Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Walking Dead'.

Five Kisses

Kiss #3

The cold lasted for a few days and in that time both Rick and Daryl came down with it too. Everyone figured Rick got his cold from Beth which was true but they also thought Daryl got his from Rick only she knew better. So by the time Beth was feeling in tiptop shape both Rick and Daryl were feeling very much like shit. She was allowed to help her father nurse the men to good health since she had already gotten through the nasty virus.

Daryl didn't look all that happy to be stuck inside lying in bed with nothing to do. 'He is such a busy body.' Beth mused as she handed him a bottle of water with his Motrin. Thoughts of her wearing a nurse's outfit filled her head as she took the bottle back from him. He swallowed the pills with a grimace before lying back down. His hair was matted to his forehead and neck, his eyes were red rimmed and also watery like hers had been, and though he didn't have the harsh coughing that she had his nose was runny rather than clogged up.

Michonne and Carl had went on a run only a day earlier to get more meds and tissues since Daryl was going through them like crazy. Rick didn't have a runny nose or a clogged up one but he did get the sore throat and coughing. Beth could hear him hacking away in his cell down stairs. She winced at the almost choking noise he made before everything went quiet.

"Tis…all...yer damn…fault…" Daryl murmured trying his best to glare at her. Beth frowned crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed him over. She was sitting in a chair that she brought up so she could sit with him since she knew he would never allow her to sit on his bed with him.

"I don't know what you're going on about, I'm innocent." Beth smiled lightly as Daryl chuckled. He pushed the blanket down towards his hips where his chest was unclothed and on full display. She found her blue eyes taking him in from some of the scars on his very nicely sculptured chest to the soft matted hairs covering it. He was also getting the hot and cold flashes but he could allow being indecent unlike herself. Suddenly her throat was dry just staring at him.

"I see..yer devil horns holdin' up that damn halo." Daryl grumbled crossing his arms over his chest almost like he was insecure from her massively long stare. Beth ripped her eyes from his chest to connect with his own.

"Oh yeah I'm a regular wolf in sheep's clothing, that's me for sure." She smiled brightly giggling as he nodded his agreement to her assessment of herself.

"Damn straight! Should neva have listened ta ya." Beth rolled her eyes but what he said intrigued her. During her long days of sickness where she was bored beyond belief she had thought about why Daryl would kiss her even when commanded to.

Beth knew she was pretty but she wasn't sure if Daryl was attracted to her like she was to him. Plus she made her attraction pretty much known at this point, especially with the staring contest she just had with his bare chest. Daryl would have to be pretty thick in the skull to not notice how she ogled him. At this point Beth was also not ashamed for him to know either. What was the point in hiding the obvious anymore? It wasn't going to create any mystery to draw him in so she figured instead of denying it to herself she mind as well embrace it.

The worst that could happen was that Daryl had no damn interest and never would.

As heartbreaking as that was Beth had come to terms with the very logical outcome. He was twenty years her senior practically old enough to be her father, Maggie would have a better chance of being with Daryl over her, hell even Carol had a very high and likely chance of being with the man. Not that Beth was trying to bring herself down and not try, she would try her damnest but she also had to face the facts. Everything was just stacked against her and the only way the outcome would balance in her favor was if Daryl liked her even half as much as she did him.

Beth also spent her time day dreaming of Daryl somehow coming to his senses and telling her of his underlying love for her! Of course she was also delirious from her fever and letting her teenage hormones run away from her. Still she did hope that the crossbow wielding man would notice her as a woman and not as just a girl, Maggie's little sister.

"So why did you listen to me? You could have said 'no'." Beth stated leaning over her knees to stare into the wall between Daryl's body and the top bunk of the bed. He coughed lightly drawing her eyes to his.

He shrugged. "Ya won the bet, simple as that." Yeah, simple as that but it still didn't explain why he would when she was sick as a dog. He also didn't seem inclined to say anything further either. His eyes were starting to droop a little from the medicine he took. Beth sighed softly shaking her head at him.

