Sorry it took me so long to get this next chapter out. I have been on vacation and had no access to the internet, but I look forward to continuing the story. This was an interesting and challenging chapter because it will set the foundation for what will happen now that I am leaving Beth's TV show storyline behind. I hope I portrayed her accurately; I feel that her caring for others is an important characteristic of her personality and sought to incorporate it. Enjoy!
Daryl's POV
Daryl had been sitting on the ground for several hours. The sun had come up and was warming the back of his jacket, but his insides were cold. Daryl was frozen in indecision, he couldn't leave Beth but he couldn't follow her either. The redneck wanted nothing more than to start running, but he had no direction to run in. At this point, Beth was probably long gone and only fate would bring them back together. Daryl hung his head. He couldn't keep the dark thoughts from pressing in on him. Ever since the prison break, he had been having trouble with his emotions, but Beth had been there to make him feel better. She had always been so full of happiness and optimism, she had been his sunlight and now he was cast into despair without her to brighten him up. In all of the time Daryl had been working to keep Beth physically alive, he hadn't realized that she had kept him emotionally alive until she was no longer there. He wished for nothing more than her laughter or her taunting smile as she called him Mr. Dixon. He longed for those hands that would hold him together when he started thinking that the whole world was exactly what his father had told him it was, a piece of god-damn shit.
Daryl didn't fold his hands in prayer, he just closed his eyes and talked with an honesty he wasn't used to. He didn't know if he believed in God, especially after the outbreak, but he couldn't get Beth back on his own and he was willing to try anything. Hey God, if you are up there, I know there ain't no good reason for you to listen to me, but you should have a reason to care about what happens to a girl like Beth. She is one of the only good things left in this world. If she is out there, let me find her, let Beth be safe. She doesn't have to have feelings for me or even like me. If you give her back to me, I will watch her from a distance and not let my guard down like the dumb ass I was being. Haven't you taken enough from me already? Why Beth? Why her? Daryl punched the ground at that last thought before looking around. He didn't know what he expected to see, it wasn't like Beth was going to just wander right out of the woods. The branches swayed from the tall trees and somewhere deep in the forest a walker moaned. The road was completely empty and now the redneck's knuckles were bleeding. Daryl suddenly felt really stupid for praying, wasn't like it had ever done him any good before, no reason that it would now.
The false hope that had come with praying left Daryl. Beth wasn't going to be plucked out of the hands of her captors by some higher being. It was more likely that he would never see her again, or if he did it may be the same way he found Sophia. The thought sent a shiver down his spine and caused Daryl to withdraw even deeper into himself. The last time a girl had gone missing and he had tracked her, it hadn't ended well. In the end, he had wondered if it would have been better to have never found Sophia. That way he could have at least kept a glimmer of hope that she was still alive out there somewhere. He remembered the shaking of Carol's arms as she had sobbed into his chest. Daryl hadn't been able to look away as the small walker had moved closer and closer. Rick had stepped forward and raised his gun. Daryl had known what was coming but couldn't look away. He had stared at the young girl he had searched weeks for fall to the ground, a hole in her already decaying head. Daryl had been glad that Rick had done the job because it would have killed him to have had to put the girl down, even though it wouldn't have really have been Sophia. If Daryl ever found Beth and she was in the same condition…. Daryl's mind trailed off at that idea. He would have to but he didn't know if he could. Daryl had done so many hard things. He had put a knife through his own turned brother, he had dragged himself out of a pit after falling off a cliff and being impaled by his own bolt, and he had buried many of the people in his group. However, when it came to Beth, he didn't know if he could be strong. Daryl buried his face in his hands, his breath coming in gasps. In the middle of his panic attack, the redneck felt a chill. He wasn't alone.
"Well, lookit here," said a gruff voice. Daryl raised his head to find that six ragged men had surrounded him. Never in his life had Daryl been so caught off guard and never in his life did he care so little about such a dangerous situation. He stared up at them, but didn't move. Everything that was happening seemed so far away. His crossbow was at his side, but Daryl didn't even bother picking it up. All the fight had gone out of him. The oldest man began walking toward him and Daryl found himself hoping that the man would just end him quickly. As the footsteps grew closer, a memory leapt into Daryl's mind. It was Beth, her back was leaning up against the wooden railing of the porch in front of the shack they had stayed at. Her delicate fingers had been fiddling with the bracelets that covered the scar on her wrist. Her beautiful blue eyes were staring at him as she spoke. "You are going to be the last man standing," she had said with confidence and pride. The words rang in Daryl's ears and suddenly a rush of energy came into his wearied body. Without even thinking, Daryl lashed out and his fist connected with the chin of the stranger who had been approaching him.
