A/N: Hey there! Long time no see! To be honest, since school for the kiddo has started back up, all of my late-night writing power-hours, followed by really early mornings, had begun to catch up with me, and I spent all day yesterday feeling sick and destroyed. My migraine made me sensitive to light, sound, and little annoyances, like our cats eating my house plants and knocking over DVDs. Bastards.

I had no energy to write, no will, and no creativity flowing. Today, you have J to thank for the new chapters [yes, that's plural. I'm aiming for two today,] because he said if I posted another one today, he'd hand over something I've been trying to blackmail him out of for quite a long time. So, he sacrificed a lot for this chapter.

Also, thanks to all of the reviews from the last chapter, they were fun to read, as usual. I even had one person tell me I should write for the show, and you know what? I THINK SO, TOO! No, I'm just kidding. It'd be a dream job, but I don't have the chops for that industry. But thank you anyway! I appreciated the ego boost =D

[Just to give you an idea of how cruel I am, though… I told my husband awhile back that if I wrote for the Walking Dead, I'd totally write an episode where all of the main cast members died, and then had it air on April 1st. After the credits, I'd have a shot of the entire cast being like "April Fools!" and then continue the next episode from where the prior one had left off.. like the April 1st episode had never happened. Sooo funny. So you guys should probably be thankful that I DON'T have that job. Haha!]

Mostly everyone liked the last few chapters, which was cool. A few people didn't; they felt like the last couple of chapters had dragged a bit. Chapters 14 and 15 were kind of a bummer without the Daryl and Beth banter that you all enjoyed from the first half of the story, but... tragedy struck and it is what it is. I promise I have some good stuff in store for you guys. We just have to trudge through some of the angst. And isn't that life sometimes, anyway? Sometimes things don't work out the way you had imagined, and it takes you travelling a much different road to land where you were always meant to end up.

So chins up, my pretties! I'm going to make this chapter kind of short, because the good stuff, well… it needs to be from Daryl's POV, and I just don't feel like Beth waking up and running into his arms is realistic, given the situation. Sorry!

Stick with it, I promise rewards ;)

Chapter 16

Her chest felt heavy and her throat was sore. As she came further up out of the blackness and back into light, she had the distinct feeling that she hadn't been there in awhile; in the light. She opened her eyes, blinking at the brightness, squinting as shapes moved around her. She could hardly move her arms or legs; it was as if her body had been filled with concrete. Every limb was stiff and heavy.

She heard a gasp as a shape loomed over her, blocking out a good portion of the blinding light.

"Bethy," Maggie cried.

Finally, her eyes adjusted, and over her stood her sister, Maggie, and her daddy.

"Oh my god, Bethy," Maggie said again, leaning down to smother her sister with a hug.

Looking up beyond Maggie's hair, Beth could see that her daddy had tears in his eyes, as well.

"Hey," Beth greeted, her voice sounding rusty from disuse.

"Hey," Maggie echoed, sitting back to look into her face again. "You scared the crap out of us! They've been trying to pull you outta that coma since yesterday."

Coma? Beth wondered, as her dad put his hand on her head and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

Then, it came back to her. The anesthesiologist going over with her what would happen when he put her under; the nurse telling Beth that her throat was torn, so she'd have to be induced into a coma; writing that letter to Daryl; the conversation with Rick; Zach.

"How long have I been out?" she croaked, reaching up to put her hand against her bare neck. The brace was gone, as were the breathing tubes and the oxygen mask.

"A little over a week," Maggie answered. "They put you under last Friday and they were going to try to pull you out of the coma on the following Thursday, but then they decided to wait three more days, instead. Then you didn't wake up yesterday like you were supposed to; today is Monday."

"And Zach…" Beth asked, fearing the answer.

