Disclaimer: A nod to the genius Robert Kirkman for creating this wonderfully dark, post-apocalyptic world. I do not own or have rights to any of the characters/plot of this series. I'm simply a fan indulging in my post-apocalyptic fantasies.
Thank you Nicole137137 for editing this series for me! Thank you for letting me bounce ideas off you and knocking sense into me when I was being too OCD!
Thank you to all my guest reviewers! I wish so badly I could reply to your reviews and let you know how much I appreciate you the way I do with my regular readers! You all are amazing!
Thank you to all my readers who have suggestion my fanfic to others or posted about my story on tumblr! I cannot express how grateful I am that you guys think so highly of my writing to suggest it for others to read!
A/N: I wanted to have this uploaded earlier, but we had trick or treating at the church! Still before the episode though!
This is the final chapter of book two. As I did with the last book, I will post an 'Author's Note' chapter as chapter 21 with the title of the third story once I upload the first chapter. I'm naming the third, and final book, For the Ones You Protect. For those of you who follow me as an author, you will get the announcement, but this is for those who are only following this story! I don't want you guys to miss out if you're interested in reading the third book! So, without further ado, please enjoy!
…
They were running. Her lungs burned and her sides ached. She had lost feeling in her legs long ago, struggling to put one foot in front of the other as she kept up with Daryl. Her throat felt as if sandpaper had scraped her raw from her yelling. She wouldn't be surprised if her voice left her completely by the time they were through.
"To your left," Beth screamed to Daryl, who narrowly avoided a walker as they barreled past.
They had decided that she and Daryl would take off westward, taking as many walkers with them however they could get their attention. Once the herd was going after them, Maggie and Glenn would do the same in an eastern direction. The idea was to confuse the walkers so that the herd didn't go in one specific direction. They needed to get them farther out, away from the train tracks so that should they continue south, they would bypass Terminus altogether.
Glenn hadn't been a fan of the idea, but they didn't have any other options. The herd, one of the largest they'd seen in some time, was heading straight down the tracks to the gates of their residence. Had they taken a vehicle, they could have attempted to plow through and redirect the herd back north, but they had unanimously decided to go on foot. The vehicles would better serve Rick and the group at Terminus if they needed to make a quick escape. There was a chance they would come back empty handed and they didn't want one of the vehicles they had taken to be the difference in a few more lives saved if an emergency actually occurred while they were away.
So it had been with a heavy heart that they had split up, agreeing to meet in front of the neighborhood she and Daryl had seen the first car. Maggie and Glenn would have a shorter trip, as they were running in the general direction of the neighborhood, while she and Daryl would have to loop back around once the walkers were taken far enough out.
One situation that hadn't been completely accounted for was the vast number of walkers not in the herd. They knew they would attract a few more walkers to join them, but the overwhelming numbers appearing from behind trees and standing from where they lay in the overgrown pastures was alarming. They were surrounded and it was all they could do to push through and keep running.
"There's too many of 'em," she heard Daryl yell somewhere beside her, "We gotta' cut north. They're out far 'nough now."
"They jus' keep comin'," Beth replied over the groaning of the undead.
Following the discolored patch of angel wings that adorned the back of Daryl's vest, Beth tried to control the sense of panic crawling up her insides and clawing at her throat. Clenching her teeth together to keep her fear locked away, she was forced to end a walker that had positioned itself between her and Daryl. Pulling the knife out of the walker's skull, she felt a tug on her hair and was nearly taken to the ground.
There was no keeping Daryl's name from tearing past her lips when she couldn't pull herself free. She turned back as much as she was able and tried to pry away the hand grasping her hair, but her fingers meshed into the rotting flesh. With her fingers slick in deteriorated flesh that began peeling away from the bone the more she tore, she was unable to detangle herself.
"Daryl!" She screamed for a second time, realizing how close the walker was to the back of her throat and that the rest of them were zeroing in on her.
A walker to her right was now within reach and she struggled to thrust her blade into its cranial region. Her first stab landed closer to the jugular and blood sprayed her face. Quickly adjusting herself as much as she could, she swung her blade and managed to land a blow upward through the nasal cavity. As soon as the second walker fell, she felt the tug on her hair tighten, ripping her backwards, and then she was free. Daryl began pushing her forward; helping her balance, and then they were running once more.