"So if I asked you to kiss me now?" Daryl raised an eyebrow over his tired eye looking her over.

"Too tired ta try…" Beth snorted holding back nervous laughter; he had to be out of it. Smiling she got up from her seat getting ready to leave as his eyes closed, that's when a thought came to her mind.

Beth turned back to Daryl just about to fall completely asleep and leaned over him she thought of kissing his lips but that was very invasive of her, then she thought of kissing his forehead but then she thought of something better. Leaning down the blonde lightly placed a peck on the tip of Daryl's nose making him twitch it from the touch and his eyes crack little to see her. She only smiled softly then left him to his sleep…

A few days later found Beth riding in the back seat of a car with Daryl driving, Michonne in the passenger seat and Carl sitting opposite to her. She was so excited yet nervous. They were going on a rather simple run, nothing too crazy and Beth couldn't believe everyone agreed to let her tag along. She had been getting better with her shooting lately and as she had told Daryl not too long ago, she needed to learn how to survive and help out once Judith is old enough to not need constant surveillance.

Beth didn't know what shocked her more that her Daddy thought it was a great idea or that Maggie was practically indifferent to it? She guessed both were just as shocking as the other but she was also with two of the best walker killers in the group and Carl wasn't such a bad shot either so Beth figured her family had nothing to really worry about. She was well protected.

The run was just to find supplies. Anything of use, more clothes, towels for the showers, and other little bits and pieces that could make the prison look nicer. Beth stared out the window watching the trees and fields as they drove by. It had been way too long since the last time she was out of the prison, this was much needed. A nice breath of fresh air so to speak. Beth couldn't erase the smile on her lips as she listened to Carl talk to Michonne about something; she hadn't been paying attention too busy off in her own head.

Her eyes moved from the window to see Daryl's looking back at her in the review mirror. She smiled brightly nodding her head to him as he nodded back. He hadn't said a word to her about the kiss on the nose or any of the other kisses either. Beth wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved; on one hand she was glad he didn't ask her about it, she wouldn't know what to tell him honestly. But on the other hand she wanted to know what he thought of it, if it was okay to him or not.

If Beth had more of a backbone she might just bluntly ask him, but since she doesn't…she kept her mouth shut and acted like she didn't care.

"Nervous?" Beth blinked out of her daze to turn to Michonne looking over her shoulder at her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"A little bit, but I'm more excited though." The older woman nodded turning her eye sight back to the road ahead of them. Carl nudged Beth with his hand drawing her attention.

"I wouldn't be nervous if I were you, I'll protect you." Beth smiled lovingly leaning over to give him a half hug with one arm. That was Carl for her, always caring about her. His old childish crush had evolved into a more brotherly love and she was glad for that because she only really cared about him in a sisterly kind of way. Daryl on the other hand…

Beth watched as he took a turn down a road leading further into more wooded areas. He looked to be concentrating on what he was doing and she couldn't help but stare at him. His hair looked cleaner than before so he had to have taken a shower the day before she thought. Daryl had just gotten over his cold only a day or two earlier and instantly volunteered to go on the run before anyone else could say anything. Beth shook her head holding back a giggle. He had hated lying in bed doing nothing. She tried being entertaining for him but there wasn't much she could do when he was being a sourpuss.

She was glad he was better though and out of the prison, it did wonders for his mood.

"We're almost thair, y'all prepared." Daryl said as the car slowed down just as a small town appeared in the short distance. A bubbling in Beth's stomach told her that the nervousness she hadn't been feeling before was now making itself known. She had a small gun hooked to her belt loop and a big knife on the opposite side; she quickly pulled the knife out gripping it tightly in her hands. Everyone nodded and she took notice that no one was nervous like she was.

