... Chapter 41 ...

Rolling onto his side, Daryl shoved his pillow back under his head and huffed out a frustrated sigh. He had been tossing and turning for hours now, alternating between restless bouts of staring at either the ceiling or the walls as the night dragged on. The ambient sounds coming from the cemetery outside were starting to mess with his head and it went without saying that he was beyond fucking sick of it. Despite being tired as shit, his brain was still wide awake, the spectrum of troubling thoughts coursing through it making anything else he was attempting to do damn near impossible.

Something had him uneasy, something that he couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it had his senses tingling unnervingly on point.

With the gut instinct hell bent and determined to take root, he shoved the covers off of himself in recognition of it, sitting up to swipe a hand agitatedly down his face. Daryl gave a cursory glance over his shoulder, relieved to see that the girl at his side had stayed completely undisturbed by his fidgeting. As if somehow subconsciously knowing he was regarding her, Beth hummed in her sleep and hugged her pillow closer, looking for all intents and purposes to be without a care in the world.

Must be fuckin' nice.

The candle she kept lit at her bedside had extinguished itself long ago, not that his heightened state of awareness needed it. Putting on his boots, Daryl shoved his arms into his jacket before grabbing the Horton and going silently downstairs.

Stepping out onto the porch, he ignored the frigid night air as he lit a cigarette under his cupped hand. Pulling the nicotine deeply into his chest, he let the quietness of the moment rake across his skin as he flicked the lighter shut and stuffed it back into his pocket. A thick cloud of smoke expelled within his breath as he scanned the surrounding area, straining his vision into the distance to look for any movement that could be remotely considered out of the ordinary.

This was the second time now that he had come outside to check for something wrong, and much like the first he couldn't help but wonder what it was exactly that was compelling him to do so. Everything was just as silent and motionless as it had been before, almost eerily so. While disconcerting to say the least, it still wasn't enough to make him as goddamn edgy as he was.

Letting the smoke hang forgotten from between his lips, Daryl looked around once more and tried to shake off the unsettling feeling he had that something bad was about to go down. As much as he wanted to blame the fatigue, something didn't feel right and his propensity to sense such things had the premonition crawling under his skin to become almost tangible. With the nagging suspicion refusing to budge, he chose to trust his instincts on the matter, heading down the cemetery's driveway to veer off into the tombstones. With sleep nothing but a wishful pipe dream anyway, he might as well make another sweep around the place, check it out. After all, what could it hurt.

As he stepped carefully around the decrepit plots, Daryl's mind wandered back to the previous days events as it had several times now since they had gotten back home from town. With the supply run there giving him so much to process, it wasn't like it could really be helped. Thinking about the time spent in Piedmont was just another reason why he was wide awake and wandering around a goddamn cemetery in the middle of the night like a fucking idiot. Hell, just the armored truck alone was enough to be worrying. Its presence just meant that there were other survivors in the area, ones whose intentions remained to be seen. All he knew was that they advocated for sanctuary but chose to promote it armed to the teeth, which didn't bode so well for good.

When a safe path out of town had finally presented itself, him and Beth had taken it, getting back to the safe confines of the mortuary a lot later than he personally would've preferred. Despite the near insurmountable obstacles that had presented themselves, the trip there had undoubtedly still been worth it. Not only did they now have a much better idea of how the place was laid out, they also knew of the remaining threats that were still contained within it. The town itself had been about as fucked as any other he had seen since the turn, a few more walkers perhaps... and of course that whole shady business with the truck… but other than that, nothing he could say he hadn't really expected looking back on it. They had managed to score a fair amount of food while they were there as well, just not the kind he'd been hoping for. While it wasn't the best by any means, it at least it showed that the place had potential. He'd know for sure the next time they went. The two of them would be better prepared and not be caught so unaware of the lurking issues in their way.

Completely lost in thought, Daryl trudged his way towards the rear of the cemetery, using what little moonlight that was available to him as a guide. As he went, he once again pondered the idea of leaving Beth behind when that time came, if only to be able to sweep through the place that much faster. Remembering her indignant request on the rooftop, he quickly realized how unfair that would be. She had earned the right to come by thinking outside the small box afforded to them and getting them out trouble more than once. The girl swore that could do for herself, the least he could do was believe her. Of course he would keep an eye on her none the less and up the ante on her training, just to be sure.

