Author's Note: During this chapter, Beth and Daryl become much closer. Daryl begins to respect Beth more and Beth may even begin to feel a little more than companionship for the rough redneck! I hope ya'll enjoy.

Beth POV

It was getting late, Beth and Daryl had walked along the railroad all day without coming across anything other than trees and a few squirrels. They didn't talk much while they walked, but Beth had found it relaxing to be outside on such a pretty day. All day the wind had blown just enough to keep them cool in the summer heat. Beth's feet were getting sore, but she knew better than to mention anything. She didn't want Daryl to feel like he needed to baby her by stopping to rest all the time. However, she wasn't used to being so active. Back at camp she had always taken care of Judith, which was hard work but not physically demanding. A long time ago, when she used to work on her daddy's farm, she had been in much better shape from all the chores she did, but then again, she had had three square meals a day and a good night's sleep. Beth rarely slept well anymore. Walkers often interrupted her dreams and caused her to wake up sweating. Back at the prison, Beth used to curl up next to Judith, or if Carol was watching Judith, she would go find Maggie. Beth wondered if Daryl ever had nightmares too. Daryl was always out on beyond the gates and in the middle of the violence, surely some of the things he seen would cause even him to have bad dreams. It would be pointless to ask, she doubted he would admit to it even if he did.

"Car," Daryl said quietly. Beth looked up, almost not certain if he had said anything after the silence all day. Then, her eyes followed the railroad lines up ahead to see what had caught Daryl's eye. An old car covered in dust was sitting next to the tracks. As they got closer, it appeared to be abandoned. With a car we would be so much safer and wouldn't have to walk anymore! Then, a small noise was blown into Beth's ears by the wind. She at first thought it was just her imagination, but then Daryl turned around. His eyes widened slightly at the sight and Beth quickly glanced back. Her worst fear was suddenly in front of her. Several walkers were coming around the bend in the railroad tracks and more were following. She rushed past Daryl and ran to the car. Desperately, Beth checked the gas meter, the little indicator was on the E. Beth's heart dropped. "Pop the trunk," Daryl said, he had suddenly appeared right next to her. Beth found the lever and had to yank hard because it was stuck. "Come on," Daryl said, grabbing Beth by the arm and pushing her towards the back end of the car. Beth understood Daryl's line of thought and jumped in. Daryl came in right after her and set to work securing the trunk with a piece of rope.

THUNK. Beth almost jumped out of her skin. The trunk wasn't completely closed and shadows moved across the thin stream of moonlight that came through. Daryl sat cross-legged, his crossbow pointed at the thin opening. With each thud of a walker running into the car, Beth's heart skipped a beat. Moans permeated the air and the shuffling of uncoordinated feet was all around them. She was certain any second they would be found out. The minutes slowly ticked by and the noise faded. As the adrenaline left, Beth began to notice that she was awfully close to Daryl. Their shoulders were touching and she could feel the warmth coming off of his skin. Under the smell of dirt and sweat, there was a slight hint of a nice forest smell. Beth blushed and was thankful for the darkness.

"Why don't you go ahead and get some sleep. We can stay here for tonight," Daryl said quietly, almost whispering in her ear. Beth nodded and then remembered that he couldn't see her. "Okay," she replied. Beth began trying to position herself in a way that she could fall asleep in, but there was very little room inside the trunk. There was no way she was going to be able to lay down without invading Daryl's space. Daryl seemed to realize that too. He patted his leg, indicating that she should lay her head on his thigh. Beth was hesitant at first, but then got over her embarrassment. She stretched out and put her head in Daryl's lap. At first, Beth was sure she would never fall asleep, she was way to conscious of the redneck's presence. His breath was the only sound she could hear. The only other guy's lap Beth had ever laid her head on had been her father's and Jimmy's. Beth's cheeks grew warm at that thought. Quit being silly, you are way too young for him. You are just getting feelings because he is the only guy you have been this close to since the apocalypse. Beth closed her eyes hard, trying to banish the thoughts in her head. It didn't take much, Beth was exhausted after their day of traveling and soon fell into unconsciousness.

Daryl's POV

Daryl stared the sliver of moonlight that came into the trunk. It had been a good day, until the run in with the walkers at the very end. Beth kept surprising him, he had expected to have to help her much more, but Beth had a strength hidden underneath that soft exterior. All day she hadn't said one word about stopping, although he could tell she had gotten tired at the end. He also appreciated that they could go the day without talking constantly. Daryl didn't know what to say to the young blonde anyway, he felt personally responsible for what had happened to her father. That was his job, to protect the group against people like the Governor. He had even tried doing the bull-shit diplomacy that Rick liked so much. He had tried to help train the new people that had brought in from Woodbury. Heck, Daryl had even helped the council come up with a plan if the Governor came, which of course he had. Men like that just don't quit. Despite all of his efforts to be a team player and defend his group, he had lost his brother, he had lost Rick, he had lost just about everyone he cared about. Daryl wanted to punch the sides of the car in frustration, but he knew that would be pointless and result in waking Beth up.