The car came to a stop and Beth tried willing her anxiety away as she watched Daryl and Michonne scan the area. There was a walker on their left with its back turned to them leaning its forehead against the brick wall. It looked dead but then she knew that when they weren't active they acted much like the dead should act. There were three on their right walking aimlessly around in a sluggish walk almost like they contemplating life or something.

"A'right, Michonne, ya and Carl get those three. Beth," she looked up to see him watching her carefully in the rearview mirror, "I wantcha ta get that walker on the wall, I'll be wit' ya okay." Beth nodded feeling the like she might throw up now. Slowly but quickly they all opened their doors and stepped out. She went to shut the door but Daryl caught it shaking his head to her. He leaned in close to her causing a blush to erupt on her cheeks. His breath caressed her ear as he spoke, "It makes too much noise, we wanna git them by surprise got me?"

"Yeah…" Beth managed to breathe out. Daryl patted her on the shoulder with a little more force than necessary letting her know he wanted her to get to it.

The walker hadn't moved an inch as she approached it with her knife tightly clutched in her right hand. She had been through this scenario when training back at the prison. 'Keep my knife close to my body, watch the walker to indicate where it will go, breathe through my nose to keep from gasping, and strike it with force in the skull. I can do this, I can do this!' Beth kept the encouragement going in her mind as she got closer to the walker. It still didn't move as she pulled her knife up in the air. The thought that she looked like the killer from psycho during the bathroom scene came to mind.

Then her knife came down midway sliding into the back of the walker's skull almost too easily. If it had been a living person she figured it would have been much harder to break into the bone of the skull but since this person had been dead for who knows how long its bones had become brittle. Beth pulled back hard on the knife ripping it from the walkers head as it collapsed to the ground lifelessly. A sense of accomplishment enveloped her as she kicked the body with her shoe lightly to be sure it was dead-dead.

"Good job, let's git goin'." Daryl said behind her bringing her attention to him. He had been standing behind her the whole time in case something bad were to happen when she got ready to stab the walker. She looked to him with a radiant smile gaining a small one from him before they joined the others.

Carl and Michonne had handled their walkers with ease Beth noticed, they worked together well like a well oiled machine. She glanced at Daryl and wondered if she could get that good so she and him could work just as well. Michonne was almost a replacement of Lori in Carl's eyes it seemed, he respected her and more times than not he was hanging around her; it made Beth happy to see him so happy. He still needed that mother figure in his life and it almost seemed like Michonne needed him in hers.

"Grab whatcha can, food, clothes. Whatever is useful." Daryl looked between the three of them before they set out. He waved Beth over indicating that he wanted to keep her close and really she didn't mind one bit. Any time alone with Daryl was okay in her book.

"Stay put." He commanded as he peered into the windows of a small shop. Beth looked about them making sure they were alone and no walkers were lurking in dark corners out of their sights. She then heard a tapping. Turning her head she watched as Daryl tapped the sharp tip of his knife against the window a few times then stopped. She raised an eyebrow in question but kept quiet. It wasn't till a few seconds later she saw three walkers pressing against the glass clawing at it as they watched Daryl and her.

"Wow." Beth mumbled out as Daryl smirked.

"Wanna take one out fer me and I'll get the other two." Beth nodded as she followed behind Daryl. He was leading her behind the shop through the dirty alleyway that had a few trash cans littering about with some trash sticking out of them or on the ground. There were no walkers here luckily. They came to the back of the store finding a back door there. Daryl picked the lock with his knife managing to break it open quietly which was quite the feat Beth thought.

She followed after him cautiously as he crept through the small hallway leading away from the single restroom, peeking his head in to be sure it was empty, then to the shelves and main room. The walkers were still banging and pressing against the front window not realizing their prey was getting ready to off them. Beth felt the familiar sense of fear mixed with her anxiety and nervousness but there was also a bigger sense of confidence. Plus it didn't hurt to have Daryl there beside her just in case. He glanced back at her nodding his head then pointed at her then to the other side of the store. Beth nodded pointing over there as well to be sure of what he wanted.

