I know I just came out with a chapter but this next one really just came to me. I spent all morning typing it up and it flowed so smoothly. Unlike most chapters, I didn't edit this one a lot because I was pretty content with how it turned out the first time. Usually, I won't add so much at one time, but this was an exception. Enjoy!
Beth's POV
Beth lay in the unfamiliar bed and looked up at the ceiling. Her ankle was wrapped up good and tight. Daryl had been firm but also gentle when he had bandaged her injury. Beth's ankle still tingled at the feel of his fingers running across her skin as he wound the athletic tape like a pro. Beth tried to get his image out of her head but every time she closed her eyes, she just saw Daryl's deep blue eyes staring at her from under his shaggy brown hair. As much as she had tried to hide it, Beth had to admit that she was attracted to the older man.
Ever since the apocalypse began, Beth had begun shutting men out. It all began with Jimmy. She had had a crush on the tall blonde youth since her freshman year of high school. He had been a year older than her and a star on the softball team. Her junior year, Beth and Jimmy had begun dating. She had thought she was in love, she began seeing wedding bells in her future. That all changed when the apocalypse happened. Every time Jimmy went outside, Beth was afraid that he would never return. Finally, her fears had come true that dark night when a herd had overrun her family's farm. Beth was lucky she hadn't seen it happen, she could pretend he had died a normal death in peace, she could change the memory to make it better.
Then, there had been Zack. He had been good-looking and very kind, but Beth didn't want to fall in love with someone just to have them ripped away from her. She had learned her lesson the first time. In her previous life, they might have become friends and then dated for a while, but as things were, it was impossible. Beth had flirted with the young man because she had wanted to pretend that she could have a normal life and date a guy and everything would be perfect. The strapping young lad had made her feel things that she needed to feel when the horror of living made her feel dead on the inside. Yet, throughout their whole undefined relationship, Beth had never really allowed herself to become close to Zack. Her fears had been warranted because one night after a run, Daryl had shown up by her door. She had been able to tell just by the look on his face. When Daryl broke the news to her, she didn't freak out or cry because she had expected it. That was the liability that came with living in the world they were stuck in. For a long time after Zack died, Beth had pushed away all dreams of ever getting married or having kids. She didn't want to fall in love only to have her husband ripped away from her or her kids turned to walkers before her very eyes. The same way Daryl pushed away any kind of relationship with anyone, Beth had begun to push away the idea of ever having a romantic relationship.
That was, until she and Daryl had become stranded together. With Daryl, it was safe to have feelings for him. He wasn't going to disappear the next day, if anyone could survive in this world, it would be him. Beth had meant it when she told Daryl that he would be the last man standing. However, not only did she feel safe having feelings for Daryl, he was worth it. Beth remembered how he had cried about letting the Governor come into the prison, how he had carried her to the house. Daryl might seem rough on the outside, but he was a good person. The young woman knew nothing would ever come of her feelings, he was about ten years older than her and he probably saw her as a child, yet she could dream, couldn't she?
Beth noticed a presence at her door. Daryl stood there holding a water bottle and a couple of pills. "Here take these," Daryl insisted, offering Beth the Aspirin. Beth sat up and dutifully took the medicine. "I'm going to go get the place locked up," Daryl said, "you go ahead and get some shut eye." Beth nodded. "Do you need anything else," the rough man questioned. "No, thank you though," Beth responded. The redneck nodded and left the room, closing the door on the way out. Beth laid back down on the comfy bed, enjoying the softness after sleeping outside for the past several nights with weeds pricking into her skin. Slowly, the medicine began to kick in and the pain subsided. It had been a long day and Beth ached on every part of her body. She pulled an extra pillow over to hug as she settled down to go to sleep.
Daryl's POV
After Daryl had wrapped up Beth's ankle, he had helped her up the stairs and into a bed. Then, he had gone back down to search for water that Beth could take the Aspirin with. He had found a pack of water bottles in a closet and had downed a few before he took one up to the young girl. Once he had made sure that she had everything she needed, Daryl began securing the house. The first thing he had did was to take the dead body out of the coffin and drag it into the woods nearby. He didn't need any more dead people than necessary around him. Next, he dug through the old boxes and drawers to see what metal objects he could find. Then, Daryl took out a thin rope and strung all the odds and ends onto it. He wrapped the cord all around the house, making sure that no walker could get on the porch without him hearing them. Lastly, he boarded up the front windows. The sun had already set and there was no electricity in the house. Daryl tried to work in the darkness for a while but soon gave up. He would have to finish the job some other time. Before he could go to sleep, Daryl wanted to check on Beth. On his way to her room, Daryl grabbed another water bottle.
