A/N: Guys….I just realized I had an utter, epic fail throughout For the Ones You Love. : ( I had several places that there were supposed to have 'paragraph breaks' that transitioned to a new scene. I was using four asterisks lined together in between paragraphs and apparently fanfiction doesn't allow those. So I had scenes running together with no clear transition…I'm so sorry. I've fixed it now though! All transitions will be clearly marked using "…". I'm so sorry for any confusion this caused as I literally just saw this while I was going back and editing the story. Thanks for understanding!
Also...I now have a BETA. Nicole137137 (YOU ARE AWESOME) has graciously volunteered to edit my chapters before I post them. We're both human beings so please don't stroke out on us if we miss an error or two! : 3
To my guest reviews, I can't send you a private message expressing my gratitude, but seriously...THANK YOU! To everyone who has left a review on any of my three Daryl x Beth stories...THANK YOU! All of you guys are amazing! You have all definitely kept me inspired to keep writing! XOXO Thanks again for all the support and enjoy the new chapter! : )
…
The steady thumping of the small, dull blade against softened wood had acted as a sort of white noise for Beth. She felt her eyes drooping and shook her head to fight off her weariness. She still felt a throbbing pain in the back of her head, but it had begun to subside as the day wore on.
"If yer' tired you should get some rest," Beth heard shuffling beside her followed by the sound of someone sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.
She forced her eyes open, recognizing the voice, and found Daryl sitting with his elbow propped up on his knees, picking at his fingers. His hands hung limply off his knees, giving the appearance that he was completely relaxed, but the sharpness of his eyes and the taunt lining of his shoulders made Beth aware that it was quite the opposite. He was on edge. She couldn't help feeling a sudden anxiety from his demeanor.
"I'm not gonna' sleep. Not when everyone else is so keyed up. We've gotta' be ready in case somethin' happens," Beth whispered.
Daryl nodded, glancing at her a few times from the corner of his eyes, but made no further comment.
These were the times she appreciated Daryl's awkwardness. He wasn't going to bring up the what might or might not have been a moment before Glenn made his presence known, therefore she felt no discomfort in an upcoming confrontation on the matter. She could just pretend is was due to adrenaline induced circumstances and move on. No harm done to their friendship.
She was also grateful that he knew her well enough to understand when to argue with her and when she was doing what she felt was right. Maggie would've immediately fired back with how Beth 'needed her rest' while Daryl accepted her decisions. Maggie was her sister, and sister's looked out for each other, but Beth didn't need to be coddled.
"You okay?" Beth asked, running her eyes over his wounds.
"Yeah. Used t'fightin'. I've had worse. Whatta' 'bout you?" Daryl glanced at her.
"I'm okay," Beth sighed, dropping her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.
"Uh huh, an' the sun rises in tha' west," Daryl huffed.
Beth couldn't stifle her giggle, "What's that supposed t'mean?"
"Means exactly what you think," Daryl cut his eyes to her.
"I promise. I'm fine. Jus' a lil' sore. Head hurts a bit, but nothin' I can't handle," Beth pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her cheek against them so she could stare at Daryl.
Daryl kept his gaze on her until he sighed and nodded once more, going back to fumbling with his fingers. They sat in silence. Beth, having turned her head to rest her chin on her knees, looked around the darkening train car. Rick had taken over for Abraham, steadily chipping away at the wooden floor. Tara sat by Rosita, keeping her company while on lookout, and Sasha, Bob, Maggie, and Glenn all sat against the back wall catching up on how they escaped the prison. Michonne and Carl sat near Rick, having a quiet conversation amongst the three of them. Eugene was the only one standing, pacing in front of Abraham, discussing what Beth might have understood to be a video game called Fallout 3? She hadn't had any sort of gaming system on the farm, as she had enough to keep her occupied , but he kept mumbling about post-apocalyptic this and nuclear-fallout that. She couldn't help but wish they had a vault they could all hide in.
"Do you ever wish you could go back to your life before? Like…I mean obviously no one wants walkers roamin' the Earth, but I mean, did you have some bucket list of things you wished you would've done?" She turned back to look at Daryl.
"You know what I was doin' before," Daryl replied skeptically.
"Yeah, but…that doesn't mean you didn't have things you wanted for yer'self," Beth countered.
Beth could see him working on his bottom lip, but didn't hold her breath thinking Daryl would say what was hidden behind his lips. Instead she took the focus off him, thinking maybe if she revealed her once-upon-a-dreams, he would feel comfortable enough to share in return.