If they could just get a little distance between them and the herd. If they could just reach the tree line and escape how exposed they were in the field. If they could just keep going, the trees would provide the obstacles they needed to slow the walkers down and get away.
Her feet felt like lead. Her calves had cramped so hard they were like rocks. The air she breathed tasted like fire. Her arms were numb and she wasn't sure she was holding her knife or if she had dropped it while running. She was finding it harder and harder to keep those wings in focus. They had been running for miles and Beth was at her limit. She knew her back would be bruised from how hard her crossbow was bouncing against her muscles, but she had to keep going. The harder she tried to push herself, the slower she felt herself running.
"Almost there," she encouraged herself.
Clenching her teeth once more, making her jawbones ache to give her a more intense pain to focus on, even for a moment, Beth burst through the trees. Her body suddenly felt lighter. She began regaining feeling to her arms and gripped her knife tightly in her hand. Her feet propelled her forward and her crossbow felt like a protective blanket instead of a jabbing pain.
When they reached the road, Daryl collapsed onto the ground. They only had a few moments to catch their breath before they had to start moving again. They had gained several hundred yards on the walkers, but they didn't tire. The undead would continue chasing them long after their bodies gave out.
Collapsing beside him, Beth closed her eyes and laid her forehead against the cool asphalt. She just needed a few seconds of complete respite so her muscles could unclench. When the groaning was in earshot, she knew they needed to go.
"Come'on," Daryl tugged at her limp arm, "We ain't outta' tha' woods yet."
Beth managed a small smile at Daryl's play-on-words, but was too exhausted to form a witty comeback.
Pushing herself off the ground, she looked to Daryl, "I'm good."
Daryl looked her over before nodding.
They had managed to deter the walkers…this time. She just hoped Glenn and Maggie hadn't had as much trouble as they did.
…
It was later in the afternoon before they broached the edge of the community they had set-up as a meeting place. Beth had her crossbow drawn, ready to fire. Daryl mirrored her as they walked through the ditch.
Beside her Daryl let out a fluctuating whistle, much like that of a bird, and they both listened. When no reply came, Beth's stomach dropped. A million horrible scenarios raced through her head, all of which involved a vehicle with a cross on the back windshield. Daryl whistled louder and they both stood completely still, listening for the reply.
"You hear that?" Beth looked to Daryl.
"They're in tha' neighborhood somewhere," he answered quietly.
Beth didn't like walking so openly down the street, but without knowing where Glenn and Maggie were held up, they didn't have much choice. At every intersection, Daryl would whistle, and they would turn in the direction of the reply. Four intersections, two left turns, and a right turn through the housing district and Glenn came into sight.
"You guys look like hell," Glenn observed running toward them.
"We attracted more walkers than we bargained for," Beth admitted tiredly.
"We agreed t'meet at tha' front of the neighborhood," Daryl grumbled.
"You guys were takin' forever. We cleared a house for us to stay in tonight. We needed a decent lookout location if we're going to be staking out the neighborhood for a few days," Glenn said with an unsure smile.
"That was a good idea," Beth tried to reassure him.
Daryl glared at her and remarked directly to her, "We said tha' front."
Beth made a face, "Its fine Daryl. We found them didn't we?"
"We uh, felt too exposed waiting alongside the road. After an hour or two we decided to do a quick check around the neighborhood," Glenn began cautiously, his eyes darting suspiciously between the two of them, "Found this place. The second story has a room with a clear view of the road you guys saw the truck drive in from. We have a good view of the entire block from another room upstairs too. Best vantage point we could find."
"We'll need it," Daryl gave Glenn an approving look, "Maggie inside?"
Glenn nodded his head, but made no move to follow Daryl.
Beth watched the wings on his back as he walked up to the house. It was strange how the back of his vest, with how stained and tattered it was, acted as a 'light at the end of the tunnel' for her. Whatever happened, wherever they were, she knew that as long as she had those wings in sight, they would make it to see the next day.
"Should we make sure they don't kill each other?" Glenn half-joked.
Beth smiled, "Daryl can take care of himself."
Glenn gave her a smile that said he shared her thoughts. Knowing Maggie, it was Daryl's safety they were more concerned about. Beth knew they wouldn't come to physical blows, but there would definitely be some words said and feathers ruffled.
"You guys okay?" Glenn asked softly.
Beth looked over to see Glenn already staring back at her, "Yeah. Jus' tired."