Daryl made his way quietly up the stairs and opened her door a crack. Beth was lying on the bed, she hadn't even bothered to get under the covers. She clutched a pillow close to her as if for support. Daryl wondered if the young woman always held something when she slept, then he shook his head to clear the thought. Daryl dug around in his pocket and came up with two more Aspirin. He placed them and the water on the stand by Beth's bed before glancing one more time at the sleeping figure and forcing himself to leave. The redneck made a quick inspection around the house, making sure everything was secure for the night. Daryl's back ached from supporting Beth all day and he flopped onto the couch rather than walk back up the stairs again. He still felt guilt over Beth being injured, it was all his own damn stupid fault. Daryl was supposed to be watching out for the young girl, not having pervy thoughts and getting distracted. A little voice in his head whispered that she was already over age. Daryl growled into the air and turned over on his side. He didn't know what had come over him lately, ever since that night drinking with Beth, he hadn't been the same. Daryl knew he shouldn't have touched that damn moonshine, nothing good ever came of drinking. The redneck kicked his boots off and got comfortable. The couch was narrow but it was a hell of a lot better than the ground. For a long time, Daryl stayed awake listening to the sounds of the house. Finally, he drifted off into a light slumber.
Beth's POV
Beth woke up in a sweat. Her whole body was shaking and she had the pillow in a visor tight grip. The nightmare had seemed so real. One second she had been out at the farm gathering eggs from the chickens and the next a herd had appeared out of nowhere. She had been fighting them with off with a pitchfork but for every single one she had killed, another had taken its place. They had been closing in on her when Beth had finally woken up. Trying to calm her nerves, Beth forced herself to breathe at a slow rate. After several minutes, Beth began to relax. Just a dream, nothing I can't handle.
Beth looked over at the windows to see that the sun had already risen. Daryl had let her sleep in. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Her ankle was very sore and swollen but it was feeling better already. On the little table beside her bed there was another water bottle and two more Aspirin. Beth smiled a bit before taking them as she thought of the rough man doing something as sweet as leaving her medicine. After swallowing the pills, she began looking for Daryl. He wasn't in either of the two other bedrooms, it looked like the beds hadn't even been touched. She headed downstairs to find his crossbow on the coffee table in front of the couch. Beth was considering which room to try next when she heard a shuffling sound coming from the room that held the coffin. She walked over to find Daryl dismantling the wooden chairs. He looked up at her and smiled. "Well, good morning Sleeping Beauty, about time you woke up," he teased. Beth laughed before settling down on the floor beside him. "What did those chairs ever do to you," Beth questioned. Daryl searched around for a screwdriver before answering, "windows gotta be boarded up." Beth nodded and watched him while he worked. Suddenly, her stomach let out a loud growling sound. Daryl looked up and Beth blushed in embarrassment. "Got any food in this house," she asked. "Let's go find out," Daryl replied. He stood up and stretched, unintentionally showing off his very impressive biceps. Then he looked down at Beth and extended his hand. Beth put her hand in his big strong one and felt herself be pulled up off the floor.
The kitchen was in perfect condition, no food stains or left-out fruit in sight. Daryl began digging through the top cabinets while Beth opened the refrigerator. "Dang," she exclaimed, there wasn't a single thing in the fridge, didn't look like anything had been inside the fridge with how clean it was. "You find anything," Beth asked Daryl as he sorted through shelves full of cups and plates. Daryl opened the next cabinet, which answered Beth's question. It was full of food and not just canned ravioli or beans, it had the good stuff. Bottles of water and coke were beside a couple of bags of chips. A box of Oreos sat off to one side along with several other chocolate treats. "Whoa," the young woman exclaimed, taking in all the delicious food. "Peanut butter and jelly," Daryl reported as he dug through the hoard of food, "diet soda and pigs feet. That's a white trash brunch right there." Beth still couldn't believe her eyes, she took a couple of cans off the shelf to make sure they were real. "It all looks good to me," Beth told Daryl. She found a can of fruit and almost squealed with joy, it had been so long since she had had peaches. "Hold on," Daryl suddenly said, "there ain't a speck of dust on this." Beth waited for the older man to finish but he just stood there staring at the food. "So," Beth inquired. "That means someone just put it here," Daryl explained, "This is someone's stash. Maybe they're still alive." Daryl shifted uncomfortably at the idea and began peering around the room as if he was expecting someone to pop out any second.
