Call for a Good Time

Chapter 20

Her lungs burned as she ran through the woods. She could hear Shane running behind her but she didn't dare turn around to look. She clumsily pulled her phone from her pocket and called Daryl. Her vision was blurry and she was fighting the urge to throw up as she waited for him to answer, dodging rocks and fallen branches. "Beth?"

"Daryl," she gasped out, the sound of his voice the sweetest damn thing in her ear. She wanted to break down and cry, but she forced her legs to keep going, forced herself to hold it together. "We're parked by mile marker one seventeen, he's chasing me through the woods," she managed to gasp out. Her side hurt, and her head was throbbing, blood still leaking out, though not as steady.

"Keep running baby, we're coming for you." She heard Merle talking to someone in the background. "I love you."

Beth smiled as she kept running. She wanted to answer him, tell him how much she loved him, but Shane had caught up to her. He grabbed her hair and the force of him pulling back on her and her trying to run away yanked her back. She hit the ground hard, the air leaving her lungs in a rush. "I'm going to make sure you're dead this time." He held the gun up and pulled the trigger while stomping on her phone.

…

Daryl's blood went cold when he heard Shane tell her he was going to kill her and the gunshot before the line went dead. "Mother fucker," he swore, pressing the gas pedal down harder as he sped past Rick. He knew where she was and he was going to get there. She wasn't dead. He refused to believe that. His knuckles were white around the steering wheel with the fury and anxiety running through him. Merle didn't say anything as Daryl let his emotions control him. He could see the car in the distance with the headlights, parked on the side of the road. Daryl stopped on the breaks, nearly spinning out and wrecking. He was out of the car before Merle had even realized what was going on, tearing through the woods.

…

Beth screamed as pain seared up her leg from the bullet wound. She was losing too much blood. She could feel the urge to vomit grow as her vision swam. The air she had just managed to get back into her lungs left her in a rush when she felt Shane fall on top of her, straddling her chest. Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to push him off of her. He pistol whipped her and her head snapped to the side, a sharp pain shooting through her as her head had yet a new place to bleed from. "This is going to be your grave," he sneered above her, wrapping his hands around her throat. "They can find your dead body."

Beth didn't have much strength left; she used what little she had to kick her leg up and knock him in the back of the head, rolling him off of her. She scrambled to get up, her fingers clawing at the ground but her leg wasn't going to let her stand and she couldn't craw away fast enough. "You're going to pay for that," Shane spat as he grabbed her by the hair and hauled her up. Beth whimpered in pain as pressure was forced onto her leg.

He slammed her into the tree, putting the barrel of his gun to her head as he wrapped his hand around her throat, squeezing, cutting off her air supply. She clawed at his hand, trying to get him off of her as her lungs burned. She didn't have much fight in her left. She was so tired, and cold, she just wanted it all to end.

They both heard the gun set behind them and before she knew what was going on, Shane ripped her from the tree and spun her around, keeping the gun to her head as they looked at Daryl and Merle, Maggie, Glenn, Rick, and Lori running up behind them. "You fucking pricks just don't know when to give up, do you?" Shane asked mockingly.

"I suggest you let the lady go, sonny boy," Merle drawled out. He looked at Beth and growled.

"That's not going to happen."

"You let her go, or I'm going to put a bullet in your head," Daryl growled. Beth stared at him; she refused to take her eyes off of him even though tears streamed from her eyes, mixing with blood. He was the only thing keeping her awake.

"And risk me blowing a hole into her pretty little head?" Shane laughed and shook his head. "I knew you two were dumb, but c'mon." He pushed the gun closer to her head and she whimpered. They both took a step forward but Shane stopped them. "Ah, ah, ah," he scolded. "I'd stay right where you are."

The next series of events happened so fast, Beth wasn't sure she really knew what happened. Suddenly she was thrown from Shane as the hand holding the gun to her head was jerked up, the gun firing into the sky. Daryl and Merle ran to her. Merle knelt beside her as Daryl walked over to where Rick had disarmed Shane, keeping him on his knees. "Use my gun," Rick murmured, handing the gun to Daryl. He took it without a word and pressed it to the back of Shane's head and pulled the trigger.

Beth jumped, shaking in Merle's arms as she shut her eyes. She felt arms wrap around her and lift her from the ground, felt Daryl's hair on her face and buried her head in his chest. Rick was calling an ambulance as Daryl carried her back to the road. She shook in his arms. She wanted to believe it was all over, Shane was dead, what more could he do? Something dark and cynical inside of her wouldn't let her thought. She gripped Daryl's shirt, her vision going black, her head dizzy. "Beth?" She could hear the panic in his voice but she didn't have anything left. She couldn't answer him, tell him how much she loved him.

…

Panic gripped him as she went limp and lifeless in his arms. He could hear the sirens in the distance but they weren't going to be fast enough. He gently rested her body on the tailgate of his truck and checked her pulse. It was there but it was feint. She'd lost so much blood; he could see it soaking her body. The ambulance finally arrived and rushed over to her. They all but pushed Daryl out of the way as they started to examine her. He would have been pissed off if they weren't helping save her life. he paced, watching them inject her with needles and poke and prod her body. He gripped his fists. "Who are you?" one asked.

"Her boyfriend."

"You can ride with us."

Daryl nodded and tossed Merle the truck keys and they loaded Beth up on a stretcher and loaded her into the back of the ambulance. He climbed in behind them and took her hand in his. He stared at her broken and bloody body and prayed to a god he didn't believe in to save her life.

…

She was warm, and there were bright lights. She was positive she was dead. The last thing she could remember was pain and anguish. She would still feel that if she was dead, right? Slowly she opened her eyes, wanting to see heaven. She looked around and all she saw was a hospital room, and a lump of dark hair on the side of the bed she was lying in beside her hip. Slowly she threaded her fingers through his hair, not wanting to wake him. She wasn't dead, he wasn't dead, they were both okay. Tears of happiness pricked the corner of her eyes.

He slowly lifted his head and looked at her. "Beth?" He jumped up, realizing she was awake and cupped her face. "Baby, are you okay?"

She smiled and nodded her head, gripping his vest and pulling him down to kiss her. They both heard her heart monitor start to speed up but ignored it. It had felt like ages since she'd felt his hands on her, gentle and loving, his lips against hers. "I love you," she whispered against his lips.

He rested his forehead against hers, their eyes closed as they just reveled in each other. "Marry me," he whispered.

Her eyes shot up and she looked at him. He was staring down at her and her heart melted when she saw the unshed tears behind his eyes. She cupped his face, rubbing her forehead against his, nuzzling him. "Yes."