Morning came too soon.
He didn't want to let Beth go, but knew he had to. She whispered in his ear before she left, said the same thing she told him last night, that she would come back to him.
I'll come back to you.
Those words were on repeat in his head. He believed them, he had to in order to keep him sane.
Reinforcing the length of the fences took hours. Daryl didn't mind the manual labor, he was good at it. Not to mention that it kept him partially distracted from the absence of Beth. And Rick did not feel the need to fill in the silence with useless words, only ones that would have meaning. No pointless small talk. It was straight down to business. Rick also got the sense that Daryl's mind was half elsewhere else to begin with, considering Beth was out on a run.
When the sun began to set, Daryl was nervous, biting off his fingernails as Rick and him finished up with the fences. "They should be back," he stated, staring off into the distance in the way that the cars had left hours and hours ago.
"I know," said Rick.
There was an understanding between the two of them. Daryl's worries were Rick's, too.
Right as the sun was about to dip below the horizon, Daryl noticed that there were two figures running towards the gates. Michonne and Tyreese came into view, smashing down walkers that were in their way. Rick darted over to the gates with Daryl as they opened them up for the two. It was horrifying. Michonne and Tyreese had splatters of blood all over them, combining with the pieces of what looked like walker skin.
"Where's Glenn and Beth?" Rick urged, examining the two who were back at the prison.
Michonne bent forward and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "They're not here yet?"
"No," Daryl growled.
Both anger and terror shot through his veins. This was not happening. It couldn't happen.
She said she would be back.
He was confused and horrified and terrified and then everything in between.
"We got swarmed at a house. Herd came through. We all took off in different directions. I found Tyreese twenty minutes later," she explained, the concern in her eyes not easily hidden at that moment. "I thought they would have made it back before us. We've been running for hours to get here."
Daryl couldn't think straight. All he knew was that Beth was out there somewhere.
How could he have let this happen? Every nerve in his body told him that he wanted to go punch every wall that he could find, just to numb out the pain that he felt for allowing this to happen, for allowing Beth to be lost in the woods with countless walkers and who knew what else was around that was a threat, possibly with Glenn, too.
He felt Rick's hand on his shoulder, steadying him in his place. "Daryl, it will be fine. I promise you that. She'll find her way back. They both will. They are our people. And our people know how to survive."
He only heard half of what Rick had said, heard bits and pieces if it.
His world fell apart around him.
Daryl could not think, let alone breathe correctly. The only thing he saw was the image of Beth that flashed in front of him. And the only thing he felt was the regret for letting her go without him and the pain in his chest that followed after that. He wasn't there to protect her. That was repeated blow to the gut, and the heart.
I'll come back to you.
The phrase that had been meant to reassure him now haunted him in its own cruel way.
—
The full moon was bright enough to light up the courtyard and the pathway to the gates, even the fences and the outer woods. Daryl was outside, eyes glued to the gates, when Maggie strolled up beside him. He didn't look over at her, but he saw out of the corner of his eye that her hand rested on her swollen belly protectively.
They were both waiting.
"You should sleep," she said.
"Can't. Won't try, either."
"Me, too. I keep waitin' to see them, to hear that Glenn and Beth are back. They're alright, don't you think so? I mean, it's Glenn and my sister. They can survive a night out there. They're strong. They can fight off walkers if they need to. And anything else that stands in their way. They're smart and they'll figure out a way to survive. We're all survivors, after all."
Daryl opted to stay silent. He felt completely and utterly helpless in this situation. He hated that feeling. There was no way for him to find Beth, even though he had argued with Rick that he was going to go back out there and find her and Glenn. The only problem was that Michonne and Tyreese had no idea about where they had started running away from the herd and where the four of them originally split up.
His mind went to dark places.
He thought about Beth in the woods, alone. He winced at the image that played in his mind. He should had taught her how to hunt in the woods and survival techniques sooner. He mentally kicked himself for that.
"Glenn would have found her. Or Beth would have found him. I know that. They are not alone out there," Maggie said, believing every word, and seemed to have read his mind. Either that, or they had the same thoughts that ran through their heads. "They can't travel at night so they found a place to stay. They'll be back. In the morning. I know it."
Her voice broke at that last part. Daryl sucked in a sharp breath. He would not be able to rest until Beth was back by his side, where she belonged. He knew that it would be the same for Maggie. She would not be able to sleep soundly until her sister and her husband had returned in one piece.