Finally he turned back. "All right, we'll take some of it and we'll leave the rest, all right," Daryl decided. Beth processed his statement for a little while. She wanted to just gobble everything up. Yet, Daryl who had talked about "taking care of" whoever might live here wanted to leave some of the food for the unknown person. If Daryl truly thought the person who lived here was bad, he wouldn't hesitate to steal their food supply. "I knew it," Beth said as a smile came to her face. Daryl, who had been busy opening a jar, looked over at her confused. "Knew what," he asked. "It's like I said, there are still good people," Beth told him softly, touched that he cared. The rough man stared her down, obviously not comfortable with her interpretation. Then, suddenly, he leaned in real close to her face and shoved a couple of pig's feet in his mouth. "Mmmm," Daryl groaned as he licked his fingers, trying to be as loud and obnoxious as possible. "Gross," Beth protested as she stepped back. She knew Daryl was doing it on purpose to avoid answering her so she didn't push the issue. Beth undid the lid on a jar of peanut butter, while Daryl went through the food. "Hey, those pig's feet are mine," Daryl claimed. Beth rolled her eyes; he could have those disgusting things.
After they finished a mix and match kind of breakfast, Beth made her way into the living room. She ran her hand over all the beautiful books. On one shelf, she found an empty journal. Beth smiled, she had always loved writing. She began digging around the room trying to find a pen. "Lookin for this," came Daryl's voice from behind her. She turned to find a ballpoint pen in his extended hand. "Thank you," Beth said as she plucked the writing utensil out of his hand. She sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table and began to write. Putting all of her experiences onto paper helped her make sense of what had happened. For a while, Daryl sat across from her, just watching her write. Beth could feel his cobalt eyes burning a hole into her, there were few people that could do so much with just one look at Daryl Dixon. Beth had trouble writing, she tried her best to focus on the paper but on the edge of her vision those eyes demanded her attention. Beth hung her head, allowing her hair to fall over her face and create a small barrier between them. After a few minutes, Daryl stood up and without saying anything, he left the room.
Beth let out a breath of air she hadn't even realized she was holding in. The sound of nails being pounded and wood hitting the floor told Beth that Daryl had back to dismantling chairs and boarding up the windows. Beth turned her attention to her journal and began to write in earnest. Beth wasn't going to be able to write everything that had happened to her since the prison in one sitting, so she just wrote the most important memories. Footsteps rang out on the wooden floor and moved closer to Beth. A hand set a bottle of water and a couple more Aspirin on the coffee table beside her. The smell of dirt and sun reached Beth's nose. She looked up and Daryl just nodded at her before picking up his crossbow and walking out of the room.
Daryl's POV
Daryl had most of the house pretty tight and secure. He went outside to check the perimeter. To his surprise, the rope he had strung around the house the day before was lying on the ground. Daryl pulled his crossbow around to the front of him, something wasn't right. The redneck walked over to the rope and inspected it. He followed the line until he came to the problem. The rope had broken. Daryl picked up one end and ran his fingers over it. The rope was old, he had gotten it back on Hershel's farm. However, the end wasn't as frayed as he expected, it looked more like it had been cut. Daryl made quick inspection around the house and found nothing else amiss. He looked out into the forest, willing whatever was out there to come into his line of sight. On his second round of the house, Daryl looked for any signs of humans. There were no shoeprints, except for his own. Around the porch there was a patch of dirt that held what looked like an imprint of a canine paw. Daryl had always wanted a dog, ever since he was a child. As a boy, Daryl dreamed about having a good dog to go hunting with, of course that had never happened. If his father abused his own kids, Daryl could only imagine what he would have done to a dog. Daryl tied up the loose ends and made sure the rope was tight around the whole porch. Then, he headed back into the house, making sure to lock the front door.
A sad, beautiful music was echoing throughout the house. Daryl stopped for a moment, listening to the piano notes rise and fall. Beth was no longer at the coffee table writing. Daryl walked down the hall to find they young woman sitting at the piano. He had noticed the musical instrument while he had been dismantling chairs, but it hadn't meant much to him, wasn't like he could play. Beth's hands moved across the piano as she began to sing. "Pine for summer. Then we'll buy, a beer to shotgun. We'll lay on our lawn. And we'll be good…" Daryl closed his eyes as he remembered hearing that song play from the old, beat-up radio his dad had kept in their trailer. He watched as Beth played several more notes and then realized he needed to make his presence known. Daryl cleared his throat and Beth jumped. The music cut off abruptly and Daryl immediately missed it.