"I woulda' been the salutatorian of my class. Wanted to move off and go to college in the big city, maybe the University of Georgia and study music. Or maybe become a vet like daddy? I hadn't really decided yet. Jimmy and I would have parted ways after high school. He wouldn't have left rural Georgia to live in the city. So maybe I'd meet a guy in college who'd sweep me off my feet? Get my own apartment. Start my own family someday," She couldn't help smiling at the recollection of her past dreams. It had been a while since she let herself daydream.
She caught herself, realizing she was grinning into space, and turned her attention back to Daryl. He was staring at her with a guarded expression. An expression she recognized when he was on the verge of saying something that could have judgement passed on him.
"It was dumb. I know. Silly fairytales that ah' young, high school girl, who had no clue what tha' real world was like, entertained," Beth sighed; resting her chin on her knees once more.
They sat in silence. The murmur of quiet conversations and the steady thumbing against wood resounded within their confined space. Beth suddenly felt very self-conscious at admitting her visions of the future. She knew Daryl. Knew they were beyond coming to conclusions about each other. She also knew he'd had a rough life and hoped she hadn't come across as these were things she felt 'entitled' to.
"If the world hadn't gone t'shit, you'd have deserved all those things," Daryl said in a voice so quiet Beth barely heard him.
She smiled, her eyes watering at how sincere Daryl sounded for her sake, "Ya' think?"
"Yeah. Yer' good Beth. Too good," Daryl replied just as softly.
Beth sat up, stretching her legs out in front of her, and studied Daryl. She caught him peeking at her from the corner of his eye several times, but he wouldn't meet her stare. He was making an underlying reference in his statement and Beth didn't like it. Daryl was just as good, just as deserving of good things, as anyone else she knew. Probably more so because of everything he had already gone through in life. She wasn't going to let him think otherwise.
Taking a steadying breath, Beth steeled her nerves, and reached for Daryl's hand. She laced her fingers through his and brought their hands down to her lap. He didn't fight her, didn't try to pull away, but didn't much return the gesture either.
"You listen' here Daryl Dixon," her tone caught his attention. When he finally looked at her Beth went on, "In the world we live in, there is no such thing as too good. We live each day fighting to see tha' next. Who we were before is not the people we are now. We all had t'change in order to survive."
He didn't reply. He stared at her as if she was a puzzle that he couldn't quite fit all the pieces to. When a full minute passed and he had yet to acknowledge her statement she decided to take a different approach.
Squeezing his large hand in her smaller one, she continued, "Maggie made me recollect somethin'."
"What's that?" He asked in genuine curiosity.
"There are still good people in the world," Beth answered calmly.
"After everythin' we been through, you're gonna' spout off 'bout that nonsense again?" Daryl scoffed indignantly.
"It's not nonsense," Beth furrowed her brows at him.
"Yeah…well…," he paused, "Rick's always done right by me. Maggie and Glenn too. Michonne. Carl's got his faults, but he's ah' good kid. Sasha ain't so bad neither. An' you."
Daryl focused on his unoccupied hand, "I got my qualms with Bob."
Beth wondered for a moment what he meant by 'qualms,' but Daryl went silent and Beth knew he was through discussing the matter. She could have asked what he meant, she was confident he would have answered her, but the serious look on his face kept her question sealed behind her lips. Instead she chose to focus on what he hadn't said.
"You're a good person too Daryl," she wrapped her other arm around their joined hands, hugging them to her chest.
He cocked his head to the side, his eyes boring into hers, and Beth felt compelled to repeat herself.
"You're a good person."
Daryl's focus danced between their hands and her face. He was conflicted, but Beth held his hand firmly. She wasn't going to let him be alone. Not anymore. People couldn't do things alone anymore. She didn't want to be alone ever again.
"Seems I do need you t'remind me," Daryl finally said; referring to their conversation on the porch of the moonshiner's cabin.
"Thought you said you've never relied on anyone for anything?" Beth relaxed the arm hugging their hands and let it fall to her side, replacing their linked hands to her lap.
"Some people turned out t'be reliable," Daryl answered vaguely.
Beth smiled, her chest filling with pride, accepting the compliment he had just given her. He hadn't expressly said she alone was reliable, but she knew she was included on his list. Riding the euphoria and not worrying about barriers and invisible lines, Beth moved on a whim. Leaning over, she felt the cool material of leather press against her temple. Her head was jarred with the initial tension that assailed Daryl's shoulders. When he finally relaxed, Beth adjusted herself to get more comfortable.