Daryl grabbed his crossbow and jumped up, a new sense of purpose filling him. He wasn't going to let Beth down! The older man lay on the ground, blood running from his nose. Daryl lifted up his crossbow and pointed it at the stranger's head. All the men around him raised their weapons. The atmosphere was tense until the older man talked. "Dammit, hold up," he ordered from the ground. All the men continued pointing their guns at Daryl, but they didn't fire. "I'm claiming the vest," came a nasally voice from behind the redneck, "I like them wings." Daryl didn't allow the taunt to distract him from the man lying in front of him, who must have been the leader. "Hold up," the man commanded again, wiping blood off of his face. A grin broke out from under weathered lips and the leader started laughing. The sound unnerved Daryl but he didn't move an inch, he kept his weapon trained on the man's right eye. The older man slowly stood up and brushed dirt of his black shirt, which was embroidered with a skull surrounded by roses. "A bowman," the leader commented, his smile was inviting but his eyes were calculating. Something about him reminded Daryl of his uncle and his brother. The men that surrounded him were like grown up versions of the kids Merle used to run with. Daryl knew what kind of people they were, he had grown up around their type. They weren't good, but they were familiar.
"I respect that," the leader said as he sized Daryl up, "See a man with a rifle, he coulda been some kind of photographer or soccer coach back in the day. But a bowman's a bowman through and through." Daryl didn't know what to make of the man's little speech but he didn't let his guard down. "What you got there, 150 pound draw," the older man asked, his eyes running along Daryl's crossbow, "I'll be donkey-licked if that don't fire at least 300 feet per second." The statement hung in the air as the two men stood there evaluating each other. Finally, the older man spoke again, "I've been looking for a weapon like that. Of course, I'd want one with a bit more ammo and minus the oblongata stains." He smiled to let Daryl know he was teasing him. Daryl shifted a bit, weighing his options in his mind.
The leader was offering him admission to the group. They definitely weren't the people Daryl would have chosen. However, he had learned long ago that a person couldn't make it alone in this world and he didn't have many other options. "Get yourself in some trouble," asked the annoying voice behind Daryl, the same one that had claimed his vest. Both the redneck and the leader ignored the man. "You pull that trigger," the older man said, motioning at the other men, "these boys are going to drop you several times over. That what you want?" Daryl wanted a lot of things, but mostly he just wanted Beth. He wasn't about to tell this ragtag bunch that though, for all he knew, they were the ones who had kidnapped Beth. The idea pricked at his mind and Daryl knew in that instant that he was going to accept the offer. There weren't many people in the area and by being with others his chances of running across the blonde would increase.
"Come on, fella, suicide is stupid," the leader said in a convincing voice, "why hurt yourself when you can hurt other people?" The man's face split into a smile at his own words and Daryl felt his stomach twist in disgust. His first impression had been right, these men were not the kind of men he could trust, not like Rick or Glenn. However, they were also the only lead he had on Beth, the only place that he could possible think to look. The man seemed to see his resolve waver. "Name's Joe," the older man said. Daryl lowered his weapon. "Daryl," he replied in a husky voice, which was still sore from screaming Beth's name.
Beth's POV
Beth had been locked in the room with the other girl all day. Not much had happened other than Seth visiting them or food being brought. Neither occurrence was pleasant, the food was always the same and Seth seemed like a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. Beth looked over at the young girl, who she had started to call Renee. There was no meaning behind the name, it just seemed to fit the teenager. Renee hadn't spoken in all the time they had been trapped together. Sometimes Beth would half talk to herself and half talk to Renee, just to calm her own nerves. Despite the girl's initial avoidance, Renee had begun to allow Beth to hold her hand or run her fingers through the girl's long dark hair. Beth would try to get all of the tangles out of Renee's hair, it was a pointless task, but there was really little else to do. Beth wished she could help Renee more, but she couldn't even help herself at the moment. The young girl reminded Beth of Maggie, who had been almost comatose for weeks after being rescued from the Governor. Maggie had still talked and done chores, but there was that look of sadness and brokenness in her eyes that Beth now saw in Renee's. Beth morbidly wondered if she would soon have that very same look.