He smirked with a curt nod then proceeded further left as she took to the right. Beth walked on her tip toes minding the stuff on the floor as she moved pass the shelves keeping an ever vigilant eye on the three walkers as she moved pass the last shelf. Just as she rounded the corner she stopped, her breath caught in her throat as she took in a walker standing mere feet from her chewing on what looked to be a rat. Luckily the gasp she wanted to make got caught up in her throat so it hadn't noticed her yet. The walker was male, tall almost lanky and dirty, very dirty. He was missing skin around his mouth, chin, and the temple on the left side of his head.

Beth bit her lip as she thought on how she would kill it and not draw attention to herself. Since he was preoccupied with the rat she had the advantage here and if she didn't take it now it would be gone. Slowly she moved just a bit closer raising the knife up then as her foot accidently scuffed on the ground and he looked up from his meal at her, her knife came down sinking into the top of his skull. Beth cringed at the smell and the blood that squirted out of his head and onto her shirt and jeans. She felt queasy but forced the feeling of puking out of her mind as she wrenched her knife from his head.

Unfortunately she didn't think about the noise his body would make hitting the ground. A loud clatter echoed around the dark store and Beth froze as she heard the groaning and moaning. Oh boy.

Beth started stepping back from the aisle she was in as she heard the shuffling coming her way. Then there they were the three walkers were moving quickly coming towards her fast. She didn't know what to do at this point, she thought about pulling out her gun and shooting them but that would create too much noise and draw even more walkers upon them. Beth gripped her knife tightly as she moved backwards as the three walkers advanced on her. Then she watched as one, two and three arrows shot into their heads effectively killing them before they even reached her. Daryl appeared at the end of the aisle looking back at her.

She waved a hand shaking a little bit. Beth watched as his eyes grew a bit darker as he got closer to her taking in her stained clothes. "What happened?" He asked reaching her only to grab the hem of her shirt and lift it up making sure she wasn't bit. Beth blushed pushing his hand away and smoothing her hand over her tummy.

"There was a walker in this aisle eating a rat, I took him out but his body dropping made noise…" Daryl stared hard at her for a second before nodding. The tension in his posture eased a little bit but he was still on alert so his shoulders stayed hunched up.

"A'right, well its clear now let's get our shit and go." Beth laughed lightly trying to ease the fear that welled up in her stomach that had been a bit of a close call there. Thank goodness for Daryl.

They grabbed what they could from the small store. Beth had filled up on canned foods that hadn't expired yet along with tons of dry foods like noodles and pastas. Daryl found a box where they placed all they could find edible there. A good fifteen minutes passed before they left the store this time through the front door. Daryl heaved the heavy box into the trunk of the vehicle as Beth kept watch. It was very quiet and she found that distressing rather than relieving.

"It's a ghost town here…" Beth commented wiping some sweat from her forehead. Daryl grunted pulling away from the trunk to look around. "I mean where are all the walkers…" His eyes met hers for a brief moment before they both looked to see Michonne walking back with a box and book bag full of stuff. Beth helped with the book bag grabbing it off her shoulder and placing it in the trunk.

"Carl's grabbing one his box." Michonne said shoving the heavy box aside theirs. It was toppling with clothes inside it.

"I'll go help." Beth offered gaining a nod from Daryl before heading off to find Carl. The store they were in was a clothing store with its door broken off the hinges, barely hanging there at a cocked angle.

She walked pass it peering into the darkness, she saw movement to her left and followed through. "Hey Carl, I came to help you with your stuff." Beth said weaving pass two shelves that had fallen on each other. She frowned when the movement stopped and she didn't hear a reply back. "Carl?"

