Hey guys, sorry to keep you all hanging on. The thing is as much as I love writing this story I have had inspriation for another Bethyl/Deth Fanfic (which you may know if you follow me on tumblr) so as well as this I've been obsessed with working on, what will be titled as 'We All Fall Down'. I hope to have the first of that up at the weekend but I shall still continue with this also. I do hope if you like my work that you guys will check out my new fic when it's up.
As always thank you so much for my lovely reviews, you guys are great!
Belle de Sainte Ange and mace, wow! Gosh it was great to hear from you guys! It's such a relief that you guys feel that Beth and Daryl are coming over well, especially with the dialogue etc. I must admit it is great to write Daryl because you want what he has to say to be short but direct and of meaning, to me he's not one for words so when he does, its got to count. Seriously though guys it just means so much to read your reviews.
Mione788 Hope this wasn't too late for you! Thanks I do try really hard to picture myself there amongst them to try and make it feel genuine and in character.
Kuddhu It might be a while yet ;)
Candi and Jen, thank you both! Hope you guys continue to enjoy
Finally the reason we are all here...chapter 4
A yawn escaped Daryl's dry lips as he stretched his neck awkwardly at the first sight of light. After nearly having a heart attack and shooting Beth straight through the skull he had decided against sleeping and spent the rest of night back on his spot on the window sill torn between the view of outside and the vision of the girl sleeping heavily beside him. Seeing her stir beneath the sheets he straightened, rubbing sleep quickly from his eyes.
"Bout time." he muttered as Beth grumbled groggily, her long legs stretching against the sheets, her hair tatty and clumped from sleeping on it wet. Stiffly she rose and peered bleary eyed in his direction. "Well good mornin' sleepin' beauty," Daryl's chuckle made her flinch with her insecurities and he watched in amusement as she quickly tried to tend to the matted mess around her shoulders.
"Is there a plan?" she asked simply an expectant look upon her pillow puffy features. Daryl's eyebrow cocked quizzically. Of course the girl just expected him to take control, she was so used to following she had no sense of her own. Bitterly he swung his legs down to the floor with a heavy thud, bending down and picking up her tattered pair of cowboy boots and slinging them in her direction.
"Get up, get dressed, get gone." He watched as she jumped a little, her shoulders hunching, before picking up his own bow.
"What about breakfast?" he heard her query as he turned his back allowing her some modesty as she removed herself from the sheets and adjusted her clothing appropriately.
"Darlin' you're lucky I'm still around. More a sleep and leave 'em kinda guy." too wrapped up in his own amusement he didn't see Beth appear at his side with a less than impressed expression upon her face. With pouty lips she placed her arms across her grumbling stomach. Sighing and shaking his head he turned directly towards her and lowered his head a little so he could meet her at eye level , dark shadows casting around the sockets with narrowed brows. "Breakfast is whatever you find yourself."
Beth's jaw dropped a little as Daryl walked away and immediately set to work on pushing the drawers from the door. Breakfast was whatever she found herself? What the hell did that mean? Pushing her hair back and re-tying it with her band she quickly realised she didn't have time to sit and ponder as he was already half way out the door, cross bow over his shoulder.
Hurrying to keep up she glanced around at the deserted motel. It didn't look as disturbing as it did in the middle of the night but it still didn't do anything to calm her nerves. Catching sight of the insides of the other rooms she felt her stomach gripe once more. It reminded her of the set of one of those horror movies Maggie had been so in to as a teenager. She could remember how Maggie would pester her and moan, call her a wuss and rile her just to get her to watch it with her, knowing full well that she'd only spend her time sitting beside her huddled behind a cushion. It seemed silly now and Beth wondered if she would still be scared if she had the chance to watch one now. "Jeez kid, don't have all day!" Daryl called exasperated from his position on the bike and Beth realised she had been staring blankly into one of the upturned rooms getting lost in a cloud of memories.
Daryl couldn't help but wonder what had the pretty blonde so distracted as she stood in a world of her own a couple of meters away. Perhaps it was his comment about breakfast, he thought with an evil smirk. Still the girl would have to learn. Sure she was good at cooking back at the farm, and did what she could with the rations at the prison but what good was cooking if you couldn't catch anything in the first place. Tough love, that's what he decided upon. The girl needed it, would give her some back bone, people had pussy footed around her long enough.