She was suddenly very tired. Maybe it was the relief in knowing Daryl was right there that she could allow herself to unwind. Maybe it was the earthy scent mixed with leather and oil that lingered on his clothes from cleaning his crossbow. Maybe it was just the combination of having a concussion and sleep deprivation. Whatever it was that caused Beth to struggle to keep her eyes open was winning. When her eyes finally came to a close, she felt the rumble of Daryl's voice as much as she heard him when he spoke.
"I've never wished I could go back," Daryl's voice came out steady.
Beth's mind was beginning to fog over. She managed a hum in question, not exactly sure what he was referring to.
"T'before. Can't say I ever once thought about tha' future back then. I have more now than I ever did," she felt his jaw tighten against the top of her head, "I'd still be driftin'. Followin' Merle."
Beth forced her eyes open; giving this rare moment of Daryl opening up her full attention. She mulled over his reply, thinking her words over before she answered him. They had shared a lot about their personal lives during their time together, but this was different. This was something else.
"We've both changed from the first time we met on the farm. We've grown. We've both lost people," she took a deep breath, "Outta' all the bad that has happened, I can't say that I haven't wished things would go back to the way they were before. I was happy before. Then...I get this empty feelin' in my gut because I know...I know that if things were still the same, I would'ah never met anyone. Not Rick, Carl, Lori, Andrea, Michonne…Maggie would'ah never met Glenn."
She lifted her head, ignoring the raw throb behind her eyes, to say her next phrase directly to Daryl's face, "If the walkers had never happened, I would'ah never met you."
"Prolly been for tha' best," Daryl turned away to rest his head against the wall behind him, staring up at the roof.
"No. I'm glad that outta' all the people I could've gotten out with when the prison fell...that it was you," Beth expressed. She hoped her words reached him the same way she felt when she said them.
Daryl's head lulled around in her direction. She gave him a brief smile and tucked her head under his chin to reclaim her place on his shoulder. She squeezed his hand again, communicating with him the same way she did with Maggie. She wasn't sure he would understand, but it didn't matter. It just felt like the right thing to do.
She closed her eyes, intent on giving into sleep, when she felt it; a tight pressure around her hand. She smiled wider. Daryl may not have known exactly what her action had meant, but he had returned it. That was enough. There wasn't much to translate from his reciprocation; it was just as simple as her gesture to him.
"I'm glad it was you too."
…
Beth's eyes flew open. The sun had turned from golden-orange to crimson, signaling the last light before the sun completely set. Everyone was bustling around the car and Beth had no idea what was going on. She felt a pressure atop her head and lifted her sight as far as she was able. The pressure instantly lifted and Beth recognized the rosy spot on Daryl's cheek from where he had fallen asleep against her. She might have smiled and teased him a bit if she wasn't so confused. Daryl must have felt the same because the look he gave her was filled with apprehension.
"What's goin' on?" Beth asked Maggie as she stood with Daryl's help.
Maggie was peering out of the crack of the box car's door. Rosita and Tara were on the opposite end of the car so Beth deduced that Maggie had taken over watch sometime while she had fallen asleep. Rick, Michonne, and Carl looked just as bewildered as Beth felt. They too must have taken the opportunity to catch some shut eye. Bob and Sasha were frantic by the board Rick had been chipping away at near the rear axle. Bob handed the closed knife to Sasha who cleverly shoved the closed utensil into her bra.
"We got visitors. Think they're bringin' us our rations," Maggie murmured.
"Alright, everyone act natural," Glenn extended his hands, palms open, in a placating manner.
"We're prisoners in a cannibal's 'sanctuary.' Not sure that falls under the 'normal' category," Michonne's anger seeped through even as she whispered.
"We can't let them see the floor," Carl announced; a tremor in his voice.
"We can't all stand in front of it. It'd look suspicious," Rick looked to everyone for suggestions.
Beth looked to Maggie, "How close are they?"
"Couple'ah yards. They'll be here in a few minutes," Maggie stepped away from the door, not wanting to arouse any initial doubt from their server.
"How much is left Bob?" Abraham asked approaching the boards.
"There's just the wood around the last bolt. Should be done within the next hour or so at the rate we're goin'," Bob stated, looking between Abraham and the floor.
"They see what we're doing, we're dead," Rosita fretted.
"The likelihood of them noticing the floor in such dense visibility is slim," Eugene murmured morosely beside Rosita.
"That's just not a chance we can take," Glenn acknowledged.
There was a banging on the door, a creaking of the metal as the lock mechanism was turned, and everyone inside the car became deathly quiet. Beth noticed movement to her left and watched as Sasha made a last ditch to save their escape plan.