"The place is nailed up tight," Daryl told Beth, leaving out the part about the mystery of the broken rope. He set his crossbow on some fancy loveseat that he would have probably never been allowed to sit on before the apocalypse. Beth watched him with those big doe-like eyes of hers. Daryl looked around the room. He felt uncomfortable sitting in those finely cushioned chairs, and then his eyes landed on the coffin. It had padding all around it and looked real comfortable. He walked over to it while still talking to Beth. "The only way in is through the front door," he assured her. Then, he hoisted himself up onto the coffin and sat down. Gosh, a waste to use such a comfortable bed on someone who is dead. "What are you doing," Beth asked, watching him closely. Daryl laid down, "This is the comfiest bed I've had in years." Beth just stared in disbelief. "Really," she said, doubt coloring her voice. "I ain't kiddin," Daryl insisted. The last time he had laid in a bed was when he had gotten injured on Hershel's farm and Rick had dragged him inside to get stitched up. The cot back at the prison didn't count, it wasn't much better than the ground had been.
Daryl looked over at Beth, who was fidgeting with her hands. Daryl stared for a second, unsure of how to ask her to keep playing. He didn't normally make requests of people. "Why don't you go ahead and play some more," Daryl finally said. Beth looked up at him in surprise. "Keep singing," he encouraged. "I thought my singing annoyed you," Beth replied. Daryl remembered how he had yelled at her about her singing while he was drunk. "Well, there ain't no jukebox, so…," Daryl let his voice trail off. He could never just come out and say what he meant but he was sure that Beth understood. She smiled at him a little bit before turning back around to the piano. The notes rang out in the empty house and soon her voice joined them. "And we'll buy," she began, "beer to shotgun. And we'll lay in the lawn. And we'll be good. Now I'm laughing at my boredom and my string of failed attempts." Daryl leaned back and relaxed as the music washed over him. He looked over at the pretty blonde and brought his finger up to his lips. The redneck chewed on his fingernail while he watched Beth play. He had heard the song a thousand times as a kid, but suddenly it took on a whole new meaning when Beth played it. Daryl stared up at the ceiling because it was safer than watching the young girl.
When Beth finished, Daryl came over and put his arm around her. Slowly, he helped Beth up the steps to the closest bedroom. He remembered to give her more medicine and watched as she swallowed the pills. As he took the bottle from her, she pulled something off of the nightstand. "Daryl, I usually read before I got to sleep, would you like me to read out loud for you," she asked in her sweetest voice. Daryl had never been read to even as a child, at night his mother often had to put up with his drunk as shit father instead of tucking him into bed. Occasionally, he would read books on his own, but he was a very slow reader.
Daryl settled into a rocking chair of the corner of the room. Beth took that as a yes and began reading. It was the story of how a kid wanted a couple of coonhounds to go hunting with. Daryl leaned back enjoying the story, it reminded him a little bit of himself. While listening to the story, Daryl also watched Beth. She had all the sheets and pillows pulled around her and the book propped up on her knees. Daryl's eyes looked over her face and stopped on her lips, watching them move as she read. Shit! Daryl turned away and didn't look back until Beth stopped reading. "We will have to read more tomorrow," she announced as she closed the book and set it on the nightstand. Daryl nodded and got up to leave. "Night Daryl," Beth said. "Night," Daryl replied before closing the door.
Once again, Daryl decided to sleep on the couch again. The beds upstairs were top quality, but they just felt wrong to him, he felt out of place in the house, it was all too nice. The main reason though was that he didn't want to be close to Beth. The redneck was afraid of the feelings he had when he was around her and thought it better to sleep as far away as possible. He retrieved his crossbow from the loveseat and put it on the coffee table. He sat down on the couch and put his head between his hands. That girl was going to be the end of him. He laid down, but didn't want to go to sleep. The night before, he had nightmares again. Every time he fell asleep, Daryl would relive the prison attack and see Hershel getting his head chopped off. It had to be worse for Beth, she had lost her father. The thoughts whirled around in Daryl's head and it became obvious that he wasn't going to get any sleep. He stood up and began checking all the rooms, making sure everything was in order. It was a habit he had developed while living in the prison. Often, he would wander like a ghost around the cells in the middle of the night just to make sure that everyone was where they needed to be.