Tapping the bike once more he gave her just enough of a glare to get her to start running in his direction. Smiling as she slid onto the bike he waited for her to hold on to him but found that she just lightly clutched his shirt.
"You on a suicide mission?" he spat spinning to look at her blank face, her large doe eyes blinking back at him.
"Huh?"
"I'll give you huh!" reaching down and grabbing her hands he planted them firmly around him. "I don't wanna have ta deal with your ol' man if you fall off and hurt yourself."
"You think we'll find them?" such desperation flooded her face that he almost felt ashamed by it.
"That's what you were thinkin' back there, Kid?" Beth scratched the back of her neck nervously before quickly replacing her arms back into the position Daryl had placed them around his waist. Was she really that easy to read?
"No." her lie fell flat as his brow furrowed. "Yes. Maybe." she stuttered shifting herself around on the back of the bike. God, she thought, mentally slapping herself for stammering like a fool. Already feeling her cheeks start to burn, she wondered why she got so flustered and stupid around him. It was as if it was impossible for her to have a normal conversation with the man without her cheeks turning beetroot and her palms getting sweaty.
"We'll find 'em." Daryl replied simply and sternly. Something about the way he glanced at her out the corner of his eye before he fired up the bike, reassured her and she found her faith in the red neck flooded back as quickly as it wavered. "If only so I don't have to put up with just you for the rest of my God damn life." Beth was about to turn a deeper shade of crimson when she detected the sound of mockery in his tone. Exhaling slowly she pressed herself further against him, her lips pressing a smile against his spine.
"Daryl?"
"Yeah?"
"If I'm gonna be spending the rest of your god damn life with you," she mimicked causing his lips to press into a tight smile. "You're gonna have to stop calling me Kid. I'm eighteen in a week."
"Shouldn't we be out on the road trying to look for the others?" Beth questioned, her shoulders sagging as she kicked up the forest earth around her as Daryl directed them deeper into the forest.
"Thought you were hungry? Or did I just mishear your incessant whining?" Beth pressed her lips tightly together to stop herself from spitting back a catty remark. As it turned out Daryl wasn't joking about finding her own breakfast. She had been forced to sit back and watch as he collected berries one by one and popped them into his mouth. When his showing off had finally gotten to her and she reached forward to a small collection of red berries in some undergrowth, he had hit them from her hand before they had even had a chance for them to reach her lips. 'Just saving your life, again.' he had stated smugly before instructing her to 'get' as if she was a horse.
He was infuriating, Beth had decided, which was probably one of the reasons why she hadn't spoken to him more before. His cocky attitude was starting to grate and although she couldn't not be grateful to him for saving her life numerous times, as he liked to keep reminding her, the pushy show off Daryl was becoming an annoyance.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing!" she hissed through her teeth, her body becoming more and more tense with the hunger and stress of it all. They had been doing this for hours, or so it felt. Now with the sun fully up Beth could feel its rays slicing through the gaps in the trees, burning the sensitive skin upon her shoulders.
"Not make a hell of a racket for starts!" Daryl spat back. "You want squirrels or birds not walkers, damn it." The way that Daryl kept rolling his eyes at her and tutting was enough to make her burst. Feeling as if she was going to combust Beth buried her heels deep into the ground and clenched her fists, her teeth grinding sharply in her mouth.
"Aww, come on now kid! Don't start throwin' a tantrum on me." Daryl called back realising she had stopped following him but refusing to still.
"I told you to quit calling me kid!" Anger and frustration surrounded her words causing them fly out of her mouth at an incredible volume, sending the birds scattering from the trees above in a frantic flutter. Hot and bothered her chest heaved, her eyes only seeing red as Daryl froze mid step. Breathing heavily her stomach gurgled violently in hunger and she clutched at it with both hands.
The forest became quiet around them as Beth tried to catch her breath and keep hold of the pain in her stomach. The sound of a twig breaking in the distance prickled Daryl's ears.