Voices floated into Beth's ears from under the doorway and she pricked up, trying to hear what was being said. The blonde could only catch snatches of the conversation. "Sorry boys….not for sale…these are for Gareth…choose any others." Masculine voices argued and suddenly, a gunshot rang out that made both girls jump. Everything was silent until a booming male voice rang out, "What I say isn't for sale isn't for sale, ya'll had best go and take your business elsewhere." Feet shuffled around the door and then Seth's voice entered the mix. "What do you mean for Gareth? You can't sell him those pretty gals, it would be such a waste," Seth demanded. "As long as they pay well, they can do whatever they want with the people they buy from us," answered the deep voice that had ordered the other men to leave the building. "Why not just give them the Filipino girl, no need to sell them both," Seth pleaded. Beth's skin crawled at the idea of being left on her own with Seth.
"Seth, hold your horses," came the reply, "you get way to attached to some of the girls we bring in, you gotta remember that this is a business, not some god-damned store full of candy for you to pick from. But I will do you a favor because you are a good worker. I will let Gareth have his pick and if they leave the blonde, you can have her." Beth felt her heart sink at those words as the two men walked away. They were going to give her to Seth? Beth put her hand over her mouth trying not to throw up as her stomach churned. To her surprise, a warm hand grasped her shoulder. Beth looked over to see that Renee was trying to comfort her. The Filipino girl gave a small smile and her eyes for just an instant had a bit of light in them. Then, the light disappeared and Renee withdrew her hand. Beth didn't move, not wanting to let the moment slip away. For once since she had arrived, she hadn't felt entirely alone. Beth went back to detangling Renee's hair, hoping against hope that they would stay together.
Daryl's POV
Daryl followed behind the men as they tramped through the woods. He didn't get too close but he also wanted to hear what they were saying. He listened closely for any clue that might help him find Beth. He couldn't ask them straight out if they had seen the young blonde, because even if they weren't her kidnappers, they gave him a bad vibe. There were no women in the group, which told Daryl enough. As much as he wanted to find Beth, he also didn't want her existence to be made known to this rough group. He knew what men like them could do to a young pretty girl even before the world had gone to shit, much less now when there were no rules except the ones you made yourself.
However, the men made no mention of anyone that sounded vaguely like Beth. Instead, they went on about some man who had killed one of their friends and how they were going to hunt him down. Daryl felt pity for whoever they were tracking because by their descriptive language, he got the feeling that they were not going to die quickly. He picked up some other tidbits of information too. This group was called the Marauders, because they drifted from place to place and raided other people's sites for supplies and food. Joe had saved the lives of several of the men, which made them very loyal to the older man. The man who had wanted to take his vest was a tall skinny man with stringy hair. He had a compound bow and a snarky attitude that made Daryl want to wipe the smug grin off his face. His hands became fists but Daryl knew now wasn't the time.
They walked for hours, the guys chatting away except for when Joe commanded that they shut their traps. Finally, the leader decided that it was time to set up for camp. The men all gathered round and started wrapping some barbed wire around the campsite. Daryl dropped his stuff on the ground, remembering how much Beth hated sleeping outside the first week after they had escaped the prison. He could clearly picture her face as she told him that living in the woods wasn't real living and that she wanted something to drink. The way she had crossed her arms over her chest because she had her mind set on getting a drink and was going to be stubborn about it made his heart clench. He quickly brushed the memory away and watched as the men rolled out sleeping mats and set up for dinner.
No one shared food with each other, it appeared that it was every man for himself. Daryl didn't have anything on him but he was too tired to go hunting. Instead, he took a seat on the ground and leaned up against a tree. "Hey you," called a man with a black and white bandanna on his head, "what's your story." Daryl looked over at the group of interested eyes. "No story to tell," he muttered, not in the mood for talking. "Com'on, man," another insisted, "People don't travel on their own no more, something bad musta happened to you." Daryl glared at the stranger, he wasn't about to go and tell his life story to a bunch of good for nothing men that he had just met. Finally, they accepted his antisocial behavior and went back to talking among themselves.