"How do you know that?" he asked, needing her to give him a sign that she was right and there was nothing to worry over.
Maggie turned to him, hand rubbing over her belly. "I feel it. In my bones. They're okay and they'll be back."
There was a brief moment where relief washed over him. Maggie was sure that everything was fine and that Beth and Glenn would be back by morning. He wanted to believe her, wanted to have the same faith that she shared with her sister, but could not shake the dread, anxiety, panic, and the immense guilt that had been wrapped up all nice for him. He kept it, held onto it. He deserved to feel bad.
"I should be out there," he blurted out. "I should look for them."
"You wouldn't even know where to look. It's too dark out and—"
Daryl snatched up his crossbow, angrily. "Screw it. I'll go anyways. I can't just be waitin' around, Maggie!" Daryl yelled, taking out his frustration.
Emotion overtook him and he felt the water build up in his eyes immediately. He was headed for a nasty breakdown if he didn't get things under control.
Get it together, he shouted at himself.
Maggie tilted her head to the side, her own eyes blurring over with tears that welled up. "Daryl," she murmured. "I know what you are goin' through. It's the same for me. My husband and my sister are out there and I can't do a single thing about it. And it sucks! I feel horrible that I can't leave right now and find them. But I have to stay here." Maggie crossed over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders to force him to look at her. "And you need to stay here. Beth will need you here when she gets back with Glenn. It's too dangerous to go out there, especially alone. I would never forgive myself if I allowed you to walk out those gates and have you not come back. You're part of my family and I need to make sure you don't do anythin' stupid. Beth needs you. Okay?"
That grounded him. "Okay."
Maggie nodded her head, wiping away a few tears that fell onto her cheeks. Surprise played out across her face for a second, her hand reaching down to cover a place on her swollen stomach. "See?" she smiled. "The baby is kicking. Even my child agrees and knows everythin' will be fine."
Daryl offered up a weak grin. He turned back to the gates to watch them, wait to see the familiar figures come up the pathway.
Maggie stayed with Daryl for a while until Carol came outside and was able to talk her into coming inside. Carol did not bother to mention anything to Daryl about leaving his place. She knew better than that. She knew he would not be convinced otherwise. Before she went back in with Maggie, Carol had mumbled something about not letting it all get to his head and not to do anything rash. Nothing impulsive. He couldn't remember the exact words.
He spent the night outside, waiting, watching. Daryl did not feel tired, not even for a second. He was more than alert. His eyes moved around the surroundings, to the edge of the woods, and back to the gates. He killed off some walkers by the fence as morning approached, thinking that he could get rid of some of them for when Beth and Glenn made it back.
For the first time in his whole life he prayed that night. He felt the overwhelming urge to do so. Daryl thought that maybe it could help. Said he would do absolutely anything as long as Beth returned safely with Glenn.
His life meant nothing without her.
Beth was everything.
Michonne also came out in the middle of the night to take watch in the guard tower, though he reckoned that she wanted to keep an eye out for the two missing people. Maggie then came back outside once the sun was up. It was clear to him that she had spent the night awake, the same as him. They didn't say anything, didn't need to. Maggie carefully planted herself down on the ground next to Daryl, who was messing with one of the arrows Beth had given him.
Hours passed and they remained outside in the same place. Maggie got up from her spot on the ground slowly and took a few steps in front of him. He took his eyes off the arrow that he had in his hands and glimpsed up at her to make sure everything was alright. He was about to ask her what she was doing, but then she abruptly turned back to him and said, "Somethin' is in the woods over there."
She pointed to the far side of the woods that was all the way to the right. Daryl's eyes narrowed at the movement of the bushes and trees that he saw. He noticed that Michonne had walked out onto the walkway of the guard tower, looking in that direction as well. He got up off the ground to see better. A walker that was close stumbled to its left, hearing the noise, and that was when Daryl knew that whatever was among the trees was human because the walker was so interested. Then a man came out from the woods and cut the walker down where it had stood with what looked to be an axe. Daryl's eyes adjusted as they squinted at the figure.
"Glenn!" Maggie called out.
Daryl realized at the same time who it was. Glenn snapped his head up and waved his arm over to his wife. And then, suddenly, another figure ran out of the woods behind him, stopping next to Glenn.
