Ch. 12

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Daryl knew as soon as he hit the bottom step that Merle was gone.

He sighed and hit his palm against the railing.

Carol killing those two people was a bad fucking deal, but she was his friend, and he knew that she hadn't done it for the thrill or out of a maliciousness. She had done it to protect everyone. Granted, it wasn't the best way to handle the situation, and they would have followed after him, but there was no way Beth's ankle would allow for that.

"Daryl?"

He turned and looked up the stairs at Beth before giving her a tight smile then said, "Looks like we're gonna be waitin' for him to get back."

Beth nodded and looked down. "I just hope he's careful. He can be reckless."

"I know."

Beth stopped wondering if Merle was dead at the end of the first week, and started to realize he was probably being a pain in the ass since she had demanded that he keep in contact.

When that was squarely put away, she felt a bit of the guilt on her shoulders lessen. It seemed liked instead of actually accomplishing anything practical, her and Daryl had spent a majority of their time in the upstairs bedroom. Along with one particularly memorable incident when he was laying in a display coffin after she got done singing at the piano.

It hadn't all been easy, though. Their first night alone had been awkward to say the least. She immediately reached for him when he laid down beside her, but he tried to keep her at a distance, always pulling back. Beth wasn't about to push him for anything if he didn't want it, so she gave him one last lingering kiss then rolled over.

Daryl stayed motionless for a few beats before he turned and wrapped his arm around her, pressing his erection against her butt.

"I want ya," he whispered. "I just ain't got nothin'. It was all in my other pack at the prison."

Beth nodded. "I know. This is good, too," she said and linked their fingers together over her stomach.

That night he fell asleep with a hard on and she went to bed aching for his touch.

The next night, and each one after that, had them giving in, though. Not all the way, but when she got to hear him groan low against her skin, it was almost as good.

Almost.

Daryl sat beside her at the kitchen table, looking over all the food they had eaten, and Beth said, "What if they're not comin' back?"

Daryl picked up the last jar of pig's feel and shrugged. "Then we stay here a while. It's safe. Got good vantage points. We could make a home here for a bit."

Beth felt the corners of her lips twitch up. "I do like it here."

"Good," he said quietly. Then, much to her surprise, he leaned over and kissed her softly. "I like it here, too."

The security line out front jingled and Daryl shot up and picked up his crossbow. "Stay here," he ordered and walked out of the room and into the hallway.

He peeped through the slates over the glass door front as Beth watched. He snorted. "Just a damn dog." Then he opened the door before reaching down and starting to call for it. "Stupid mutt," he said and stood back up, looking at Beth. "Thought I told ya to stay back," he said with a scowl.

"But, Daryl, ya said there was a dog." She shook her head and smiled. "How could I not come see him?"

He waved his hand in front of him and said, "Get your ass back in there and finish eatin'."

Beth turned but her ankle buckled a little and she winced. Before she knew it, Daryl had picked her up and was carrying her into the kitchen.

"I can walk, ya know?" She laughed as he sat her down.

Daryl shrugged and took his seat again, pulling it a little bit closer to her. "It's gonna be dark soon," he muttered and looked around the room. "Need to go lookin' for some more candles or somethin'."

"Why?" She asked and nudged his shoulder with hers. "Ya wanna stay up late with me?"

The tips of his ears turned pink and snorted. "Just need some light s'all. Gotta have some way to see around this place."

"We should set somethin' on fire," she said as seriously as she could manage, causing Daryl to snap his head in her direction. "I'm just kiddin'."

"Don't know what goes on in your mind half the time," he said quietly. "Just tryin' to keep my head above water."

Beth narrowed hers at him and asked, "I make ya feel like you're drownin'?"

"It's a good drownin'." His voice was soft, and he stuffed a spoonful of jelly into his mouth right after he said it.

Beth bit her bottom lip then pushed her chair out a little.

The man was too sweet and cute for his own good, and what was even worse was that he didn't realize it.

Sometimes he would let his guard down completely and send her a crooked grin that Beth was addicted to. She loved his gruff laugh. She adored how he had gotten comfortable over the last week and was finally losing the tension in his shoulders. She ached for him to follow her upstairs and love on her again then let her do the same to him.

The funeral home became their bubble, and even though Merle was off—God knows where—they still felt safe.

Beth brushed the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip then grabbed the spoon from Daryl. He looked ready to say something but stopped really quickly once he met her eyes. He screwed the lid back on the jar of jelly then sat it off to the side. Once it was out of the way and the spoon placed on the counter behind them, Beth moved to straddle his lap.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Beth shrugged and hummed like he always did when he didn't want to use words, but Daryl shook his head. "None of that bullshit. Tell me what ya want."

