PLEASE READ: I received a pretty negative review today about last chapter. I just want to say that if you don't like the direction that my story is going, just stop reading. There is no need to leave reviews calling my characters stupid. Yes, Beth did something childish by trying to make Daryl jealous but lets not forget that she is just a teenage girl and an inexperienced one at that. Also, in the show on AMC, Beth was viewed as childish when she had Daryl running around with her looking for booze after the prison fell. I am doing my best to draw from the show for inspiration for this story. Thank you for you for reading. The Bethyl ship sails in the last part of this chapter so please enjoy.

Dinner that night was maddening for Daryl. He tried so hard to ignore the young ones that talked and laughed amongst themselves but damn it that Ron kid was asking for a broken arm. He could tell that Beth had no real interest in the boy. He could read her body language like a book. She tried to inch away from Ron as often and subtly as she could and the smile she flashed at the little punk never reached her eyes.

Daryl also noticed the way she was watching him from the corner of her vision. It only made him angrier, knowing that she was looking for a rise out of him. He had put the puzzle pieces together not even five minutes after they started on their meal. He's not as stupid as people thought. As childish as the whole thing was, he had to give her some credit. It was working. He was livid. Livid at Ron for even thinking that he had a chance with an angel like Beth. And livid at Beth for trying to play stupid games with him. She was better than this.

After dinner, Rick left for work and Daryl retired outside for his usual smoke break. He was enjoying the peace and quiet for about two seconds before Ron opened the door to join him in the back yard.

"Got another one of those?" Ron asked with his hands thrown in the pockets of his hoodie.

"Na." Daryl took the half-smoked cigarette out of him mouth then threw it on the ground to be stomped on. He then pulled out his fully stocked pack of smokes and lit up a brand new one, letting Ron know that he had plenty, but wasn't going to share.

"It's cool, man. Sheriff Grimes left." Ron tried to convince Daryl, clearly not understanding that Daryl was not in the sharing mood. The boy really just wasn't that smart at all.

"Rick ain't the one you ought ta'worry about." Daryl gave Ron his best I-will-fuck-you-up glare then intentionally and roughly bumped shoulders with him on his way back inside. The punk was lucky he got to walk away with his life tonight. Daryl was in no mood.

"Go home. I'm tired an' I ain't about to babysit." Daryl announced to the group as he walked inside of the house. Rick had already made it clear to everyone that when Daryl, the only remaining adult, leaves then the rest must follow. Even Carl. He was only there for dinner tonight. He wouldn't be staying over until the following weekend, for Thanksgiving. Daryl noticed Beth let out a sigh of relief at his announcement. He could tell that she was ready to be rid of Ron.

Daryl's energy was completely drained. The day's affairs had been nothing but headache after headache and he couldn't wait for it to be over. He watched as Carl shyly offered to walk Sophia to her car. Beth snuck off to the bathroom, probably to avoid an awkward goodbye with Ron. When Daryl saw the kid looking for Beth, he quickly stepped in.

"Do I really gotta kick your ass out?" Daryl growled.

"Just want to thank Beth for dinner before I go." Ron gave Daryl his best I-don't-give-a-shit attitude but he couldn't deny that the man in front of him was intimidating.

"I'll let'er know." Daryl took a step closer, hoping he could get Ron to back away towards the door. Thankfully, the kid took the hint.

"Whatever." Ron made it to the door just as Carl was coming back inside from walking Sophia out. The two boys exchanged "later's" and "See ya's."

When Beth came back out, she and Carl went to work on cleaning the kitchen and washing the dishes. Daryl listened as they talked about Sophia but he wasn't interested in their teenage gossip. He'd rather step out for a smoke while he waited for Carl to be ready to leave. Daryl told the boy that he would drive him home so that Beth wouldn't have to. But if Carl didn't hurry up, Daryl was going to drag him out by his shaggy hair.

Beth was in her room changing into her pajamas thirty minutes after everyone left. For once, she wished that she wasn't alone with her thoughts right now. She felt so guilty and foolish. From the moment that Ron had shown up at her house, she regretted her silly plan. The lust in his eyes and the way he was always physically too close to her made her ridiculously uncomfortable and the fact that she had to act like it wasn't bothering her in front of Daryl made it so much worse. And Daryl! Oh god, the look on his face when he first walked in was enough to make her squirm in serious discomfort.

But Beth couldn't take it back, now. What's done is done. Maybe Daryl didn't even think anything of it. It wasn't like she was flirting with Ron in an overly obvious way. Really, she was just being her usual friendly self. It was Ron who was being obnoxiously flirty with her. Regardless, Beth had messed up tonight. Now that she was dressed in her sleepwear, she threw herself onto her bed and into the army of stuffed animals, begging dreamless sleep to take her.

What a short lived moment of peace that was. Beth's bedroom door was thrown open in a rage. She shot up from her lying position on the bed and her eyes instantly landed on Daryl's glaring face. He started pacing around in front of her, trying to control his temper. After dropping Carl off with Lori, Daryl decided to come back. He needed to let his anger out somehow and what better person to take it out on than the person who caused it. Beth remained sitting on the bed, petrified. She watched as Daryl paced around with his eyes glued on her like she was the prey that he was hunting.

"What the hell was all that about?" He sounded much calmer than he looked.

Silence.

"You like messin' with me? This some kinda game to you?" He demanded angrier than before.

More silence.

"What do you want from me, girl!?" He was yelling now.

"I want you to stop actin' like you don't give a crap about me! Like nothing we have between us matters! Like none of the things we feel for each other mean anythin' to you! It's bullshit!" Beth had rose from her bed and was now face to face with the man in front of her, her chin held high. He was intimidating her but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

"Is that what you think?" He asked, quieter now.

"That's what I know." She nodded her head, not backing down.

"You don't know nothin'." He was in her face, daring her to say one more goddamn word.

She didn't even get the chance. His mouth was on hers not a moment later. It was not sweet, it was not gentle. If she wanted him, than she was going to have to learn that he was not some seventeen year old kid like Ron. He wasn't going to whisper sweet nothings in her ear and he wasn't going to tiptoe around her like she's made of glass. Daryl had one rough hand gripping her waist and another slightly tugging her hair so that her head was pulled back and her mouth was open for him. He groaned in delight when Beth began kissing him back. Her lips were small and soft and he relished in the moment but it didn't last long. She brought her hands up to his chest and gave him a gentle push.

Daryl let go of his claim on her mouth and rested his forehead on hers while they both fought to catch their breath. Beth felt like a pool of the girl she once was, melted from the heat that Daryl sparked inside of her. It was euphoric. They stayed like that for another minute before Daryl surprised himself by bringing his hands up to cup her face and plant a soft kiss to her lips. He was angry when he attacked her a moment ago, and it wasn't fair for him to handle her roughly the way he did.

"I need ta'go." Daryl whispered, trying to back away from Beth.

"No, you need to stay." Beth giggled and pulled him back towards her and the bed.