"Meal time," an unfamiliar face appeared in the opened doorway, "Anyone tries any funny business and our eyes up above will end everyone one ah' you."
The light, as hazy as it may have been in the setting sun, still blinded Beth. She managed to squint enough to see snipers with their sights trained on the car from the rooftops diagonally from them. She counted four, but with the car being so close to a building in front of them, she was unable to see if more snipers lurked on that roof as well.
"What's wrong with her?" The man pointed toward Sasha after he tossed a few bottles of water and a brown paper bag into the middle of the floor.
Sasha sat on the floor effectively hiding the board from view, a few feet away from the wall, with her knees propped up and her head resting between them. She hugged her legs tightly, looking as if she was in pain. Beth had to hand it to her; her quick thinking had likely saved them all, so long as the man didn't order her to move.
"From the looks of how much food we're given, my guess is that she's starvin'. Not feeling well," Rick commented.
The Terminian eyed her, as if she had some sort of lethal disease, but seemed to accept Rick's suggestion.
"What? No meat?" Daryl mouthed off, bending down to the rifle through the brown paper bag.
"Be happy you get anything," the man sneered, turning on his heel and bolting out of the rail car.
It wasn't until the metal handled locked into place and footsteps were heard retreating their location that everyone took a deep breath. Beth squatted down; the anxiety making her feel light headed.
"Could you not be a smart ass the next time we're trying not to attract attention?" Maggie huffed, glaring at Daryl.
"Hey, it was your ball n' chain that tole' everyone to act 'normal,'" Daryl replied, pulling two pieces of bread out of the bag. He didn't spare Maggie a glance as he snatched up a bottle of water and moved back to sit by Beth.
"That's a good way to get yer'self killed," Beth smiled as she accepted the piece of bread Daryl gave her.
"What? That guy whadn't gonna' do nothin'," Daryl took a bite.
"I wasn't talkin' about the guy," Beth took a bite out of her own roll.
"Mmm," Daryl nodded, "I always been told it was the quiet ones you gotta' watch out for."
Beth gave him a knowing smile, "It's true ya' know."
"Oh I'm aware," Daryl gave a smirk as he drank from the bottled water.
He handed the bottle to her and Beth had a moment of déjà vu. Daryl must have read her mind because he rolled his eyes and shoved the remainder of his roll into his mouth.
"Gorss," Beth murmured, taking a sip, trying to ignore Daryl's terrible manners.
The steady knocking of wood being whittled away resumed before Beth had taken her second bite. It was obvious that everyone was ready to put distance between themselves and their confinement and Beth was tired of sitting around waiting.
Daryl stood and Beth followed him with her eyes, "I'm gonna' take over for Bob. Get this bitch done."
"'Kay," Beth stood and dusted off her jeans with her free hand, "I'm gonna' take watch. Do somethin' useful."
Daryl grunted, bending down to snatch up the water bottle, and walked to the other end of the box car. Beth watched him exchange a few stilted words with Bob, took the knife, and began hacking away at the wood around the last bolt. Beth popped the last bit of her roll into her mouth and approached Maggie.
"I'll take over," Beth toed Maggie's boot with her own, "You go get some rest. Won't be long an' we'll be outta' here."
"Alright," Maggie accepted, "Just holler if you need me. I'll just be right over there with Glenn."
Beth nodded and leaned against the wall so she could peek through the crack of the door. Nightfall had begun to set in and it wouldn't be long before watch wouldn't be necessary. They wouldn't be able to see anything in the darkness until it was too late. Beth glanced at Daryl. One of his muscular arms held his weight while the other used the knife to dig into rotted wood. He'd jar a few pieces free, pull back, and then repeat the process. He was working faster than Bob and Rick both had; the rhythm of the thumping was much more rigorous. They would be out of here soon.
"Soon," Beth breathed to herself.
She knew they'd be coming back though. There was no way they could leave these people to their fate and she'd be damned if she left without her crossbow. She finally had the new strings broken in. There was also the fact that these people needed to pay for what they were doing. At least the walker's were going on instinct, no longer 'human,' but Gareth...Gareth was pure evil. If she had any say, they would put an end to Terminus and their ploy.
If Beth had anything to do with it...Terminus would burn.
A/N: And there you have it! Chapter 2!
I HAVE EPIC NEWS! Chandler Riggs (Carl) and Scott Wilson (Hershel) will be at the Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas TX (about 3 hours from where I live)! o_o I am totally going! I'm super excited! I think they're both phenomenal actors and even though it's not Mr. Reedus, I'm super stoked!
Leave me a review and give me your thoughts! Love hearing feedback from my readers!