Daryl took off his vest and rolled it up like a pillow. He laid down on the hard ground and listened to the voices of the men as they finished up dinner. Despite his exhaustion, Daryl couldn't fall asleep. He didn't trust these men and didn't like the idea of having to sleep around the cutthroat bunch. However, he couldn't stay awake forever and he hadn't slept the night before. Daryl shifted and the leaves around him rustled. He was a bit warm in his layered attire so he tugged his long sleeve, maroon shirt off and added it to his makeshift pillow. The redneck instantly knew he had made a mistake. His ragged yellow shirt smelled like peaches and soap, it smelled like Beth, which was the very reason he had kept it on yesterday. Without the maroon shirt to hold in the scent, it surrounded Daryl and pushed its way into his nose. Daryl tried to keep the memories at bay but his heart wasn't in it and soon they flooded him. He remembered how good it felt to hold Beth in his arms the night they had both slept in the same bed. They had only fallen asleep together twice, but somehow Daryl felt like that was the way it had always been. Those two mornings of waking up to find the beautiful blonde girl in his arms had made him feel content in a way that nothing else ever had. The few times he had had sex with women, he had never stuck around to cuddle. Daryl had never slept beside anyone else, except Merle, who would climb in his bed half drunk in the middle of the night and start snoring right in his ear.
The redneck had never wanted people around him while he slept, because that was when he was at his most vulnerable, but somehow it had just felt right with Beth. The way her small form pressed into his chest made it seem like she was meant to be held in his arms. Then, there was that night when she had said his name in her sleep….. Daryl growled and turned onto his side. Two nights with Beth and now he was unable to feel comfortable falling asleep without her. Daryl stared at the fire until it and the voices died out. Finally, he fell into a light sleep, where images of Beth beckoned him with open arms and a sweet smile.
Beth's POV
Seth had brought Beth and Renee a couple of blankets and pillows the night before to make them more comfortable. The attention he had placed on Beth was unnerving and she had tried her best to avoid eye contact until he left. Beth had then curled up under the scratchy material and had taken forever to fall asleep. She had wished for Daryl's strong arms to be around her, she had wished for the rhythm of his breathing to lull her to sleep. Instead, all that could be heard were Renee's little sobs as the girl had nightmares in her sleep. Beth didn't wake her though, because things weren't that much better in real life. Beth's fingers had tugged at the metal hearts on her necklace, a nervous habit that gave her some small comfort. Finally, she had fallen into a fitful sleep only to wake up screaming from the image of her father being beheaded. Renee's arms had been around her and the girls had clung to each other in the dark until breakfast had been brought to them.
Today, they were given green beans, which for Beth was a source of great joy. She sighed at just how bad life was if green beans could make her day. She scarfed them down and was happy to see that Renee did as well. The next item that was brought in was a bucket of water, which the girls were instructed to wash with. They were given a rough rag and a bar of soap to share between them. As Beth wiped the dirt away, she suddenly began to feel naked without the layer of grim covering her. Renee whimpered as she ran the cloth over one of her larger bruises. Beth took the girl's hand and gave it a squeeze. She was rewarded by a small smile from the Filipino.
A few minutes after they finished, a man came in and took the water and rags away. He left them with a single hairbrush, which Beth used to brush Renee's hair. The action was so familiar and calming that Beth began to hum the way she used to when she had taken care of Judith. When Renee's hair was finished, Beth braided it into French braid and used one of the strings from her homemade bracelets to tie the bottom. The girl's hand reached up and felt along her hair and her brown eyes widened in surprise. She truly smiled for the first time since Beth had met her. It was funny how little things could make one so happy.
Renee took the brush from Beth and indicated that she should turn around. Beth obliged and let the teenager brush her hair. The slight tug on her scalp was relaxing and for a minute, Beth could almost forget where she was. She sat and enjoyed the sensation as she wondered why her captors were being so nice to them. Seth was always trying to be sweet, but in a creepy way. This was different though. Beth's mind wandered back to the argument outside the door yesterday. She shivered as she recalled the gunshot that had ended a life. The loud voice had said something about selling and that a man was coming to look at them. That is when it clicked. How could I have been so stupid?
Beth instantly turned around and yanked the brush out of Renee's hand before throwing it across the room. Renee was cowering in the corner and Beth instantly regretted her outburst, but it was necessary. "Renee," Beth urged, "You have to take the braid out! Mess your hair up as much as possible! They want us to look nice so that they can sell us for a good price!" Renee stared at her in horror as Beth's statement sunk in. Her hand slowly reached up to the green string that was tied in her hair. Before she could pull it out though, footsteps rang out in the hallway. Both girls froze at the sound of the door lock clicking open. The metal door swung inward to reveal several men that Beth had never seen before. One was a large man with a toolbar mustache. He wore a black cowboy hat on his head and black cowboy boots on his feet to match.