"Are you going to be okay?" Glenn inquired in the same tone.
She glanced around the neighborhood. The sun was beginning to set and the temperatures had already begun to drop. The ominous feeling that had crawled up her spine was missing. It was just quiet, almost peaceful, and Beth couldn't help but feel it was some sort of calm before the storm.
"I will be," Beth replied vaguely.
After deciding that standing in the middle of the road wasn't the best place to be, they moved to sit on the porch. Beth could hear the muffled voices inside, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying.
When things finally quieted down, Beth heard the screen door protest when it was opened, and turned to see Daryl standing in the doorway.
"Maggie went upstairs," he said to Glenn, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.
"Thanks. You gonna' be okay staying out here?" Glenn questioned as he stood and dusted off his jeans, "It's getting dark. You can smoke in the house. It won't bother us."
"Gives Beth a headache," Daryl mumbled while lighting the cigarette held between his lips.
Beth smiled and nodded when Glenn looked down at her with a confused expression. She knew he didn't doubt what Daryl had said, but more questioning how he knew. They hadn't been with her and Daryl for however long it had been after the prison fell. They hadn't seen them interacting much together except for when it had come to slaying zombies or killing Termites. They had no way of knowing just how well she and Daryl had gotten to know each other.
"Oh, okay," Glenn scratched the back of his head, "Well…we'll be inside. Holler if you need us."
"Yeah," Daryl smirked, "Like you'd be able to hear us."
Glenn laughed awkwardly in response and Daryl's eyes seemed to have unconsciously made their way to hers. Beth didn't blush too often, but knowing exactly what he was suggesting made her cheeks feel warmth. Daryl cleared his throat and quickly turned his gaze toward the neighborhood.
"Well…I'll just, umm, yeah," Glenn fled into the safety of the house.
Beth laughed out loud. It was a genuine laugh. One she hadn't experienced in some time. The elation trickled through her whole body and made her feel lighter. She sat on the porch smiling until Daryl finished.
"We should head in," he said while still looking out over the neighborhood.
Beth sighed contently, "Kinda' feels like after the prison, don't it?"
She heard footsteps beside her as Daryl walked up the porch.
"A bit," he replied, standing at the door, waiting for her.
Pushing herself to her feet, she followed Daryl into the house and helped him barricade the door. Maggie and Glenn were in the kitchen, sorting through supplies, and Beth gave her a smile as she and Daryl stood across the island from them.
"I lit some candles in yer' room already," Maggie gave a small smile while glancing between the two of them.
"Thanks," Beth turned to Daryl, "Where are you sleepin'?"
His eyes cut to the living room, but Maggie answered before he could reply.
"We took the guest room. The master bedroom…you can't sleep on tha' bed," Maggie looked wearily toward the shut door off the rear of the living room, "The room across from ours has a full size bed."
"Oh," Beth peeked up at Daryl.
"I can take tha' couch," Daryl suggested looking down at Beth.
The note in his voice expressed how unsure she felt. The thought of sleeping next to Daryl didn't bother her. They'd done it a million times, but the fact that Maggie was so casual about them being in the same room together threw Beth off kilter. She knew Maggie had no issue with whatever it was she and Daryl had, but she didn't think her sister would be so nonchalant about Beth sharing a bed with him. Catching how the last phrase sounded in her head, Beth wasn't sure what expression her face held.
"We're all adults here. No reason to sleep on an uncomfortable couch when there's a bed upstairs," Maggie commented, not looking up from putting their supplies back in the bag.
There was a cheesy grin on Glenn's face and Beth didn't have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking.
"You two go'on," Maggie stopped and stared each of them straight in the eyes, sliding a few cans of food across the island, "We'll finish up here. You need yer' rest more than us. We'll take first watch."
Neither Beth nor Daryl had managed to form a coherent sentence after Maggie's declaration. It was odd, feeling like they were children being dismissed when her sister had just proclaimed them all to be consensual adults, all but ordering Daryl that he would be sleeping in the same room as Beth.
Giving Maggie a quick hug goodnight, Beth grabbed the canned goods and made her way upstairs with Daryl on her heels. When the door shut and she had set their food down, Beth spun around and faced Daryl.
"What tha' hell did you two talk about while we were outside?" Beth whispered hoarsely.