Night had fallen by the time they'd gotten back and the clouds that lingered overhead had only shrouded the area in an even more oppressive cloak of darkness. The mortuary had been so obscured that even he'd had trouble seeing it sitting alone in the distance. If it was hard for him, then she had to be struggling. Purposely slowing his gait for knowing it, he had eventually stopped just outside of the main gates to wait for her to catch up, figuring that her phobia was likely on the verge of kicking into overdrive. As she made her way closer, he had taken the moment to swing the Horton onto his back, at that point having held onto the damn thing for so long that his knuckles ached and his trigger finger felt like it was frozen in place.

''Ya doin' alright?'' He had asked, the gravelly sound of his own voice cutting into the air making him realize just how disconcertedly quiet everything was around them. Suddenly acutely aware of it, Daryl recalled feeling its inert stillness grate over his senses, making him instantly uneasy.

''Yeah,'' She had whispered in response, falling in line next to him as he began walking up the driveway, ''I'm just glad to be home. I'm tired and my ankle hurts but other than that I'm doing ok.''

He had felt her fingers feel for his own, obviously finding it safe enough to do so now that he wasn't preoccupied with holding the crossbow. Despite the residual pain the weapon had left behind, his hand had instinctually closed around hers when she had coaxed for it to, their fingers threading together like they'd been put on their bodies to do so. They had walked along in silence, neither one of them feeling the need to verbally acknowledge the small token of affection. Daryl distinctly remembered being relieved by the fact. Not one used to engaging in random acts of hand holding, it went without saying that he wouldn't have known where to begin.

After doing a quick sweep of the inside of the house, he had headed outside to check on the bike and secure the immediate area. It was then that he'd had the first inkling that something felt off. A further look around had revealed nothing amiss so he shook off the unsettling feeling, chalking it up to exhaustion. After testing the locks on the doors, he had double checked all the windows and figured he had done enough. He was beyond fucking tired and Beth was waiting for him upstairs in the kitchen with a hot meal laid out and ready.

By the light of the flickering candles, the two of them had talked quietly about the town as they had eaten a passable dinner of spaghetti O's and butterscotch pudding. Beth had come up with the resourceful idea of drawing out a map of the place, figuring it best to do so while its layout was still fresh in their collective memories. As her pencil had scratched unwaveringly over the notepad paper, Daryl could feel himself begin to unwind because of it, the rigid lines of tension that had held tight within his muscles slowly releasing in her presence. As a result, he'd been left sitting there watching what she was doing in a state of drowsy contentment, the fullness in his belly and the warm candlelight around them decidedly not helping.

While she sketched out Piedmonts roads and landmarks, each of them had gone over their ideas for the next trip they'd be making there. He thought it best to return the way they left, believing the remote location of the service bridge to be the best option of the few available to them. She had volunteered several good ones herself, including going back to the diner for a box of food that she'd had the foresight to hide safely away. It was then that Daryl realized that he trusted her implicitly, the notion surprising him for a moment. Cynical by nature, it wasn't something he could say with conviction that anyone else could claim... not his brother… hell, not even Rick. Knowing that Beth had earned it only added to the growing inclinations he was having towards her, casting her in an even more appealing light if that was at all possible.

In the soft glow of the candles, she caught him staring and asked what was the matter. Unable to look away, Daryl had been worn out and unraveled enough to give a honest answer.

''Nothin'…" He had drawled, caught off guard in the stillness of the moment, "Guess I was jus' wonderin' when it was ya got so damn smart.''

Realizing how such a thing could be misconstrued, he had immediately tried to amend himself, the words tumbling out as he backpedaled awkwardly, ''I mean, not that I didn't think ya weren't smart before… 'cause I did…I mean, you've always been smart an' I've known that… fuck, I'm tired as hell, jus' forget I even said anythin'…''

Beth had just stared at him as he rambled on, making him even more painfully aware of the hole he was digging himself deeper into. Mentally cursing his inherent compulsion to speak before thinking, Daryl didn't need to be told that he probably looked and sounded about as damn ridiculous as he felt. Giving up, he slumped back in his chair, mightily regretting the fact that he'd even bothered to open his mouth in the first place. Taking a degree of pity on him, she bit back a giggle, making him realize that she knew what he was trying to say all along and was just having a bit of fun at his expense.

''Jesus, that came out all kinds 'a wrong,'' He chagrined self depreciatingly, finding the eventual humor in it as well. ''Didn't I tell ya that I ain't much good at expressin' myself? Now ya know why.''

''It's ok,'' She said, her gaze remaining warm, ''I knew what you meant.''

He regarded her more seriously, feeling the inexplicable need to attempt it again. ''Guessin' what I'm tryin' ta say… piss poorly at that… is that ya did real good out there today. An' I want ya ta know that I heard what ya said ta me on tha roof. If I ever… I don't know… made ya doubt yourself or feel bad or whatever, it weren't my intention. I jus' didn't know any other way ta be, is all.''