Beth leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. "You," she whispered. "Just you."

He let her kiss him again, this time gripping her hips in his hands and pulling her closer to him. They kissed for a long time with her rolling her hips against his before he spread his hands over her bottom and stood up.

He sat her down on the counter and a hand slipped under her shirt while the other messed with her jeans.

Daryl tugged them down her legs and once they were bunched around her boots, he sucked two fingers into his mouth, wetting them, making her moan at the sight, then pushed her panties to the side and parted her lips. Daryl groaned and took her lips again as he started to pump his fingers in and out.

She felt electric in those moments, especially when he curled his fingers up and against some spot inside that she didn't know how to find herself.

Her hands were twisted in his hair and she had moved from his mouth to kissing and sucking on the skin of his neck. This put his mouth by her ear and every exhale and grunt made her clench a little around him.

Beth toed off one boot, ignoring the shooting pain in her ankle. Daryl had turned his face into her neck and was trailing wet, bruising kisses down the side and trying to push his hips against her. She wanted him like that and she would gladly take a little pain in order to wrap her legs around his hips.

When she did just that, he cursed and pulled away before reaching down and undoing his jeans and pushing them down just enough to free his erection. It didn't matter how many times she had seen him naked or touched him, she still sucked in a little breath at the sight of him taking himself in his hand and stroking a few times before he let her take over.

She wasn't going to replace his hand with hers this time or her mouth. Instead, she shifted her hips and tugged her panties down to dangle with her jeans on one leg the grabbed him again.

"Good lord," he muttered then bit her bottom lip. "Ya sure?"

"Yes, please," she said in a breathy whisper as he trailed the head of his dick over her clit. He nodded and Beth watched as he looked down, staring as he made another pass over her skin before pressing just a little inside.

Daryl licked his bottom lip then went a little further before pulling out and doing it all over again. He seemed lost in the sight, and Beth had to admit that watching his actions and the intent look on his face had to be one of the most erotic things she had ever witnessed.

Daryl raised a hand to the side of her neck and rubbed his thumb over her skin. "Ya like it," he said quietly.

She didn't deny it. The gasps and groans that had been escaping her lips told him all he needed to know.

"Fuck," he mumbled on a small down stroke, letting himself go just a bit further in and teasing her just a little more. "It's so damn good."

"Keep goin'," she whined and Daryl groaned loudly as he slid all the way inside.

He kissed her as he began moving his hips. When he started to end the kiss and move back, she sucked on his tongue and his pace faltered. Daryl pulled away altogether and leaned their foreheads together.

"Watch," he said with a gasp as his hips met hers.

Beth looked down and took in the sight of him disappearing into her body then pulling out, her wetness coating him. She tilted her hips a little, trying to meet him faster. His hand on her hip tightened and he pulled her leg further out, opening her up more.

"Sonofabitch," he groaned and started to laugh a little. "You're gonna make me come."

"I'm not even doin' anythin'," Beth whispered. "You're doin' all the work."

"Ya don't gotta do a damn thing," he said and picked up the pace again. "It's just you. Everythin' about ya," he finished in an almost whimper.

Beth grinned and tightened a hand in his hair and brought her other hand to her mouth, mimicking his motions from earlier, she licked the tips of her fingers and slid them down to where they met.

Daryl's breathing hitched and he slammed into her forcefully. Her fingertips slipped over her wet, swollen skin as she started to feel that familiar tightening in her stomach. Beth gasped as she fell over the edge, the fingernails of her free hand biting into the back of Daryl's neck.

His response was immediate, and he yanked himself away from her, almost making her fall off the counter, as he came in spurts against the inside of her thigh. "Damn," he sighed and collapsed against her.

Beth ran her hands over his back and traced the top part of the angel wings on his vest.

"That was really, really good," she said with a smile.

"It sure as hell was," he agreed. "Don't know why I tried to put that off."

"You were bein' careful." She said as Daryl stood up and straightened up his jeans. Daryl nodded and helped her down.

"I love ya," she said and kissed him softly.

He looked at her intently, and Beth sucked in a soft breath when she realized what he was fixing to say. Just as he was about to speak, the jingle of the security wire made them both look up suddenly.

The moment was gone when he turned back toward her and Daryl looked away. "I'm gonna give that mutt one more shot," he said as Beth pulled her jeans back up and slipped on her boot.

She cringed a little but Daryl didn't notice. He was too busy getting the pig's foot out of the jar. Daryl went out of the kitchen, and Beth followed slowly with her smile still planted on her face.

She turned the corner as Daryl pulled open the door only to try and slam it shut against the small herd of walkers that were on the other side. "No," she whispered and started to run for the door, helping him push it closed.