Beth looked around turning back to the front door that was letting light in then to the back of the store where light was coming in from the windows. She felt a hand touch her arm and she turned expecting Carl to be there trying to scare her only…it wasn't Carl…

"Ah!" Beth gasped flinging herself backwards as a walker came at her with its teeth chomping. She landed on her back evading its teeth only for the walker to come down on her. Quickly Beth brought her foot up catching its heavy body with her foot keeping it from falling on top of her. Beth reached for her knife but felt the hoister was empty then without a second thought to it she pulled out her gun, pointed and fired.

Blood sprayed on her face, neck, and chest as the body slumped against her foot. She pushed hard letting the body fall to the ground by her side as she slowly got to her feet. Beth blinked a few times as blood dripped down over her eyebrows. She kept her mouth clamped shut to keep the blood from entering her body. Looking around on the ground she located her knife that had slid away from her when she fell backwards. Just as she picked it up she heard the shouting.

Beth ran out of the store stopping when she saw that there was a small herd of possibly ten or more walkers heading towards the car. She caught sight of Daryl searching for her frantically. She needed to get to the car otherwise they would have to leave without her. Looking back at the herd she gulped. If she didn't run out now she would be dead.

Sucking in air through her nose Beth ran out from the store taking off to the car. Daryl shouted to her as she ran then…tripped…

Beth cried out as her hands slid into the concrete scratching her fingers and palms as her chin and nose scuffed the concrete. She forced herself to ignore the burning pain on her hands and face picking herself up from the ground and continuing to run towards the car. Carl was there with his gun out shooting a walker behind her along with Daryl and Michonne. Beth got to the vehicle quickly enough jumping into the back seat just as everyone else did. Daryl whipped out of there fast leaving the herd in their dust.

"Shit Beth, are you okay?!" Carl was watching her with fearful eyes. Beth leaned back against the seat catching her breath as she nodded slowly.

"What the fuck happened?!" Daryl shouted from the front, obviously angry from his tone of voice. Beth flinched at the anger.

"I went to the store that Carl was in, the clothing shop-I was at the pharmacy Beth." Carl cut her off quickly. She turned to him with wide eyes, how the hell did she not know this?! "I thought you went to the clothing store." He shook his head.

"No Michonne did I went to the pharmacy." Beth groaned wiping at the blood on her face, wincing when she touched her nose and chin.

"Beth." Daryl only said her name and she knew he wasn't being patient today. Sighing she continued on, "A walker caught me by surprise. My knife came out of the hoister when I fell so I had to shot it." Her eyes looked up to see Michonne wetting up a rag before she moved to the rearview mirror.

Daryl stared back at her with angry eyes, but she could see just a bit of fear there. He was afraid. Beth guessed it was cause of the close call she just had, she was afraid too. Michonne handed her the wet rag so she could wipe her face. Suddenly she was struck by anger but it was directed at herself.

She hadn't been outside the prison in forever and when she does she screws up! Beth wiped angrily at her face trying to remove all the blood from the stupid, damn walker. Once she got back she would need to get patched up by her Daddy, then she would never be allowed to leave again. She knew her father and sister had faith in her and obviously it was misplaced. Beth felt her eyes water up but she refused to let them spill over. She turned to the window glaring out at the trees and open fields.

So much for being excited…

Beth sat in her cell writing in her journal on the bed. Her Daddy had looked more concerned than angry with her as he patched her up. Maggie though she was furious going after Daryl, Michonne and Carl about her injuries, she came to the rescue quickly letting her sister know it was her own fault. After all that Beth practically locked herself in her cell, hiding away from everyone because of her failures. That's probably what hurt the most, she felt like she failed herself and Daryl and her Daddy and sister.

Everyone put so much trust in her to get this right and everything was going great too! Then she had to go and have a brain fart going into the wrong store…

Beth flung her journal against the opposite wall then dropped back against the bed bringing her bandaged hands to her face. Hot tears tried to leak from her eyes but she held them back. She was so frustrated with herself. The only thing she could do right was take care of a baby, maybe that's all she'll ever be able to do. Maybe Beth just had to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't meant to do anything more than be a glorified babysitter.