Daryl felt his shoulders drop, the sincerity he'd been trying to relay not coming across quite as he intended. The uneasy feeling now left behind was one of the many reasons he preferred to keep his thoughts inside his head, tucked away where they probably belonged. Through his hair, he glanced over at her for knowing it, hoping she had at least gotten the gist of what he was trying his damndest to say. Turned out, he needn't have worried. The considerable effort it had taken to put his feeling on the line paid off substantially when she rounded the table and sat herself down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him to her tightly.

She kissed him by his ear before pulling away to say, ''Y'know, I think you're getting much better at that.''

''Yeah? What's that...'' He groused, lowering his defenses enough to pointedly ignore the fact that they were back to holding hands, ''Makin' an ass outta myself? 'Cause for some reason ya make it easy ta do.''

''But you do it so well,'' She smiled, ''One of these days you could try… oh I don't know, maybe just apologizing… spare yourself the embarrassment or something.''

''Pfft, who's embarrassed?'' He sniffed, a self-assured smirk slowly growing on his face, ''In case ya ain't aware, I'm startin' ta enjoy stickin' my foot in my mouth. If I continue eatin' shit like this,'' He gestured down to the empty junk food containers scattered all over the table, ''… maybe I'll do it more often an' jus' call it dinner.''

Beth burst out laughing, the unexpected humor obviously a welcome reprieve after the arduously long days events. Finding himself appreciating the moment as well, Daryl grinned in response, shifting her weight on his lap so she sat upon it more comfortably. His thumb subconsciously traced over the length of hers as they both fell into a comfortable silence, the lightheartedness between them gradually abating until just the remnants of their smiles remained.

''Y'know, ya once told me… a long time ago… that you were glad it was me you were stuck out here with, that you were sorry that ya weren't Carol or Michonne,'' He looked down to their fingers were threaded together, swallowing hard at his reticence before quietly adding, "Well, I want ya ta know that I ain't... I ain't at all. I wouldn't want ya ta be anyone but you.''

With the heartfelt sentiment finally admitted, the girl had kissed him rousingly for hearing it, her mouth parting willingly under the weight of his own as he had purposefully taken over. For once in his life, Daryl felt that he had said exactly what he wanted say, the very way he had wanted to say it. It was because of her that such a thing was even remotely possible, especially for someone as introverted and socially stilted as he had a sullen tendency to be. That she was able to read between his lines, to understand and accept him as he was, meant more to him than she could possibly even begin to know.

From there they had both gone straight to bed, the two of them exhausted enough to forgo anything further happening between them. Although initially disappointed, Daryl quickly realized that it was probably for the best. He was running on nothing but fumes and wouldn't be able to give the endeavor the full attention it rightly deserved. Besides, he preferred it when he had the equal measure of her willingness in return, liking it best when she was hot, wet and eager for him. With that level of energy understandably unfair to demand from her at that particular moment, he had just crawled his tired ass into bed beside her instead, letting her drape herself over him as they had both settled in for the night.

It felt as though they had fallen asleep almost immediately, remaining fully clothed for the first time in days. Daryl couldn't say what woke him up the first time – a disconcerting noise from the cemetery or the wind flowing past the detection system out front perhaps. All he knew was that he had jerked awake with a start, slightly out of breath and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Whatever it was, it hadn't gone so far as to awaken Beth so he had decided it best to go check it out by himself. As he always said, it was better to be safe than sorry.

After untangling himself from her sleep heavy limbs, he had gone outside to find not a damn thing wrong. An hour later, he went back to bed only to have the same strange occurrence happen again… bringing him to where he was now, traipsing through the graveyard outside for a second time, smoking another cigarette and wondering what the fuck he was doing.

His thoughts returning back to the present, Daryl made his way down to the tree line that bordered around the cemetery and cut across the pathway that lined its jagged edge. He was about to light up another smoke when he saw an amber glow mushrooming in the distance, its haziness flaring into the night to show that it was close by. The fiery plume began to grow, gaining traction almost as fast as his heart was dropping into his stomach.

''What tha…'' He whispered, taking off at full speed before his brain could finish the sentence or even begin to contemplate the potential direness of what he might find.

Daryl ran back the same way he came, flying past the markers and decrepit mausoleums. He ran without a second thought, doing so until his lungs depleted and all that remained was the fear lodged firmly in his throat. Skidding to a halt in the gravel driveway, he huffed in sheer agonized panic when he saw that it was the house that was on fire!