Daryl looked down at the young girl. He could barely make out her face in the darkness but she looked so peaceful in her sleep. Beth's blonde hair was in a mess and spread all over her face and his lap. Her head barely weighed anything, but he could feel the warmth of her cheek through the small tear in his jeans. Daryl couldn't help but feel protective of the petite woman. She was so innocent and sweet, everything he wasn't. Daryl didn't want to see that warm light in her eyes fade away now that she was out in the middle of the all this shit. He wondered vaguely what she had been like before the apocalypse. It was easy to picture Beth as the small town sweetheart that everyone adored. She was someone that in the past he wouldn't have been allowed within a mile of. While she would have been singing hymns in church, he would have been out drinking with Merle and getting in trouble. Merle would laugh if he could see Daryl now. Daryl could almost hear his voice. "What are you whipped? Gonna let that sweet little thang follow you around like a puppy and use you for a pillow," the invisible Merle asked. There had been a lot of things about Merle that made him unlikeable, but Merle was his brother and the one person who had been there for him as a child. Daryl remembered following Merle around the forest that was behind their house. Merle would always run faster than him and taunt him by saying that he was going to leave Daryl out in the middle of nowhere by himself. Once he grew up a bit more, Daryl wasn't scared of being in the forest by himself, he actually had come to quite enjoy it. The forest was a hell of a lot nicer than being in that trailer house with his dad drunk and raising a ruckus. No need to drag up the childhood, it's over and that is the end of that. Daryl determined that it had been quiet long enough for him to go to sleep as well. He leaned his head up against the side of the trunk and despite the uncomfortable position, managed to drift off.

Beth's POV

A voice was calling her, but Beth didn't want to open her eyes. She had slept last night without nightmares for the first time since she had seen her mom and brother attacked by walkers. Beth tried to go back to sleep but a hand on her shoulder insisted that she wake up. Slowly she opened her eyes only to find herself staring right into Daryl's dark blue eyes. Behind his head, the outside light shown in, giving him a halo of sorts. Beth just stared at him for a second, struck for the first time by how handsome he was. Then, Beth came back to herself and sat up, immediately embarrassed. "How early is it," she asked, more to get rid of the awkward moment they just had than out of real interest. "The sun just came up," was Daryl's reply. He began undoing the rope and lifted the hood up to reveal the sunrise. Beth nodded and reluctantly got out of the trunk, which had felt semi-safe and cozy despite the circumstances. Daryl stretched and then slung his crossbow over his shoulder. "I need a moment," Beth said, indicating indirectly that she needed to use the restroom. Daryl just nodded while Beth went behind the closest tree. When she came back, Daryl was looking ahead, obviously lost in thought. Beth came up and stood by him. After a moment, Daryl finally spoke, "There is a dirt road up ahead, why don't we follow it and see where it leads?" Beth nodded her agreement and fell into pace beside the redneck.

The road branched off, perpendicular to the railroad tracks. Beth couldn't help but be in a good mood after such a great night's sleep. Under her breath she began humming "Live like You were Dying" by Tim McGraw. It seemed strangely appropriate to the situation and music always calmed Beth's nerves. She couldn't tell if her humming bothered Daryl, but he didn't say anything so she continued with whatever song came into her head. After walking for about an hour, Daryl held up a hand and Beth became quiet. "I think we are getting close to wherever this road comes out at, we should go through the forest a bit and scope out the area before we let anyone see us," said Daryl. While going into the forest made Beth a bit nervous, she trusted Daryl's judgment completely on this particular issue. She knew it was unnecessary but she felt so hyper from a good night's rest that she couldn't help but say, "lead the way Captain!" Daryl snorted at her and headed off into the forest. Beth jogged after him, staring at the faded gold on his jacket's wings.

Daryl's POV

The pair had reached the edge of a golf course. A two story white house stood in the center of it, right out in the open. From the looks of it, the house had once been a country club. Daryl was a bit on edge because they had not seen a single walker as they snuck through the woods; their luck was too good to be true. They stood on the edge of the forest, watching for any signs of danger. Daryl couldn't detect a single motion inside of the house from where they were at. Finally, he decided that they would have to get a closer look. He pointed to the house and Beth fell in behind him as they moved closer. There was no cover on the golf course and Daryl quickly gave up trying to be inconspicuous. About halfway to the country club, moans of the dead filled the air. Daryl looked back to see group of walkers emerging from trees on their right. "Com' on," Daryl insisted, running towards the house. As soon as Beth entered the house, Daryl slams the door behind her. The walkers begin to pile up against the glass door but it seemed to be holding for the time being. After watching for a minute to make sure the door was secure, Daryl turned his attention to the room.