"Look just give me some berries for now and," immediately Daryl threw up his hand to silence her, cutting her off mid-sentence as he focused in on the light rustling to the side of them. Although she was unfamiliar to the sounds Beth didn't argue anymore watching as Daryl reached around for his bow. Reaching for her own knife her heart began to pound, her body trembling as her untrained eyes searched the thick vegetation around them.
Hearing the familiar groan behind her Beth spun with a squeal her knife slipping from her hand as the remains of man lunged towards her. Only small tuffs of jet black hair remained on his rotting scalp whilst an old white shirt ripped around the stomach revealed ribs and raw flesh. Once he could have been a high powered business man, a millionaire. Perhaps he just did office work and slogged the nine to five for his wife and kids. He could have been anyone but now he was just a threat. Even with a limp to one of his legs he was still fast and Beth could see in his dead deranged eyes the desire to feast frantically upon her flesh. Fumbling for her knife she fought to stop her hands from shaking as she ripped it up from the earth and held it out in front of her, gripping on to the muddy handle has hard as she could to stop it from slipping from her clutches. He was a good few inches taller than her even with the hunch to his crippling bones. There was no chance that she would be able to strike his skull. She was far too short, barely coming up to his shoulder. Her whole arm shook as the dead man groaned, his jaws opening wide above her like a ferocious animal revealing a mouthful of blood and chewed up squirrel guts. With her blade trembling she went to strike straight but found that the body simply fell back away from her without her blade even connecting with its flesh.
Daryl watched as Beth stood frozen to the spot, her knife still held forward as the walker lay dead, an arrow to the eye in front of her. Heading back he tried to ignore the frantic breathes she drew as he plunged his boot into the side of his head, crushing the skull and thrusted the arrow free. Wiping its bloodied head against the side of his jeans he looked across at the Greene girl through his strands of hair. Gone was her hot and anger reddened face instead her complexion was deathly pale, her lips almost blue as air whistled through them with each strenuous breath she took.
"Third time in two days I have to save your ass. Going for a record?" slinging his cross bow back over his back he waited for Beth to join him once more.
"I get it." Daryl gave the body a push with the end of his boot, his lips curling in distaste as it's insides trailed out across the floor before acknowledging her.
"Get what?"
"That I'm useless." she spoke her voice clearing. "You don't have to go out of your way to remind me." Her eyes looked lifeless when she turned to him, her blade hanging limply at her side. Disbelief washed over him as he starred at the broken girl before him, so down trodden and defeatist. She seemed to shrink in size before his very eyes as she huddled into herself, as if she was trying to shrink away to nothing. Watching her walk slowly in the opposite direction Daryl looked around in complete confusion. Where was she going?
"Christ," he snapped as she slunk further and further into the forestry around them. Following after her he realised she had picked up quite a pace and hurried along to keep up. 'Sulky teenagers' he grumbled as he followed behind in her footsteps. "Wait up, would ya!" he found himself hissing as she wove herself in between intricate spaces and over awkward roots, forcing him to concentrate twice as hard on his footing, the earth wet and squelchy beneath his boots. Still she showed no sign in slowing down despite her lack of direction.
Clenching his jaw he felt like popping an arrow right into the back of the girl's head as she led him through a maze of thorns and branches. Building in frustration he stomped after her taking large and infuriated strides, throwing his caution to the wind as mud soaked up the legs his jeans. Reaching out he grasped her wrist and tugged her back.
"Beth!" Looking down at the tight grip around her wrist Beth quickly withdrew her arm, wrapping her own hand around it protectively, rubbing the tender patch of skin where his fingers had pressed. Realising that he had caused her pain Daryl reached out once more.
"Don't!" she warned, pulling away and stepping out of his reach. "Just go, leave me. I'm not worth it." Exhasperated he threw his bow to the ground and his hands up.
"Lord, you test me girl, you really do!"
"I can't hunt, I can't fight. I say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I'm a burden, a risk. You'd be doing everyone a favour." Sending his fist into the trunk of the nearest tree Daryl growled at her self-pity, his hand scuffing against the bark upon impact.