"We shared a few words. I told her the next time she's s'pose to tell you somethin' she'd better damn well do it or I will," Daryl sounded affronted.
"And that's it?" Beth tilted her head, expecting to hear more.
"I told her t'stop babyin' you," Daryl rubbed the back of his neck.
Beth's eyes narrowed, "Uh huh...what else?"
"Why're you askin' me?" Daryl groused and glared at her, "You two'll get together and do that…thing that girls do and she'll tell ya' the entire conversation," he finished using his hands to gesture as he spoke.
Beth placed her hands on her hip, "I'm askin' you because…"
Beth suddenly wasn't sure why she wanted to hear it from him more so than Maggie. She knew she could go downstairs right now and Maggie would tell her everything Daryl had said, but it wasn't Maggie's version she wanted.
"Because I want to hear it from you," Beth's tone dropped from incredulous to gentle.
Daryl's glare remained, but it took on a more pensive edge. She could see him working the inside of his bottom lip between his teeth. It had been a long time since Beth had seen Daryl appear as a wild animal backed into a corner, but that was the only way she could describe him in this moment.
"Why does what I say matter so much?" he grit out between clenched teeth.
Beth knew she was treading in uncharted territory. Daryl had always kept his walls reinforced, much as she had, but between the two of them, their walls had long since begun crumbling. She knew she had to choose her words carefully. She couldn't take too long to answer. Couldn't appear to be thinking about how she was going to answer. He wanted her to be honest…and so she would.
"Because you matter. Your opinion matters. What you have to say matters to me," she replied.
"Why?" He buffered her admittance with another question.
"Why does it matter to you why you matter to me?" She countered.
They were at a stalemate. She could easily have told him that she wasn't sure exactly how far her feelings went, but that she definitely felt something for him beyond mere friendship. She couldn't even compare her feelings for him to what she had thought she'd felt for Jimmy or Zach. Jimmy had been her first real crush. Zach had been an interesting distraction from how ruthless their world had become. Daryl was something else altogether.
She didn't expect him to answer. She expected awkward silence while they ate and even for a while afterwards. Then she would start talking about a completely irrelevant subject and they would come back to this conversation whenever Daryl decided he wanted to have the discussion. So when he answered her, she couldn't stop the butterflies that flitted so freely in her stomach or her heart beating irregularly in her chest.
"'Cause you're important," he muttered staring down at the floor, leaving off the unspoken 'to me.'
She couldn't see his expression hidden behind his shaggy hair, but she knew he was looking at her. She could feel him gauging her reaction. Even now, she felt as if he was expecting some sort of rejection.
Smiling, she moved to stand in front of him and gently placed her hands against his face, forcing him to look at her. Standing on her toes, she pressed her lips to his. The 'thud' of his crossbow hitting the ground should have been her first warning. When he pushed the strap of her weapon off her shoulder and tossed it without looking should have definitely been her second warning. The final warning that got her attention was the feel of his hands slipping under the hem of her shirt to pull her tightly against him. By then it was too late. She was far too invested in the pressure of his lips and the rough, calloused fingers against her skin.
Reaching up she pushed his jacket, along with his vest, off of his shoulders and he let her go long enough for them to slide down his arms as they landed in a heap around his feet. Her jacket was shrugged off next, her shirt following somewhere afterwards, and then she began unfastening the buttons of his shirt. She fumbled with the fastenings, realizing her hands were shaking, and mentally congratulated herself when she was finally able to get one undone. The rest followed quickly and she helped him remove his first true article of clothing.
Things suddenly became very real. She wasn't scared, per say, because she trusted Daryl, but that didn't make her any less nervous. She had gotten a little handsy with Jimmy, but nothing of this nature. Her shirt falling to the floor marked the farthest she had ever been with a man. The thought was soon forgotten when her lips found his once more and she could feel so much more of him as her bare skin pressed flush against his.
She couldn't see much of him in the dim lighting, but her hands traveled over his chest and torso, creating a map of which she didn't need her eyes to see. She could feel his touch, feather-light in some places, and certain in others. However, neither made a move to divest any more of their clothing.
Beth thought perhaps he was making sure she didn't feel pressured. That she had a choice to stop what was happening or continue. She had no experience past what they were doing, but she didn't want him to think she was scared. Pressing her lips firmly against his, she pulled back, sliding her hands down his chest and abdomen to the belt holding up his pants. When he froze she looked up at him.