"Zach is no longer a threat to you," her daddy answered confidently. "That sheriff did a good job with all of the evidence they collected. He came by Friday afternoon to let us know that Zach's real name is Kyle, and he has apparently been running from the law for some time now, changing out his identity. You aren't the first girl he's hurt, Beth," he said, frowning at the thought, "but you will be the last. They considered him healed enough to transport last week, so they flew him into Boston by helicopter. He'd going to be standing trial there for the murder of two girls a couple of years ago."

Beth put her hand over her mouth at the thought of it. She realized early on that he'd been crazy, and definitely unstable. She thought about the night he'd broken into her cabin; she had been sure that Zach was going to kill her. But to know that he'd already proven himself capable of such a thing, before she'd even started dating him? The thought was terrifying. How could she not have known right away?

As though reading Beth's thoughts, Maggie tucked a strand of hair behind Beth's ear and said, "When we get home, we're having a conversation about your choices in men, little sister."

Frowning, Beth said, "I don't need you to lecture me on men, Maggie. Zach was a fluke. You know I'm normally very good at reading people."

Before Maggie could argue, the door to her room opened, and a doctor came inside with a clipboard.

"Excellent," he said, smiling at Beth. "I figured it would only be a matter of time before you woke up. Welcome back."

The rest of the day passed in a blur for her. The nurses assisted in getting Beth moving again. Maggie helped her in the shower, much to Beth's embarrassment, and they both tried not looking too hard at the bruises still fading from her skin, or the series of butterfly bandages holding the cut together on her stomach while it healed. She'd been lucky that it was shallow and hadn't required stitches; lucky Zach hadn't been inches closer and completely gutted her.

She'd spent the last part of the afternoon walking around her room and regaining her balance. It was like having sea-legs on shore; she was wobbly and unbalanced. Sick of being in one place, though, Beth had insisted on getting out of the room that evening. After eating terrible hospital food out of the cafeteria for dinner, she held on to her daddy's arm as he led her up and down the halls, Maggie trailing in their wake. Beth felt stronger and more confident with each step.

Finally, on Tuesday morning, two whole weeks after the incident, Beth was finally discharged from the hospital. Maggie had thrown all of Beth's cards and stuffed animals in a large bag, and her daddy and Glen had their arms full with all of the flower arrangements that Beth had received over the course of the two weeks she'd been in there. That weekend, she would have to work on writing out Thank You notes to everyone who was thoughtful enough to send gifts. She felt humbled that she had so many great friends after only living there a couple of months.

Once they pulled up to Beth's cabin in Glenn's rental car, she got out of the back seat and stretched, looking her cabin over. She'd been worried in the hospital that she'd make it back home and feel uneasy or unsafe, but she wasn't feeling any trepidation over the place in the daylight. The memory of her attack was slightly fuzzy, and felt like it had happened much longer ago than just two weeks. She'd be just fine there, given a little bit of time.

They all took armloads of the duffel bags, flowers, and other things that Maggie had steadily brought to the hospital for Beth and carried them into the cabin. Beth could tell that everyone was keeping an eye on her for any bad reactions, so she was careful not to make any faces that could be construed badly. She didn't want Maggie and daddy to head back to Cincinnati still worrying about her.

Once she was in the cabin, she headed back to her room to dump her duffel bag and stuffed animals on her bed. All of the glass and blood had been cleaned off of the floor, so the only thing different about her living room was the patched up window and the piles of neatly stacked DVDs where her shelves had been. She'd just have to buy a new one; no big deal, she told herself.

The door to her bedroom was still broken; it would take a professional to figure out how to fix that. Her nightstand had been moved back, though, and the phone placed back on it. The broken lamp was gone.

All in all, the place looked pretty normal. She clenched her hands into fists briefly, remembering the feel of her nails breaking when she raked them across the hard wooden floors as she was being dragged backwards by the ankle. She put the thought out of her mind, consciously made the effort to relax her hands, and went back out into the living room. Her entire kitchen table was covered in the flower arrangements, a few sitting on the kitchen counter as well.