"Right this way men," he boomed, making Beth sure he was the man who had promised her to Seth if she didn't sell. Two men stepped in. The first was a white man with light brown hair and hazel eyes. He wore plain brown button up shirt and had a gun strapped to his waist. The white man was followed by a Hispanic male who had curly black hair and tattoos all along his arms. Beth shrunk into the wall and saw that Renee was doing the same. "These are just what you asked for," the cowboy thundered. The white man moved closer and inspected both of the girls.
"Mark," the white man asked, "What were the instructions that Mary gave you for picking the girls?" The Hispanic man sauntered over and stared down coldly at Beth. "All she said was that they had to be young females, in good shape, with no markings or deformities that came from violence," Mark answered. He then bent down and began looking at Renee. He opened her mouth to see her teeth and ran his hand down the bruises on her arms. "This one don't look too good right now, but she will heal," Mark commented as he continued examining her. Beth bit her lip, fighting the urge to slap Mark's hand away from Renee because she knew such an outburst wouldn't do any good. Mark's hand stopped on the shackle that encircled Renee's ankle. "What is this," he asked, but Renee didn't answer. Beth peered over, wondering what he was talking about.
"This one has a tattoo on her ankle," Mark announced, "she won't do." The large cowboy frowned at his statement. "Gareth, why are ya'll so picky, does it matter if one of them has some dumb bird on her foot," the cowboy asked the white man. Gareth didn't answer but just turned his focus to Beth. "This one is in better shape," he said to his companion. Mark walked over and Beth found herself the center of attention. Gareth began looking at her arms and her legs and stopped over the bracelets that covered Beth's scar. "How did you get this," he asked in a calm tone. Beth squirmed, she didn't want to tell the truth, it was too personal. Instead, she kept quiet, following Renee's example.
Gareth looked over at Mark. "We need at least one, which is better? Can we still use this one even if she has a scar," Gareth inquired. Mark looked between the two of them and finally replied. "The more natural the mark the better," he decided, "That is what Mary would probably say." Gareth nodded and looked up at the cowboy. "John, we will take this one. If you can keep her here until I finish looking at the others I would appreciate it. We want this one kept separate," Gareth instructed. John tipped his hat. "Now you know these girls are a pretty penny. Don't usually find them in such good condition these days," John warned. Gareth just gave him as small smile. "There is a reason we are your best customer," Gareth said, "Now show me the rest." The men filed out of the room as Beth took in what was happening. She was being bought. If she hadn't, Seth would have gotten her, but the unknown made Beth just as scared. She sat staring at the wall, dreading the moment when the men would returned.
An iron hard grip grasped Beth's shoulder and she looked over to see Renee looking more afraid than when Seth had hit her. "Those are bad men," Renee said desperately and Beth gasped as she heard the girl's voice for the first time. Renee's grip tightened, "Whatever you do, don't eat any meat they give you, don't do it. They are bad." The teenager's eyes burned into Beth's soul, they were wild and almost possessed looking. "How do you know," Beth managed to reply, "What is wrong with the meat?" Renee just managed a strangled "DON'T" before the door opened. Beth stared at the Filipino girl, in shock of what had just happened.
Suddenly, rough hands were blindfolding her and removing the shackle from her ankle. This was the one chance that Beth might get. She screamed and kicked out but her legs only found air. The blonde strained as her hands were tied behind her back, but she wasn't strong enough to resist. One of the men yelled out and then the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the room, along with Renee's screams. Beth thrashed, desperate to help her friend, who must have tried to stop the men from taking her. However, she was tugged out of the room and down the hall. Renee's yells became further and further away. Beth tried to make a mental image of where she was going, but since she had no clue what the building looked like, it wasn't reliable. She stumbled as she was pushed down some stairs, but a firm hand kept her from completely falling.
When a rush of warm air hit her, Beth knew she was outside. She began struggling harder against the person who held her, knowing that this might be her last chance. Cold metal suddenly dug into her temple and Beth froze as in place. "Now girlie," came Mark's voice, "I don't want to have to get rough with you, but you are going to have to calm down." Beth sagged, knowing that she wouldn't be able to escape. She let herself be led into a vehicle. She felt the engine rumble under her seat and felt Mark sit beside her. Beth's heart sank. She was going to be taken somewhere even farther away from Daryl and she was helpless to do anything. Beth wondered if she would ever see Daryl or Renee again.