Daryl's reasoning had been simple: they were not giving her up, and neither was he. It took him less than a second to decide. As soon as he saw Gareth's badly concealed infuriated grimace, he knew Beth's fate had been sealed long before they arrived Terminus. So if he had to play nice for a while in order to keep her safe, that is exactly what he was going to do.
The three armed assholes never even shared a glance before allowing Gareth to speak up. His tone was calm, filled with a mix of curiosity and resignation. "We're not monsters, people. Our aim is the same as yours: to survive." He tilted his head and stared at Beth. "We won't keep you both apart. It is our wish that your baby grow up with its father. It would have been better if it had been fathered by one of our own, but at the end of the day, we just want a healthily increasing number inside our gates."
Beth whimpered and Daryl, placing a hand on her warm neck, realized she was indeed feverish. His throat filled with rage, but he managed a strangled tone. "If that's your goal, you ain't been very good at it. She's damn hot in'er forehead, and her back's been bleedin' non-stop. She's… pregnant, for fuck's sake." The word still felt foreign in his mouth, but the protective growl he shot Gareth could have fooled anyone who doubted him. "Grow a pair."
Gareth blinked almost imperceptibly, pursing his lips, before flashing him a forced grin. "We're in agreement there. She doesn't belong here." He eyed his two men briefly, both nodding in acquiescence. "And that's why I'm cutting you a deal right now. She goes with us into the buildings… but you get to go with her. You seem half a good shot, and we'd be lucky to have you fighting alongside us."
The group fell completely silent, and Daryl knew what they were all thinking. He felt as if his head had been put in the middle of a turmoil of emotions, of which only half of them were entirely his. What weighed the most? The fate of the group, or Beth's? Who could he trust? Could he really rely on them to keep her safe?
Why… why on earth did he feel as if he was suffering alongside Beth? Why was her pain almost touchable, and why was he so adamant in checking on her breathing by keeping her slightly opened mouth resting against his neck?
"You should take it." Rick murmured, startling him. Gareth smirked. Clearing his throat, he shared a glance with Michonne and Glenn. "Take it."
Daryl knew the group's strength would suffer with his leaving. Rosita, Tara and Eugene, having kept to themselves almost the entire time there, save for a few strategic talks, were eyeing him with a kind of sympathy he was not used to. He knew he would feel selfish either way.
"This offer won't stand forever, you know?" Gareth pressed, and the Texan pointed the gun in his direction. "The blondie goes with us whether you decide to follow us or not. If it were me, I'd take it. And everyone's being so understanding…" He chuckled and shrugged. "Bottom-line, I'd take it."
On the other hand, the group could always benefit from an inside man. He knew Gareth was manipulating him, and while it angered the hell out of him, it was their best chance. He could help the group from within and get Beth back to full health, and all just from playing along Gareth's charade.
"I'll do it." He all but grunted. He just hoped we could not come to regret it.
TWD
Gareth had wasted no time moving them to their room. It was in the farthest complex from the boxcar, right behind the square, and it was almost nice. They had a large bed, and the mattress was not even half bad, two bedside tables, one window – without curtains instead of bars, which was a clear improvement – and one tiny, but clean, bathroom. They even had a bathtub, although the hot water was in short supply, and only the women were allowed to use it.
As soon as they entered the room, Daryl laid a passed out Beth on the bed. Gareth and his men left shortly after, locking the door behind them.
"Mary and Sarah will be here later to check on her. There are bandages and clean water on the table." Gareth said on his way out.
And with that, Daryl was left alone, really alone, for the first time in almost two weeks. Yes, Beth did not count, because he had gotten used to being alone with her for quite a while now. As he stood in front of the bed, unsure of what to do next, he was reminded of all the nights they had slept by each other. Of the comfortable silence they used to share whenever he did not feel like talking yes, because if it had been up to Beth, they would have talked day and night, twenty-four seven, until there was no sun to muse over or moon to chat about.
"Beth." He whispered, sitting by her in the bed. "Beth, wake up."
"Hmm…" She frowned. "Not yet." She grumbled softly, hiding her head under her arm.
"Stop bein' a baby." Daryl smirked. That ought to get her attention.
Beth scowled at him, eyes still only partially open. "Not… baby."
"Then sit up for me." He all but pleaded. The stress was wearing him down, and his eyes were dangerously close to giving in to exhaustion. "Please. Have to check that wound."
Beth sighed but complied. Sitting up with his help, she painfully undressed the hoody, letting show a deep gash on her scapula. Daryl sucked a breath. "How…?"