Beth was already moving around, inspecting the area. There were dead bodies all around the floor. Money and food laid haphazardly everywhere. The food was no longer any good, but Daryl began to pocket some of the money. While paper money might not have much of a use nowadays, Daryl had gone through enough hard times in the past to just pass up the chance now. Daryl found an empty black bag on the floor and stuffed a few wads of cash into it. Surely there was more in here than just money. Daryl began searching more when he came across the kitchen. Three walkers were hanging from the ceiling; some idiots had tried to hang themselves and unintentionally turned themselves into the living dead. Daryl rummaged through the fridge and the pantry while the walkers moaned and kicked from above him. Finding nothing that was still good, Daryl went back to the first room to find Beth staring at an open bottle of wine. Gosh, I'm going to have to find her something to drink pretty soon, she seems to be serious about wanting to try alcohol. "Hey," Daryl said, getting Beth's attention, she whipped around and her cheeks reddened for being caught staring so blatantly at the alcohol. He headed towards the hall to search the rest of the club and Beth soon came after him.

Beth's POV

Beth knew this might be her only chance to find a drink and she was determined to do so. She didn't want to drink the wine in the first room because it had been opened and anything could have gotten in it, like flies or zombie guts. While she wanted to try some alcohol, she wasn't desperate enough to drink something that had been sitting out for weeks. Daryl was ahead of her, scoping out a couple of rooms. A small closet to Beth's left caught her eye. She opened the door a bit to see a dead body crumpled in the corner of it. She scanned the shelves and found them mostly empty. Beth was about to close the door when she noticed a glass on the very top shelf that looked likely to contain wine. Beth glanced down at the body, which still hadn't moved. She felt nervous because she would have to get awfully close to it in order to reach the bottle. Beth considered calling Daryl, but didn't want to seem like a scaredy-cat. Plucking up all her courage, she stepped into the closet.

The body didn't move or even moan. Quickly, Beth covered the rest of the distance and thrust her hand up toward the top shelf. She couldn't quite reach, but she could feel the smooth glass on her fingertips. Standing on the tip of her toes, she stretched trying to grab the bottle. Finally, she managed to get a grip on it. Feeling triumphant, Beth marched straight out of the closet holding her newly found possession and walked straight into the hands of a walker. She felt the bony, decaying hands grab her shoulders and she screamed, trying to push it away. The sound of gnashing teeth filled her ears as it tried to take a bite out of her. Where was Daryl? Daryl wasn't appearing and she couldn't wait for him to show up or she would be a walker.

Pushing the walker away, she began to reach for the knife that was strapped to her waist, but her fingers were trembling too much to unbutton the covering. As the walker started coming for her again, Beth pulled the bottle back and swung it at the disfigured head. It reeled back from the blow and this time Beth managed to get her knife out and quickly buried it into the eye socket of the walker. Immediately, the body went limp and fell to the floor. Beth stood there with her bloody knife, staring down at the corpse. She heard a soft thud and looked up, worried that the attention had drawn more, but it was just Daryl. "Thanks for the help," she muttered. "Knew you could handle it," he said before heading back the way he had come. Beth shook her head in frustration and held back a sharp retort. This time, instead of searching on her own, she followed Daryl closely.

Daryl's POV

Daryl had heard Beth's scream and his heart had all but stopped. He had been so scared that he was going to lose the one member left in his group. Daryl was sure that he had failed to protect another person. How did she get so far away from him, she had been there one second ago? He had raced through the whole house trying to find Beth, panic creeping up on him as each room was empty. Daryl had run down the hallway, only to come in at the last minute as Beth buried her knife into that walker's head. The look of determination in her eyes was something he had not seen in Beth before. He had often worried about her state of mind because she had tried to commit suicide back at the farm house, but from what he had just seen, Beth had changed. The moment he walked in, he realized that she wasn't some princess in distress, she could take care of herself and he had told her as much. The Beth that was with him now was one that would fight to live, not at all like the young scared girl who had tried to take her life a couple years ago. It made Daryl feel better to know that Beth wasn't completely dependent on him and it made him respect her more.

Daryl entered the next room and took in the scene. The place was trashed and a "Welcome to the Dogtrot" was painted on the wall. Bodies littered the room. A little further in there was a small store. Daryl began digging through the junk to find anything of value. Beth disappeared into the store and came back a bit later with a new shirt on. Daryl's attention was broken by a little gasp. He turned around to find Beth staring at a mannequin, except that it wasn't a plastic mannequin, it was a woman's corpse. On her chest was a sign that said "RICH BITCH". Beth was staring in horror at the spectacle. "Com' on Daryl, we gotta take her down," Beth said in a shaky voice. He stared at her for a second, trying to figure out how to say what he thought without sounding too mean. "What's done is done," is all he could come up with. Tears began welling up in her pretty blue eyes and she moved closer to the mannequin, obviously wanting to do something but not knowing quite how to go about it. Daryl pulled a blue tarp off a counter and handed it to her. "Cover her up," he growled. Beth smiled in gratitude and placed the plastic over the dead woman. "Next room," Daryl insisted and he walked out without checking to see if she was following.