"I don't really know what t'do from here," she bit her bottom lip nervously and tried to keep her voice from quivering, "but I'm…I'm not scared."
She could see the muscles of his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes darted between hers so fast that Beth furrowed her brows at his expression. When he didn't reply, Beth felt her hands tighten on the strap of his belt to keep them from shaking harder.
Not brave enough to stare at his face any longer, Beth looked down at her hands, "Will you…can you tell me what to do? I mean…I know what happens…theoretically. I've jus' never…"
The silence in the room became thick. As the minutes dragged on without a word from Daryl, she found it hard to breathe standing so close to him. In some sort of twisted sense of irony, Beth found herself feeling the cold, emptiness of rejection.
Stepping back and scooping her shirt up off the ground, she quickly covered herself. She had hoped that Daryl would stop her, like she'd read in her silly romance novels or seen on those cliché soap operas her mother used to watch, but instead he stood where she had left him staring down at the floor.
Stepping around him, she picked up her crossbow, snatched her dinner off the table, and left the room. Knowing she wouldn't get any sleep and finding it easier to breath with Daryl being shut behind the door she'd just closed; Beth walked downstairs and told Maggie and Glenn to get some rest. They had protested, but she had been adamant in taking over. There was no point in them losing sleep when she had no hope of shutting her mind off to relax. She'd only find herself in a fitful slumber for a few hours at best in her current mood.
She waited until she felt Maggie and Glenn were either asleep or too preoccupied to come down and check on her to let herself shed a few silent tears.
…
It had been hours, judging by how much candle wax had melted, since she'd come downstairs. After the initial burn of Daryl's lack of response had worn off, she had sat and ate, never tasting the canned beans, in angry silence for a while. When her anger began making her fidget, she paced the room replaying the entire incident and wondering where she had went wrong, before finally giving up and sitting down to clean her crossbow.
Hearing footsteps from the stairway, she had first assumed it to be Glenn or Maggie coming down to relieve her, but out of the corner of her eye she recognized the worn flannel shirt. He stood at the end of the couch she was sitting on, silently watching her, and she refused to acknowledge him.
He shifted, obviously as uncomfortable as she was, but said nothing. They remained that way for a while before he finally cleared his throat.
"I dunno' what t'do either," his voice rough and she could tell he was on edge.
"About what?" She snapped, refusing to assume he was referring to her statement earlier.
"I dunno' what t'do…I've never…" His sentences were forced and choppy.
Sighing in exasperation, Beth looked up from her cleaning to glare at him.
"You've never what?"
The expression on his face was one she had only seen a few times. Once at the funeral home, another time when he'd helped her breath on the roof, and the night he'd complimented her long hair. His eyes were intense and she could see the vulnerability he was affording her.
Her anger and frustration melted away as she comprehended what he was saying.
"You've never…with anyone?" She tried to school her face and keep from conveying her shock outwardly, but this definitely was not the explanation she had been expecting.
Daryl solemnly shook his head.
"But I thought…well I mean…" Beth fumbled, unsure what to do with the information.
Beth felt a tinge of guilt on the stereotype she had projected on to him. She had seen him as the type to of had a few…several…a lot of drunken one night stands. He was handsome, even if he hadn't been the nicest guy before,so she had thought that he would have had at least one meaningful relationship with someone. The idea that he had never been close enough to anyone to have physical intimacy explained his reaction to her earlier. It explained a lot of things actually, now that she was aware.
"What's kept you from…" Beth let her sentence fade.
He stared at her for several moments before stepping around and plopping down on the couch beside her. He spread his arms out across the top of the cushions and stared at the flame of the candle on the table in front of them.
"While back Merle had just gotten' outta' prison. Was his first time in. He got busted for sellin' prescription meds. I think I was eighteen or nineteen at tha' time. We's all each other had so when one'ah the pricks from his gang found me an' told me he was gettin' out, I went an' picked him up. Quit the job I had at tha' motorcycle shop and started runnin' with Merle," Daryl began with a far off look in his eyes.
Beth put her crossbow beside her and leaned back on the couch, folding her knees up to her chest. She could feel Daryl's arm resting against the back of her neck as she listened intently.