"We'll have to leave them all here, Bethy," Maggie told her sadly.

"That's not a problem at all," Beth replied, thinking Maggie's emotions were a bit off. "I can just find places for them later."

"It's too bad you couldn't bring any of them with you; they're all so pretty. Your friends are amazing." Maggie told her.

Beth, who had been grabbing bottles of water out of the fridge for everyone, straightened up at her sister's words. She turned on her, holding out a bottle, and asked, "What do you mean, bring them with me?"

"Home," Maggie said like it was an obvious answer.

Glenn leaned against the back of Beth's couch in the living room, facing them but effectively distancing himself from the discussion. Her dad sat down in the only kitchen chair she had left.

"I am home," Beth said slowly.

Maggie chuckled like she was joking and crossed her arms over her chest, "Be reasonable, Bethy. You can't stay here, not after what happened. That's crazy."

"Nothing's wrong with my cabin," Beth argued tersely. "It was Zach that was the problem, and he's on his way to trial in Boston, remember? It's fine now."

"Even without Zach in the picture, it's dangerous to be living out here in the middle of the woods without a single neighbor in shouting distance, by yourself! If I had known how secluded this cabin was, I wouldn't have let you buy it!" Maggie shouted.

"Well, aren't you delusional," Beth scoffed, crossing her arms in the same manner as Maggie. "Thinkin' you have a say at all in where I choose to live. I'm not a little girl anymore, Maggie. I like my cabin, and I do have a neighbor! Does 'Daryl' ring any bells?"

"Yeah," Maggie said, eyes spitting fire, "He does ring a bell! Nearly beat a guy to death, shot him with an arrow-"

"Yeah, to protect me!" Beth interrupted, making sure Maggie had her facts straight.

"He's the same guy who almost shot you with an arrow once, too, remember that story?! And just how did he know you needed help that night, Beth? I've walked around your property; he doesn't live within shouting distance of here. He just happened to be out for a walk near your cabin and heard the commotion?" Maggie leaned in, jaw set in a stubborn line.

Beth leaned in, too, shouting, "I called him!"

Maggie frowned; Glenn and her daddy stayed quiet, watching the two of them go at it. Arguments between them weren't uncommon; Greene girls were stubborn.

Beth calmed herself down, trying for a more even tone of voice. "You told me I hadn't remembered anything the first time I woke up; and honestly, the talk I had with Rick is still kind of fuzzy. But the rest of it is there, now; I remember the evening Zach came. I had barricaded myself in my room and called the police. I was worried they wouldn't make it, and I knew Daryl would protect me, though. He always protects me; so I called him. I left him a voicemail; he must've listened to it and then headed over."

Maggie sighed, calming down, as well, but still not ready to give up. "Beth, it still isn't safe. You're still injured, and… I just wouldn't be comfortable flying back home knowing you're sitting around in this empty cabin by yourself, thinking about what happened with Zach. You won't be able to sleep or anything. Just come home with us for awhile, and we'll figure out what to do later. Glenn has contacts all over the place; we'll help you find a new job. It'll be good for you, Bethy. I promise."

Beth didn't want to leave. She'd spent so much time and money fixing up her cabin, and she had friends here, her Jeep, things to fix with Daryl, a routine; a life. Looking at her daddy, though, into his sad blue eyes, she realized he wanted the same thing as Maggie. He was worried about her, too.

"It only has to be for a little while, if you want," he said gently, now that he had her attention, "just a chance to heal around family and get back on your feet. You can always decide later if you want to stay here or start somewhere fresh. You know you're always welcome back at home."

Sighing, Beth relented. It didn't feel right to her and it wasn't what she wanted; but she could see the effects of her hospital stay written all over Maggie and daddy's faces. She was even surprised Glenn was still there. They were all missing work, away from home, and trying to help her; trying to put her needs first. This is what they thought was best.