A grandfather clock ticked in the next room, it's pendulum swinging back and forth. Golf clubs lined one wall and there were boxes full of water bottles and hats. Just as Daryl was about to open a box, a sound rang out that made his blood go cold. The grandfather clock had begun to chime, the sound resonating throughout the building. Moans of walkers being drawn by the deep bell tolls came from the door. He began to run for the opposite door, only to find it locked. "Damn it," he cursed, annoyed at their predicament. He turned around to see five walkers shambling through the door. Quickly, Daryl pulled his crossbow from behind his back and took aim. A certain concentration overtook him as he blocked everything out except for his targets. One down, two down, three down, four down, five down. More keep coming. Daryl took a couple more out and reached for the next bolt only to find that he was out. Looking around, Daryl grabbed the first thing that he saw, a golf club. Pulling it back, Daryl gained momentum and brought the end down on the closest walker's head. The corpse crumbled to the floor as he continued beating back the bodies. Daryl's left hand reached down to his knife and he began using it for close calls. One by one, the walkers fell until only one was left. Daryl swung the golf club, taking it out. It was over, but Daryl couldn't stop. He raised the club up again and brought it back down against the monster's head. "This is for Merle, and Rick, and Hershel, and this whole damn mess," he thought while he beat the crap out of the unmoving walker. Finally, Daryl came back to himself. He looked up to see Beth standing there, wide-eyed and with blood over her new shirt. Instantly, Daryl regretted his violent outlash. "Com' on," he said, taking her by the arm and leading her out of the room.

Beth's POV

Beth's heart was still pounding from the attack. She had been scared and felt so helpless; she knew she was lucky to be with Daryl, someone who could handle bad situations. Watching Daryl kill that last walker was a bit frightening, to see the anger and sadness in his eyes. At the same time, Beth almost wished she could do the same thing. Beth wanted to let all of her pent up emotions about her father's death and her sister's unknown fate out by killing something, even if that something was already technically dead. Beth wanted to lash out at the world for the horrible past few years she had been through. "No, that's not who you are," Beth told herself. Daryl might be able to get stress relief from smashing in walker heads, but that isn't the person Daddy raised me to be. Instead, Beth wanted a drink more than ever; she wanted to wash away the pain and the fear.

"Ere," Daryl grunted. Beth looked up, she hadn't been paying much attention to where he had been leading her. They were in what looked like a small bar. This is what I have been waiting for! Beth left Daryl's side and began digging through all the smashed and emptied bottles, looking for one that was still good. Finally, she found a bottle full of a light brown liquid that was full. Elegant golden letters spelled out "Original Peach Schnapps". Feeling like a rebel, Beth put the bottle on the table and began trying to find a clean glass.

Beth didn't even know how to begin or what her first time to drink alcohol would be like, but she was suddenly nervous. She glanced over at Daryl for support and raised the bottle. "This any good," she asked. Daryl just stared at her for a minute before simply saying "no". Beth didn't know what else to do so she continued looking for a glass. Thud! Beth jumped a tiny bit at the noise. Daryl had begun throwing darts at picture frames. He wasn't even watching her or seeming to care what she did. Thud! Another dart found a man's face. All the glasses were dirty, there didn't seem to be a single clean one in the place. Beth felt her eye's tearing up for no particular reason. The fact that she couldn't find a clean glass just reminded her of the world she lived in now. Thud! Beth didn't even glance up at Daryl. She just found a spot on the bar stool and stared at the bottle, trying not to cry. This was going to be her first time to drink alcohol and she didn't even have a clean cup. For years she had wondered what this moment would be like and what high class wine she would try. Now the day had come and here she was with some halfway decent peach drink and no glass to even drink it in. A sob escaped Beth and then the tears just came pouring down her cheeks. She gripped the bottle, trying to control her emotions but now that she had begun it was hard to stop. Suddenly, the sharp sound of boots against the floor came right up to her and Daryl's hand reached out and yanked the bottle out of her hand. There was a tinkling smash as the bottle was thrown on the ground. Daryl's strong hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her out of her seat and through the doorway. "Peach Schnapps ain't no first drink! I'm gonna find you somethin better than that crap," he said as he headed out the door and across the lawn towards the forest. "Where are we going," Beth asked in bewilderment. "You'll see," Daryl replied.

End Note: A special thanks to my readers who are supporting my first fanfiction. I have testing this week and won't be able to work on Ch.3 much, but hope to have it up within a week or two!