"I made tha' mistake of tellin' tha' fucker about my personal life. Few nights later we're at 'ah bar outside of Atlanta. Piece of shit hole 'n the wall. 'Fore I know it we're all drunk as hell and Merle announces to tha' whole group about my lack of 'ah sex life. Say's he's gonna' help me with my 'situation.' Shoves me in tha' back room with a hooker and tells me to have at her," the look on his face would've had her thinking he was amused if not for the tone of his voice.
She didn't know Merle very well. She'd heard about him from others and none of the stories had been flattering. When she met him at the prison, she had been less than impressed. Daryl was nothing like Merle. Still, she could almost hear Merle's voice in her head yelling in front of a group of drunken thugs and women soliciting themselves.
"Listen here baby brother. Ole' Merle's gonna' help you get some. Pop that cherry 'ah yers."
She could imagine the cheers and jeers that followed. It would have been utterly humiliating. Her heart ached for him, that he had to grow up without a mother even when she was still a presence on earth, a father would who took out his troubles on his children, and a selfish brother who viewed Daryl more as property than family.
"There was never anyone?" She asked tentatively.
"Nah. I didn't get out much when I lived with my dad. We moved around too much when I was with Merle. 'M not exactly good with people. Never had anyone close an' the women Merle had 'ah taste for weren't tha' same as mine," Daryl explained.
Beth reached up and grabbed his hand, wrapping it around her as she laced her fingers through his, silently supporting him. Her only indication that he appreciated her gesture was the tight squeeze of his larger hand around hers.
"Merle an' I went our separate ways after tha' bar. Did my own thing for 'ah while, he went back t'prison a couple'ah times, but somehow he always managed t'rope me back in when he got out. He'd say he was clean, then start tha' same shit over again in a new town," the frustration evident in his voice.
She couldn't imagine moving around from town to town, hoping each new place would be the fresh start he had been desperately seeking. It saddened her that he could only find his clean slate when the world they had known shattered.
"I never told him nothin' about my personal life an' let him assume whatever he wanted. He sent more woman my way, but jus' never," Daryl ran his hand down his facial hair a few times in thought, "Never felt right, I guess."
Beth digested the information, wanting to ask more, but not wanting to push him on such a touchy subject. Instead she decided to do what she did best and try to lighten the mood.
"So I guess this is gonna' be the blind leading the blind, huh?" She teased with a smile.
Daryl smirked and finally looked at her, "Seems that'ah way."
Beth let her temple rest against her arm as she leaned into him, "Thank you for tellin' me."
"Felt it needed t'be said. After earlier," he reached up and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.
After their marathon with the walkers and flurry of emotions she'd been through, she found herself beyond exhausted.
"Let's get t'bed," the smirk still playing on his lips, "Maggie and Glenn can take over for 'ah while."
Beth agreed and allowed herself to be led back to the room she had stormed out of hours earlier. Collapsing on the bed, she heard Daryl knocking on the bedroom door to of the guest room, and she let her eyes slide shut.
The night hadn't ended as she expected from where things had begun when they first entered the room. She did feel as though they have reached a milestone that would never have been attainable regardless of the amount of physical intimacy.
When Daryl climbed into bed, she automatically scooted closer. Before slumber claimed her, she recognized the sudden weight over her side to be Daryl's arm, and as she drifted off to sleep a smile played on her lips.
…
The following day they stayed indoors for the most part. Beth, Maggie, and Glenn conversed most of the morning. Daryl had insisted on taking first watch of the road in the office upstairs. Beth hadn't offered to keep him company. She could read his body language and knew he needed some time alone.
"He's different," Maggie had announced while they sat on the couch in the living room.
"Who? Daryl?" Beth looked up from the dusty book she'd found in the room she shared with Daryl.
"Yeah," Maggie replied.
"I suppose so," Beth shrugged her shoulders and went back to reading.
"I've noticed it too," Glenn added.
"It's like he's…more approachable," Maggie tapped her finger against her chin as she contemplated her explanation.
"Kinda'. Yeah," Glenn agreed, "He doesn't seem as angry at the world."
A smile played on Beth's lips as she remembered the taste of moonshine and the smell of smoke as the two mingled to create a blaze that burned all that symbolized their pasts.
"You know somethin'," Maggie raised her eyebrow as she watched Beth out of the corner of her eye.
"I know uh' lotta' things," Beth's smile disappeared as she buried her nose in her book.
"Well, whatever it is," Maggie sighed, "You obviously had somethin' t'do with it."