Besides, she assured herself, it would be nice to see her old childhood home again, and visit old friends there. She'd make daddy and Maggie happy, and they could get back to their lives. She could spend the time relaxing, applying for jobs over the internet like she had been doing all along anyway. Although she would miss them, her friends would completely understand, she knew they would.

What about Daryl, though? She hadn't seen him at all, and he didn't seem like the type of person to sit and waste time in a hospital room, so she doubted he'd visited her. She hadn't had the chance to thank him for saving her, even if she couldn't remember him being at her cabin that night. He had spent three whole days in jail over the incident, though, and she hoped like hell he hadn't lost his job or anything.

"I have to make a few calls first," she told them quietly.

Maggie smiled at her and pulled her into a huge hug. "Oh, thank you Beth! You'll love it, you'll see. Go start packing; our plane leaves tonight at 11."

Beth frowned, upset that Maggie had bought the tickets before she'd gotten her to agree to come. She was so arrogant sometimes…!

"Why so soon?" Beth asked, avoiding a confrontation on the issue of Maggie's unbelievable gall, for now.

"Well," her daddy said, sensing the tension, "we thought you'd be out of the hospital a few days ago and that we would have more time to convince you to come back home. But honestly, we thought you'd be relieved to get away from here. I hadn't expected such a fight, honey. I'm sorry that it seems so sudden."

"No, it's fine," Beth said, smiling at him reassuringly, even though she didn't feel it. "I'll just get started on those calls."

She looked at the clock on her stove. She had an hour and a half to pack and get her affairs in order before it would be time to leave for the airport.

Going into her room for some privacy, she sat on her bed and picked up the receiver on the phone. She remembered how tightly she'd been gripping it while she huddled under her bed, waiting for salvation, praying that Zach wouldn't make it through the door before help arrived. She quickly shook the thoughts from her mind.

She punched in Daryl's cell phone number and leaned back against her headboard, her heart pounding in the anticipation of hearing his voice again.

"Daryl," his voice echoed gruffly, and then there was the beep.

It had gone straight to voicemail. She didn't know what to say this time, so she just hung up. She opened her nightstand, dug out the card he'd left her and dialed the number for the shop.

"Thanks for callin' Ron's Automotive, we fix anything, this is Steven," he said loudly and quickly. The noise in the background was overpowering, and she lifted the phone from her ear a bit.

"Is Daryl there?" she asked.

"What?" he shouted.

"Daryl," she said louder, "is he there?"

"Nah," Steven said, and in the background she heard him yell, "Not that one Mark, the other one!" His voice was back in the phone when he said "Daryl's gone for the night. Anything I can help with?"

"No, just… if you would, tell him I called. It's Beth."

"Beth," he said, recognition lighting up his voice. "He mentioned you were in the hospital for something, doing better now?"

"Yes, thank you," she said, not sure how much Daryl had told him. She could hear him moving against the phone like he was shifting, then a door shutting.

Finally, she could hear him clearly without as much background noise. "Listen, his cell phone has been broken, and he hasn't gotten a line put in at his new apartment yet, but I can have Oscar swing by tonight when he gets off, and let Daryl know you called, if you want."

His new apartment? Daryl had moved away?

"Uh…" she said stupidly, caught off-guard. "Yeah, if Oscar is willing to, that'd be… that'd be nice. I'm actually going to be on a plane in awhile, I'm headed back to Cincinnati. So maybe he could call me tomorrow, from the work phone or something…"

"Yeah, I'll let him know." Steven said abruptly. "Take care."

"You too," she said quietly as the line went dead. She hung up, feeling a huge weight in her chest. Daryl had moved away from her while she'd been lying in the hospital. That should definitely tell her something. He must've been livid about being in jail and getting caught up in her huge mess. She wished she could remember Daryl being at the cabin that night, and what had happened between him and Zach.

That settles it, then, she thought. Pulling her suitcase out of her closet, with tears in her eyes, she began to pack up her clothing.