''Beth!'' He yelled, coming up behind the place to see that the flames had already started to infiltrate the second floor. ''Beth!''

Not having the mental capacity needed to comprehend that the roar of the fire was likely drowning out the sound of his voice, he ran up onto the porch, yanking on the back door with all of his might to find it still locked. Rearing back, Daryl kicked it in, the effort immediately inundating him with a blast of searing heat. It scorched at his nostrils as he flew upstairs, heedless of the flames that licked dangerously at his boots.

''Beth!'' He gasped, the blistering air starting to sizzle in his chest. He rushed into their bedroom only to see that the bed was alarmingly empty. What the fuck?!

Spinning around in confusion, he coughed as the smoke threatened to overtake him. Over the cacophony of noise crackling all around him Daryl heard a car trunk slam from outside, the distinct sound of which somehow making itself known past the din. He ran over to the window, throwing it open to frantically slam his elbow through several of the wooden slats that covered it. Gasping at the clean air, he looked down just in time to see the black LTD barrel out from the side of the house, righting itself as it skidded around the corner.

''Beth!'' He yelled down, barely able to believe that the vehicle was there yet somehow inherently knowing that she was inside of it. ''Beth!''

The car peeled around to the front of the house to take off down the main driveway, leaving a trail of gravel dust floating amongst the embers coming from the fire.

Beneath his feet, the house began to shift precariously from the damage being inflicted on it, the staircase down the hall being the first thing to succumb noisily to the flames. With no other choice, Daryl backed up and plowed his way through the rest of the boards covering the window, landing on the porch overhang situated below it with a heavy weighted thud. Grunting in pain, he ignored the Horton as it dug excruciatingly into his back, rolling off of the side of the house to fall to the ground. Scrambling unsteadily to his feet, he managed to avoid the searing heat pouring from the house as he frantically looked back out towards the road.

With the cars receding tail lights just reaching the threshold of the cemetery, he took off running for the Triumph, tearing away the extra foliage that he had used to cover it. He had this one chance… one chance only to follow the LTD while he still could. There was no way in hell he was going to just let it disappear into the night to vanish without a trace!

Taking the briefest of moments to thank god that he'd had the forethought to hide the bike from sight, Daryl shoved the key into its ignition and sped out from behind the shed, the bikes RPM's spiking well into the red before he had even cleared the side of the burning house. His fingers gripped at the handlebars tightly, keeping the pressure on the gas until he caught up to the speeding sedan. Only when the cars rear lights held steady in the distance did he allowed himself a scant moment to catch his breath. Now firmly situated on the vehicles ass, the fucking thing wasn't going anywhere.

Ignoring the rising thermometer gage, he kept his headlight off as he tailed after the LTD, staying far enough behind to not be detected by its driver. As he rode, Daryl beat himself up mercilessly, fluctuating between alternate states of anger, regret and fear as he blamed himself for being gone… for losing his focus and dropping his guard.

He knew who it was inside the LTD, knew without having it spelled out for him. It was either one or maybe even all of the remaining men from the store. Somehow they had found them... and even worse was that he had let them, completely having underestimated the diligence of their tenacity. They had drawn him out of the house then had set fire to it on purpose, forcing Beth outside as well when she hadn't been able to find him.

Of the three of them, Daryl knew that one in particular had a very personal stake in the reclaiming of the girl… that tall mangy bastard Len. He was the one that had first set his sights on her so long ago, the one whose ass had been beaten into the ground just for having the sheer fucking audacity to act upon it. He should've just killed the poxy son of a bitch when he had the chance and was now left regretting the fact that he hadn't more than he could possibly begin to say.

Daryl felt sick to his stomach, realizing that the sudden chain of event leading him to this moment was actually happening and wasn't just the unbelievably fucked up nightmare he severely wished it was. Christ, this was all his damn fault. He shouldn't have left her, even for a moment. Time had relaxed his guard as he had lost himself in what they had and as a result he had become complacent in his contentedness. Now she was gone and the very thought of it had his heart clenching painfully in his chest...

The cars headlights rounded a corner up ahead so he gave the motorcycle more gas to ensure that he kept up with it. With thoughts of how scared she must be far surpassing the gut wrenching remorse he felt, Daryl followed it well into the night, ready to do whatever the hell was necessary to get her back.

His shoulders locked in determination as his eyes narrowed in the wind...

Hold on baby, I'm comin'…

…...

Happy Monday! I thought I'd post a new chapter since I had it ready. Yes, it's a cliffhanger but I'd like to think it's not as bad as one Season 6 left us on! Thank you for reading as always. Your support means everything and really encourages me to keep writing.