"Whip." She said curtly. "I wouldn't be still. Kept tryin' to escape. They, uhm, tied me down, and…" She cleared her throat. "Six times. That one was last night's. And then I told'em."
"Smart girl." He murmured, tracing the injury with his finger. "Im'ma clean it now, 'kay? You're runnin' a fever; it might be infected."
"I know." She replied and turned her back to him, lowering one of the straps of her top for easier access.
Daryl wet the gauzes in the warm water and pretended to know what he was doing, for her sake. He marched confidently over to her, and pretended not to notice how much skin was showing. She had her back to him, but it still allowed for his mind to wander a bit. Biting his lip, he placed the soaked gauze on her back. "Sorry." He grimaced as she winced.
" 'S okay." Beth grabbed the pillow and closed her eyes. "Don't forget the corners."
"Mmm." Daryl focused on the task at hand, pressing against the wound as tightly as he could without actually hurting her. "D'ya… d'ya have any more… wounds?"
Beth's silence told him she got the meaning behind his words. Her heavy, but steady, breathing wavered slightly, though she recomposed herself quickly. "Yeah."
"Where?" He tried to sound nonchalant, but knew his tone was, at best, dripping with repressed fury.
"Belly." She pointed to a spot just next to her ribs. "One of them scratched me with his belt. Twice."
"Mmm." Daryl squeezed the gauze into another bowl until it was dry and then tossed it aside. Grabbing another one and soaking it in the now lukewarm water, he stood up and sat in front of her, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder as she almost lost balance. "Can I take a look at this one?" He asked, almost timidly.
Beth just shrugged, staring right into his eyes, her lip trembling, and he knew that even if she tried to convey a brave front, she was incredibly self-conscious in that moment. He wondered how many of them had even bothered to ask her to undress before trying… "You trust me?"
"Always." She answered quietly, a tear falling down her cheek. Pulling up her top, she folded it over her chest. Turning her head to the side and focusing on the bed sheet, she allowed him to clean the wound.
Numerous, countless, taunting bruises in her abdomen stared back at Daryl. "Fucking assholes."
She let out a watery chuckle. "Indeed."
"All done." His hand was frozen in her stomach, and he sighed. " 'M so sorry, Beth."
The blonde shook her head and rolled her eyes, smiling sadly. "Don't even, Daryl Dixon. I… I know you don't wanna hear this, and I'm probably way more messed up than I thought if I'm saying it right now… but I'm alive because of you."
"What… uhm, I don't-" Daryl mumbled, confused.
"I could say I thought about the others, my sister. I could tell you I dreamt 'bout my sister promising to come rescue me." A faint blush tinged her already feverish cheeks. "But that'd be a lie. A big, fat, needless lie. Because the truth is… I had no idea if Maggie was alive, or if Rick was alive, or if they had all found each other. My only certainty was you. I knew you were alive, and even if I wasn't sure if you'd come, I knew you'd at least try. And that was enough for me. It was enough to keep me fighting." She finished timidly.
Daryl smiled inwardly. Trust Beth to make things comfortably awkward. He wanted both to run and to brush her cheek reassuringly; he was messed up like that. With so much shit happening around them, with so much to think about, the one thing he had thought to be too complicated to happen suddenly seemed simpler than rain.
"Ya're gonna ruin me, girl." He chuckled.
Beth released a relieved breath. "Sin-sincerely hope not." She smiled, stumbling over her words.
"C'mon." The redneck threw the gaze onto the floor and carefully rolled down her top. "You're gonna sleep now."
"Uhmm." She assented, lying down on her pillow and covering herself with the warm sheet. Patting on the pillow beside her, she pouted playfully. "C'mere?"
Daryl contemplated his options. He could stay on watch, and keep everyone from disturbing her. He could stay awake trying not to think of their group cooped up in the suffocating carbox, and trying to think of ways to get them out of there.
Or he could indulge a weak, feverish, very sweet blonde in her simple wish. Lying down beside her and secretly smiling, he said, "You're hoggin' the sheet. Typical."
"Sleep, silly." She smacked his head – quite pitifully, he thought with a chuckle – and held onto his vest.
"Yes, ma'am." And sleep they did.
A/N: I… love… them… together! It's so freaking hard to write Daryl and Beth if we consider the fact that they have never acted upon those romantic desires we KNOW they are constantly overwhelmed by xD I'm trying not to rush things, but bear in mind that Beth has been through a very traumatic experience, and Daryl has been returned his sole reason to hope, as much as he doesn't want to admit it.
I hope you're enjoying the story, and hope you review so I can get some feedback :p. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed this story so far! You've made my day! Seriously! It just motivates me even more :D
Kisses!