"And I told you already I'm not leaving ya behind!" The passion in his explosive response startled her. He had said it to her before back at the motel and she had been certain that it was just something he said to try and comfort her. "I'm not leaving yer Beth." he repeated soft and yet firm, falling back against the trunk and sighing heavily. Standing there with his fist dripping blood into the dirt below, his blue eyes a blaze, she believed him. She believed that for some unknown reason she mattered.
"May I?" Beth asked bashfully, pointing to the bloodied hand that Daryl had been clenching and unclenching as they sat together under the shade and safety of one of the trees, grazing on a selection of berries he had gathered as a piece offering.
"It's not-" he begun but found her fingers already curling around his and pulling it closer under her gaze for inspection. It was unfamiliar, the feel of someone else's touch upon his skin that it made him hold his breath as she gently pressed along each finger and rolled his wrist from left to right. Her hold was light and gentle, her touch almost soothing as she wiped away a dribble of blood with the edge of her thumb.
"I-" they both started in unison making them stop and look at each other before letting out a gentle laugh.
"You first." Beth offered only amplifying the awkwardness that Daryl already felt. Chewing the inside of his cheek he fought to find the right words to say, now that her full attention was upon him and she was looking at him all soft and sweet. It did something funny to him, the look in her eyes and he found himself growing hot underneath the collar of his sleeveless shirt. Coughing to clear his throat his brow furrowed as he averted her eyes.
"I wasn't tryin' to make ya feel useless. I just wanted yer to find it in ya."
"Find what?" Beth asked puzzled, her fingers still absentmindedly running up and down his. Daryl shrugged.
"The want. The drive." as he looked at her to see if he was making sense her age and naivety began to show and he kicked himself for taking such a full on route. He was throwing her into the fire, of course she was going to get burnt. Truth be told he was filled with guilt about it now. He remembered how Merle through all his faults had gone about teaching him things as a child. He'd been patient, thorough. Not a pig headed show off. Not like their Dad. Not like him. Anger knotted itself in the pit of his stomach at the thought of him baring resemblance to the man he hated most in the world. "I just wanted you to want to take care of yourself. People been molly coddling you for too long, they ain't doing ya any favours." he added internally kicking himself. It didn't seem like he was doing a better job at it.
His words seemed to sink in as she breathed in deeply the heavy air around them. "Your turn." he pressed trying to shed himself of some of the heat, he wasn't good at giving apologies and that was about as close as she was going get. It was closer than anyone else had gotten, he figured she should be grateful.
"I'm sorry for being," her words trailed and she knocked her head back with an exasperated laugh.
"Pathetic." Looking back at him through heavy lashes, her eyes showed him signs of life once more.
"You ain't pathetic." he protested lightly drained from herself doubt.
Acting upon impulse Beth carefully edged forwards letting her lips gently brush against his jaw, planting the softest of kisses against his stubble. She felt him twitch and heard him edge back slightly against the dried grass. When she opened her eyes she found him to be covering her kiss with his hand like a school boy. She half expected him to wipe it away with a look of disgust as he pulled himself a little further away from her.
"What was-" he stumbled his eyes roaming wildly over her body.
"A thank you." she quickly clarified as a new found tension seemed to brew between them. " That's all. For saving my ass, for caring, for trying to have my best intentions at heart." she listed with an eye roll. "It's more than most people have done." Realising she still had hold of his hand Beth quickly let it fall from her fingers, quickly replacing his hand with her own, wringing her fingers together tightly. "You're right. I need to learn how to do this and I do want to." tapping her foot nervously she reached forward and took one of the berries between her finger tips studying it intently, trying to distinguish it from the other red berries she had previously discovered and he dismissed. "And I'd like it if you'd teach me." Beth's confession caused a mixture of emotions to bubble up inside of him. He was pleased that she wanted to learn, that somehow the need to survive had gotten through to her and he appreciated the fact that she still wanted it to be him to help her. The thing that concerned him now was how hard it would be, not for her but for him. For as he sat and watched her pick up the berries her bright blue eyes taking it all in he could still feel the touch of her fingers on his and the press of her lips as if they were starting a fire within. "Okay?" she questioned her features bright and beaming.
"Okay."
