Author's Note: Holy crap, you guys! The support this story is getting is amazing. I appreciate each and every review so much! You have no idea. I hope this is living up to what everyone wants out of this story. Thanks again!
The sun was smoldering orange on the horizon, casting everything in glow and shadows. Beth wound her thin body in between cars, opening their doors and looking through the windows, checking for keys. Her freshly stolen jeans, found a few stores over, seemed to crack with newness. The street was silent; at times like this, she thought, it's not hard to imagine I'm the last one left.
After a half hour of checking car after car, she came to an old station wagon. The wood paneling on the side was splattered with blood and the inside didn't fare much better; two corpses left rotting, flesh falling from bones - but all Beth saw were the keys. Bingo! She pocketed the keys and began to remove the bodies, holding her breath, hoping for the best.
"Drop somethin'?"
Beth, who had just pulled the body of a decomposing woman out of the car, stared directly into the sun. At first she couldn't make out who it was; thought maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. She blinked once, then twice, and a third time - just to make sure.
"D-Daryl?" Beth squeaked out, heart leaping into her throat.
"We been lookin' for you, girl," Daryl said.
Beth was amazed at the smile on his face. She had never seen something so brilliant - not even staring directly into the setting sun - which she was. He moved forward, arms stretching out to embrace her and Beth panicked. Quickly she stepped backwards, onto the arm of the dead body, slipping slightly on what used to be a wrist. The sound of snapping bone seemed to echo between the pair.
"Well, you found me," Beth said quietly. "Maggie?"
"She's alright, last I seen her, at least. She was with Glenn. They got out. Just don't know where they took off to."
"Got out?" Beth questioned.
"From Terminus," he responded, shifting the bow on his back.
"What?" Beth asked.
"You ain't seen the signs?" Daryl asked.
"I saw them, alright. Why would she have went to Terminus? Why would you have went to Terminus? It sounded like Woodbury part two."
"I met up with Rick, Carl, and Michonne. They were headed there. I thought you might'a seen the signs."
"Funny, cause I had your voice in my head tellin' me to go the opposite direction.
"Things went bad mighty fast. Maggie and Glenn, they had been there a while. The people who took 'em were holding 'em hostage. They were lurin' people in and then eating 'em. Ain't ever seen anythin' like it, Beth. We got out and everyone just kinda scattered. No one died, far as I know, but we all just kinda lost each other."
"Guess I made the right call then."
"Guess so," Daryl said. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words for it. The way he was watching her made her feel as if he knew all of her dark secrets, all the things she had done and all the the things that had been done to her - and she was itching to get away. Away from the man who had both kept her safe and failed her, away from the man she had wondered about every single night. Where are you, Daryl Dixon? And now she finally had her answer.
"Well," Beth said after a long silence. "Don't let me slow you down."
"What do you mean, girl?" Daryl asked.
"I've been on my own for a long while now. I don't need you to be babysittin' me anymore. It's okay, Daryl, really."
"I'm not letting you out of my sight. What are you, insane?"
"I've been surviving on my own for two years, Daryl. I don't need you."
"Maybe not."
Beth bent for the keys, but Daryl got to them first. He spun them around on his finger; the metal jangling against one another made the beautiful song of freedom she had just been so happy to hear a couple of minutes ago. But now... she couldn't go with him. She didn't want him to know. Not about any of it. And as much as she loved and missed everyone... could she take the way they would look at her after? The way they would want to fix her? She couldn't be fixed. It was done. Beth had to let it be done. It was the only way to survive.
"So, where to?" asked Daryl.
Beth, feeling defeated, simply stepped around him. She heard him follow after her, but ignored the hushed calls of her name. Eventually he would realize it - see all the broken parts of her, the darkness. Would know she was not the same girl. And that there was no saving left to be done here. Just another shell. Eventually he would know.
"Just go, Daryl. Go be the last man standing," she said, not stopping or looking over her shoulder.
"I ain't leaving you," he said, following her.
"We'll see."
"Wherever you go, I'm goin', Beth," Daryl said to her retreating figure. "Damn it, girl, would you stop for a second? Gettin' real tired of talking to the back of your head!"
Suddenly his hand was on her shoulder and Beth had her knife drawn on him before she knew it. She saw the shock and sadness in Daryl's eyes. Colour rushed into her cheeks, making the pale flesh turn almost red. She hated herself in that moment.
"Don't," Beth said. "Just don't touch me, alright?"
Daryl nodded once, stiffly, eyes begging her to explain but said nothing. He raised his hands in front of him, a sign of surrender and said, "So, where are we campin' out?"
"Daryl, just leave me alone."
"I need to make sure you're safe, Beth. I understand if you're pissed at me. I was supposed to keep you safe and I didn't. But just let me get you back to your people. To your sister."
"I'm not going back," Beth said fiercely. "I can't go back."
"Then we won't go back."
"You can," Beth said. "You can still go back. Go find Rick. Michonne. Your people."
"You are my people, Beth."