Beth's POV
Beth was curled up in her favorite armchair reading Pride and Prejudice. She turned the pages and read eagerly. "Beth," her father called from downstairs. "Coming," she replied. The young girl placed a bookmark on the page she had been reading and pounded down the stairs. "Daddy," she called, but the old man was nowhere in sight. Beth went through all the rooms in the house before heading outside. She turned the knob and opened it to find walkers roaming all around her front yard. With a scream, Beth slammed the door. A moan came from behind her and Beth whirled around. Her whole family was there, Hershel, Annette, Shawn, and Maggie. They were all shambling toward her with a blank expression on their decaying faces. Beth darted around them and ran up the stairs. The walkers followed her as she tried to make it to her room. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her ankle and she fell to the ground. Shawn had a firm grip and began gnashing his teeth. A gun appeared in Beth's hand and she raised it to her brother's head. She tried to pull the trigger but couldn't bring herself to do it. The other walkers were coming up the stairs and Beth knew she didn't have much more time. Beth pulled the release and watched as Shawn's body fell to the ground limp. Tears ran down her face as she ran into her room and slammed the door. Before Beth could turn the lock, a body slammed up against the door, threatening to open it. Moans filled the house and Beth sobbed as she tried to keep the door shut.
Beth sat right up in bed, sweat pouring down her body. She jumped up without caring that her ankle protested in pain. She had to get out of her bed, she had to get away from her nightmare. Beth flung open the door and ran straight into a warm body. Caught up in the moment, Beth wrapped her arms around Daryl's thick waist and began sobbing into his shirt.
Daryl's POV
Daryl had finished checking downstairs and began wandering up the steps. Just as he had gotten on the second floor, Beth's door had flown open. The young girl had run out of the room with a wild look on her face and slammed right into him. Daryl had swayed back a bit as her weight collided with his. Then, her arms were suddenly around him and bawls filled the silent house. Daryl stood there for a second, trying to take the whole scene in. Meanwhile, he could feel his shirt getting wet with Beth's tears.
Daryl was unsure of what to do, he wasn't experienced with comforting people. As a kid, he would console his mother after the old man had done a number on her, but other than that, Daryl had stayed away from that emotional shit. Should have just stayed downstairs. He raised his hand up and began stroking her blond hair. Beth clutched him harder, but her crying began to decrease. After several minutes, Daryl decided they couldn't just stand out in the hallway all night. He picked Beth up and carried her downstairs. She wrapped her fists into his shirt and buried her head in his chest. Daryl gently set her down on the couch and unwound her fists from his clothing. Then, he headed to the kitchen and pulled out the box of Oreos and got a glass of water. He brought them back to the living room and set them before Beth, hoping that they would appease her. The young woman didn't make a move to touch them. Daryl opened the package and took an Oreo out and put it in her hand. "It's gonna be alright," Daryl said, trying to be of some comfort, although he himself didn't believe the words he was saying. He had no clue what was going on but the blonde was obviously upset.
Beth nibbled on the Oreo and began talking incoherently between sobs. "My family, they were all there….I had to, but I didn't want to….I tried my best….Shawn," Beth cried. Daryl pulled Beth into his arms and let her cry. He didn't say anything, he didn't know what to say, so he just enfolded her in his arms and hoped that that was enough. After a while, Daryl realized that Beth had cried herself to sleep. He didn't want to wake her, so he just sat on the couch and held her in his arms while she slept. The redneck ran a finger over her check, wiping away one of her tears. The girl shifted in her sleep and wrapped her arms around him like she had hugged the pillow earlier. Daryl stared down at the innocent little creature that was attached to his waist. Her eyelashes were wet from the tears, but her face had lost all the fear and sadness. Daryl didn't know if he had ever seen a sight more captivating. As much as he wanted to stay there with Beth all night, Daryl knew he needed to find somewhere else to sleep. He planned stay for just a bit longer and then move to the bed upstairs, but he never got that far. Without knowing it, his eyes closed and soon both of them were out.
An extra thank you to all my readers, I love to get feedback. While I'm writing this fanfiction for my personal enjoyment, I also want ya'll to enjoy it as well. Within a few chapters, I should be able to start putting in my version of what happened to Beth! Can't wait to see how that will turn out. The next week is full of craziness so there may not be another chapter for a little while but I will update ASAP.