"Stop beatin' yerself up Beth, ain't gunna change anythang." Beth blinked rapidly before leaning up from her bed to see Daryl leaning against the threshold of the cell door. He was picking at the dirt under his nails with his knife.

"But I screwed up Daryl! I fucked up and I let you and everyone down…" Daryl flinched when she cursed, not use to her saying any curse word before. Beth didn't much like to curse, it felt wrong on her tongue but at this point she couldn't really disappoint anyone anymore than she had.

"Who'da hell said ya let anyone down?" Daryl questioned placing his knife back into his holster. He walked further into the cell coming to a stop by her bed leaning against it as he looked down at her.

"No one, I just feel like I let y'all down. I mean look at me!" Beth jumped up to her feet waving her bandaged hands in front of him then pointing out her bandaged chin and red nose. "My first time on a run and I come back tore up!" Daryl looked at her before catching both her wrists in each hand.

"All I see is ya bein' upset and frustrated wit' yerself when ya did a good job, hell remember I went off on my own back at the farm? I came back with a chewed up boot, arrow wound on my side, and Andrea shot me. Trust me ya ain't always gunna come back unscathed." His eyes bore down on hers and Beth felt that warmth curl around in her stomach. She watched him as he slowly brought her hands up to his face.

Slowly keeping eye contact with her Daryl kissed each tip of her fingers on first her right hand starting from her pinky to her thumb then her left hand starting from her thumb to end with her pinky. A blush came to cover her entire face and down her neck. "Feel better?" He mumbled kissing her wrapped palms lightly. Though she couldn't feel his lips she still felt the heat there and it left her feeling out of breath.

"A little…" Beth didn't know how she spoke but she did. Daryl looked between her hands down at her then leaned closer to her. There in her stomach was the fluttering feeling along with the electric shocks and tingles running through her nerve endings.

Daryl leaned down coming to her head level then lower. A gasp left her as she felt his lips lightly ghost over her bruised chin; his nose brushed her bottom lip as he kissed her chin. He pulled back a little connecting eyes with her then kissed her lightly on her red nose much like she had done to him only days before. Daryl smiled lightly pulling away then letting her hands go. They fell limply by her sides as she stared up at him unblinking. She felt that if she blinked even once it might all be a dream.

"W-What was…that for?" Beth asked her voice slightly shaky and breathless as she tried to figure him out. Daryl merely shrugged turning away from her to leave her be. He stopped just short of the threshold turning to look over his shoulder much like he had down when he kissed her cheek before.

"My Ma use ta kiss my boo-boos better, thought yer's could use them too."

Beth felt her jaw drop as he left her there alone. She felt jittery like she wanted to go outside and run a few laps along the fences. A smile threatened to split her face as she brought her hands to touch her overheated cheeks. That had to mean something! Daryl wouldn't do that just for anybody right? There was no way he would just randomly kiss her boo-boos if he didn't feel a little something for her, she knew Daryl pretty well enough to know he wasn't much for being touchy-feely with anyone.

So the only logical answer was…

Beth squealed in her hands dropping to the bed only to kick her legs up in the air as she fell to her back.

"I was gonna see if you were alright…but I guess you are." Carl mumbled rubbing a hand on his arm as he smiled at her awkwardly.

Beth glanced at him rolling her eyes then squealed again…

A/N: Ya see that! I put a limit on how many words and I go on ahead and ignore it! Damn this one just got way out of hand, it was not suppose to be this long or extensive either but ya know me my fingers like to run off without me. So I guess fuck the word limit since I can't even do that right. Lol.

Congrats to Lumina and Verostar1221 for guessing the right places Daryl kissed Beth! Now I wanna see who can guess where he'll kiss her in the next chapter! Check ya later…

ALCzysz17