"Run," he whispered. "Go!" He yelled and tried to push her away.

Beth ran to the wall and tossed him his bow. "I'm not leavin' ya!"

"I'll meet ya at the road," he said, and the herd behind the door finally pushed hard enough to move Daryl and make him stumble a little.

She ran back through the kitchen then down the hall with Daryl on her heels.

"Get your shit! Pry open a window," he hollered as he led the walkers away from her and down to the basement.

Her ankle screamed in protest as she hopped from a window with their little backpack on her back and her bow in her hand.

Once she got down, she started for the road, dodging walkers left and right. On the dirt road, she couldn't dodge them anymore and had to fight off a couple of them. Her knife was all she had since she didn't have enough time load and shoot the bow.

She had managed to take down two when a third she hadn't seen grabbed her arm from behind, she flung her other arm around to stab it when it fell suddenly.

At first she thought it must have been Daryl, but soon she realized how wrong she was as she stood face-to-face with two men in police uniforms.

Beth backed away, looking for Daryl.

"C'mon, darlin'," the one on the left said. "Don't be that way. I just saved your life."

"I appreciate your help, but I can take care of myself," Beth said.

"Ya owe us," he said and the other officer stepped toward her.

She tried to run but between her ankle and the man grabbing her hair, she fell to the ground.

Beth held tightly to her knife as she tried to slash at the man behind her, but a fist slammed into her face causing her vision to blur, and she lost hold of the hilt. She kicked her legs as hard as she could, but the man was on top of her, and he pulled her head back before slamming her head into the ground twice.

She blacked out and woke up as she was being dragged toward a car down the road. Beth struggled against their hold but her head still swam and she had no weapon.

"Let her go!" Daryl's voice cut through the fog and she got pulled up to her feet with cold metal pressed to her temple. "Let her go now, and I'll let y'all walk away," Daryl barked out.

"Don't really see how ya have any leverage," the man holding her said. His hand slipped from her shoulder toward her breast where he let it rest for a second before squeezing. "Ya shoot at me, ya either hit her or hit me then I shoot her."

Beth's vision cleared enough to locked eyes with Daryl, and she tried to get out of the man's grip. He squeezed her breast harder and pressed the gun into her temple with more force.

"Don't be like that," he whispered into her ear. Beth fought against the urge to pass out and slumped a little in her attacker's arms.

Daryl looked like he was about to take his chances and shoot at the man when they all turned their head at the gurgling sound to their right.

The other officer had fallen to his knees, clutching at his throat as blood spilled over his hands. The man's hold eased up, and Beth dropped to the ground right as an arrow pierced his eye and went straight through his skull.

Her stomach rolled and Merle took two steps to catch her before she landed on her face.

"I got ya, girlie," he said quietly, and Beth let the darkness take her.

Merle grabbed her pack and bow after Daryl picked Beth up and clutched her to his chest.

"Get in the back of the car," Merle ordered.

His brother nodded and went to the car and loaded Beth in, getting in right behind her.

He was pale and shaky, and Merle was equally terrified. Had he decided to stay in Griffin searching instead of coming back to rest, Daryl would be dead and Beth would wish she was.

He took the guns off the cops and retrieved Daryl's bolt. He stopped at the man with the slit throat and spit on the ground beside him. "Rot in hell," he said to both of the men then went to the driver's side door.

Once he was inside, he looked back at Daryl who was cradling Beth close to his chest and Merle ignored the wetness under his eyes.

He turned around and looked over the car, noticing the map of Atlanta with a Grady Memorial Hospital highlighted on it. He shook his head as the radio squawked. "Gorman, report in."

It was a female voice, and she sounded pissed.

Merle took a deep breath and picked up the radio. "Gorman ain't gonna be able to talk to ya no more."

The line went silent for several seconds, and Merle cranked up the car and started driving. The walkers had gathered around the two dead men and started eating them, and Merle was ready to get out of there.

"Who am I speaking with?"

Merle snorted. "None of your damn business. Who the fuck do ya think ya are tryin' to send your men out to steal people? Just what did ya need from my brother's woman?"

"We need help to sustain the community in which we live. If they saved her life, they would demand repayment." The woman was detached and cold. Merle knew the type too well.

"And as long as ya let 'em have a go with the prisoners, they let ya think you're in charge?" Merle asked as he pulled out on the main road. The woman didn't answer and Merle cleared his throat. "Tell ya what, sweetheart, ya better be glad that I don't take my ass to Atlanta and burn down your fuckin' hospital. Keep that shit in mind in the future. Y'all are gonna fuck with the wrong people one day."

The woman started to speak but Merle turned the CB off and pressed his foot on the gas, getting them as far away from the funeral home as he could.