He saw the beautiful mess of blonde hair first, wild at the top of her head in her signature ponytail that would always have a braid in it.
Beth.
He ran before he even realized that his feet were moving. Daryl noticed that Glenn and Beth were also running, weaving through the walkers that had turned their attention to them. Glenn and Beth could not have stayed there; they would have been sitting ducks if they had. Maggie waited by the edge of the gate as Michonne met Daryl at the entry and followed him out into the grass and into the group of walkers.
Beth. That's all he thought.
He already had an arrow loaded when Michonne sliced the head off of two walkers. Daryl then hit three of them in the head as Glenn and Beth also fought their way through the group. Luckily, Michonne was fast as lightening and easily cut down the remaining walkers that were left on their side after a couple of minutes.
Daryl caught his breath when the group of walkers were all strew about on the ground, dead and lifeless.
Beth.
She came running at him with a speed he had never seen before. He took a few steps forward and then caught her in his arms when she threw herself at him. The impact was hard and fast, but he could not care less. He loved ever second of it. She was there in his arms and that meant the world to him. He grabbed onto her and held her like he was never going to let her go. Wrapped her against him with his arms real tight. One hand dug into her back as his fingers bunched up her shirt material, the other at the base of her neck.
"Daryl," she muffled into his shoulder, tears falling from her eyes and dropping onto his shirt with the cut off sleeves. She held him tight, seemingly not wanting to let go of him, either.
It hit him then. That question that had loomed over his head for so long finally had a clear answer for him, one he realized right at that moment.
He loved her.
Was in love with her.
No doubt about it.
Daryl loved this girl, loved Beth.
And he didn't know for sure until the threat of losing her had been so high.
Daryl angled his head so his cheek brushed against the side of Beth's and he placed his lips right by her ear. "I love you," he whispered, not being able to hold it in. It needed to be said.
No waiting. No second guessing himself.
This was real.
And those were the realest words he had ever said.
He was sure of that.
Beth pulled away, wrapping her two small hands around the back of his neck. She smiled wide up at him, water still in her eyes. "I love you, too. So much! I really do."
She got back onto her toes and he crashed his lips into hers. It was a powerful moment, one that Daryl would relive for the rest of his life, remembering exactly how breathtakingly good this girl made him feel.
And she taught him that, she taught him how to feel. Taught him how to love and how to not be afraid when it came to it.
Beth pulled away, too soon if you asked him, and she placed a palm on the side of his face, big blue eyes staring up at him with this wonderful glimmering look in them that almost knocked him off his feet. "Will you take me hunting now?"
They both chuckled before Daryl nodded to her. "'Course. Anything," he replied, bringing her body back against. "Anythin' you want."
He gave her another quick kiss to the lips before he placed his forehead onto hers.
"You are never goin' anywhere outside the prison without me again," he breathed, afraid of a recurrence. "I ain't gonna lose you."
"Okay," she agreed, hugging onto him tighter.
He pulled away from her. For the first time, he observed that there was blood on her face and scratches from branches down her arms. But she was safe, and there with him, so none of that mattered.
"Alright, love birds," he heard Michonne call out to the two couples who had reunited. "Let's get on back inside before those walkers by the woods get any closer."
Maggie quickly pushed her way over to Beth and hugged her for a while, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I missed you. Thank God you're back."
"Missed you, too, Maggie."
Glenn put a hand on the small of Maggie's back to guide her back towards the gates. Beth grabbed Daryl's hand and they all walked back inside. Daryl heard Glenn jokingly say to Maggie as he placed and hand onto her stomach, "Thought I told you to stay inside the prison fences."
"The baby told me it wanted to see its father so I had to obey. It won't happen again as long as you don't get lost a second time around."
Beth giggled as she looped her other available hand around his arm, the one that had their fingers intertwined at the end. "I love you, Daryl," she murmured to him a second time.
Yeah, the words sounded better the second time around, smooth and caring as they rolled off her tongue. He realized that no one had ever said those words to him before, and that Beth was the first to ever speak them.
Part of him couldn't believe that he managed to tell her exactly how he felt, about loving her. Honestly, it was long overdue.
Better late than never.
A/N: I was going to wait to post this but I figure why make anyone wait any longer when I already have it written and edited. Everyone seems to really like the updates sooner rather than later :) Two more chapters to go!