metal door creaked open. Beth watched the way Daryl held his crossbow towards the opening; she would've laughed at his behavior in the past. Seeing him without wooded terrain surrounding them both and a weapon in hand was unnerving. It was too unnatural.
What Beth had left not more than six hours ago had transformed into complete destruction. The once homey diner was now nothing more than a ghost town. The kitchen lights flickered while a hint of smoke lingered from the still running grill. They both walked cautiously through, stepping over broken glass and plates. Everyone must've left in a hurry, or even worse, they had turned into sluggish figures that somehow made a mess and left their broken remains.
"You sure they're here?" Daryl's soft tone startled Beth. She had been so focused on listening for any sort of movements around them and instead, forgotten Daryl was even there.
"I don't know." Was the only thing she could think to say. She'd hope to find Sasha and Dale, or anyone that wasn't decomposed and dead in the eyes.
Before Daryl had the chance to turn back towards the kitchen's arc leading towards the main room, an outstretched hand grabbed at Daryl's foot accompanied by a muffled groan. The two both stumbled backwards, watching the figure on the floor. Its bloodied frame was accompanied by a shadowed figure, crouched and unrecognizable as a human. To Beth's worst realization, Dale lay in front of her, almost ripped to shreds and hanging on to dear life. She watched, stunned and terrified as his eyes widened once their gaze connected.
Though Beth's attention was fully on Dale, Daryl kept his bow pointed towards the once crouched figure now making its way away from Dale's exposed flesh, eyeing the two for its next meal. The body stood the same height as Daryl once its limbs were fully extended. The male's eyes were the same cloudy masses that every other person seemed to have. It frightened Daryl as he stared down the man. His white shirt covered in dried blood of his own-and now Dale's-had been torn open over his torso, revealing a tight gash one rip away from spilling his internal organs. The sight of the damned soul was enough to send a grown man in a full out stomach emptier, but Daryl held his breath. He tried to keep his eye on Beth, but the man's advances towards the two made him react in the only way he could.
The bolt entered the man's skull easily.
Beth looked up from her kneeled position next to Dale's gurgling face, horrified. She had been so worked up over Dale's silent cries for help that she didn't notice what had been going on right beside her. Her eyes trailed from the fallen body up towards Daryl. He dropped his weapon, still looking at the body sprawled out in front of him. He had just killed a man. He couldn't comprehend what he was feeling, but he couldn't look at Beth.
"He was coming after us-"
"Don't. It's okay," Beth stopped his explanation, looking back down at Dale's pale face in her hands. Blood covered much of her arms and lap now. She felt his eyes on her, but they seemed to be looking straight through her instead, "He's dying."
"Beth, I'm sorry," Daryl started to apologize only to see Beth's forehead connect with Dale's. He watched the elderly man's eyes close for good, while Beth's tears escaped violently. There was nothing he could do to take away the pain. There was nothing he could do for the man that now lay dead in her arms. He watched her awkwardly for a little bit more, unsure of what to do, "We gotta go. Can't leave Merle n' Maggie out there with people like this," He pointed towards the deranged man's body, "runnin' free."
"I know, but we can't leave him here."
"Beth, I-" Daryl couldn't believe his eyes. They had never left Dale's closed lids, studying the man's face that should've been deceased. He watched in amazement as the lids slowly opened once again, revealing a hazy mix surrounding his pupils. Beth saw too; her tears abruptly stopping.
"Dale? Dale! You're alive." Beth could almost hear the happiness flooding her voice. She could see his eyes searching his surroundings and landing back on her's. Her smile faded once she realized Dale wasn't responding to her, only staring. He lifted a shaking hand to her face, giving Beth a little bit of hope before grabbing onto the side of her cheek roughly.
She screamed from the pain, falling back towards Daryl as she watched Dale struggle to gain balance. A moan escaped his mouth; he sounded too much like the others that wandered outside. He wasn't alive anymore. The disease had taken over his body.
"Beth! Get back to the truck!" Daryl could hear more commotion coming from the diner's main room. He started to see more stumbling bodies make their way towards the two, seeming to appear out of nowhere.
Beth stumbled to her feet, not looking back at Dale or Daryl, too scared and shocked to do so. Daryl looked down at Dale, watching the poor man's unsuccessful attempts to get up.
"Sorry, brother." Daryl mumbled before sending a bolt through his head. He quickly cringed at the sound of the contact, yanking the arrow out of his skull and grabbing the other. He barely missed the outstretched hands that found their way into the kitchen, making his way through the back door and back into the truck.
"Go." Merle nodded at Daryl's command, sending the truck into reverse and back into drive, away from the diner and down the closest road he could get to.
Beth sobbed into Daryl's side, switching from Maggie's shoulder to his. Beth's sister knew they hadn't found what they wanted. She didn't ask what had happened. She didn't want to know. She only let her sister cry all of her fears and frustrations out. It was the only thing that could help ease the fear they all felt.
"Where to now?" Merle broke the tension in the cramped space. Daryl kept his eyes out his window, holding Beth's body tightly. The only thing he could think of is Dale's words to him what seemed like forever ago, but, was just almost a year's time that passed.
"You take care of her, you hear?" God, he hoped he could.
"Don't know."