Beth flipped the page, not reading any of the words as her eyes skimmed over the crisp paper.
"It's definitely a change for the better. Carrying around baggage like Daryl has…it's a wonder he's made it as far as he has without totally losing it," Glenn murmured, looking toward the staircase.
"He's a Dixon," Beth replied as if the name alone answered everything.
Beth had no intention of telling them anything, regardless of the angles at which they tried to manipulate the information from her. What had happened that night, at the moonshiner's cabin, and everything thereafter was between her and Daryl. The incident itself was of no consequence, as the owner had long since vacated, but Daryl was a very guarded person. If he wanted them to know his business, he would tell them. Her silence on the subject of Daryl's inner demons must have been obvious because her sister and brother-in-law soon gave up trying to pry anything from her.
"Well," Glenn exhaled; standing and softly clapping his hands together, "Good talk. I'm gonna' go check on Daryl."
"I'll figure us somethin' out for lunch," Maggie said, following Glenn out of the room.
Beth smiled to herself and closed the book, intent on more thoroughly exploring the house. Glenn and Maggie had checked all the rooms before they had gotten there but Beth had a curious streak in her. Setting her book on the table, Beth stood and stretched her arms high over her head, catching sight of the door that had been closed since before they arrived out of the corner of her eye.
She knew what to expect when she opened the door to the master bedroom. The underlying smell of death still lingered in the room as Beth covered her mouth and nose with the bottom of her flannel shirt. The owners of the house had checked out early if their remains were any indication.
To Beth's relief, there weren't any children in the room. There was, however, a guitar case in the corner of the room with a note attached. Beth walked over to the case and hesitated when reaching for the yellowed paper. She glanced back at the partially skeletal bodies and clenched her outstretched hand into a fist. Making up her mind, Beth snatched up the note and flipped it open to read it.
'To whoever has survived long enough to find this note…'
Beth breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling less guilty about reading their final wishes, Beth skimmed over the note. Their daughter had been in college in Atlanta. After a year of holding up in their home, with their daughter never showing up, they had decided they would go to her.
Beth bit her lip, remembering a conversation with Carl about what happened to a person if they became a walker. Did they go to heaven? They obviously weren't the same as when they were alive after they reanimated and if the body was only a vessel, then their soul should have moved on after their death. Beth had to believe that…for her father's sake.
"What'd you find?" Daryl asked from the doorway.
"There's a guitar inside," Beth said over her shoulder, "they said whoever found it could have it."
Daryl snickered, "Not like they got much choice in tha' matter."
"I feel less guilty knowin' they were givin' it away," Beth turned to look at him.
Daryl nodded, understanding Beth's sentiment.
Grabbing the guitar case, Beth brushed past him and took it back into the living room and set it in the corner, intent on fiddling with it later.
"Maggie should have lunch sorted," Beth glanced from the kitchen to find Maggie opening a few canned goods they had found in the cupboards.
"Can you play it?" Daryl asked, gesturing toward the guitar.
Beth shook her head while her fingers grazed over the outer shell of the case, "No, not really. Otis had showed be me a few notes, but he would play the guitar while I played the piano. We'd all sing and have such a good time."
She stared at the guitar case, remembering all of the times they'd spent in the living room of their farm house with not a care in the world. She could see everyone's smiling faces, alive and happy. She could hear her mother in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She was taken back to a much simpler time in her life from before.
"You should try an' play it sometime," Daryl said softly.
She blinked and the warmth from her memories vanished, leaving her in the cold, stuffy house that was not her own. Looking up she found he had moved near her with an expression of concern on his face.
"Maybe I will," she said with a lilt to her lips.
Maggie cleared her throat and announced that lunch was ready; breaking the moment, but Beth couldn't help but feel the lingering remnants of their nights in the farm house and just how much she missed her simple life. However, the apocalypse had brought her to Daryl. Had their group not stormed into their lives, they wouldn't have survived the herd that attacked the farm. If it hadn't been for Daryl, she wouldn't have survived on her own all winter. As long as she was alive, she could carry on the memories of those 'simpler times.' That was her silver lining.
…
It had been several days since Beth found the guitar and they had seen no movement outside of the occasion walker. The feeling of being watched would rise every so often, but for the most part, it had been quiet. Daryl and Glenn had scoured the entire neighborhood for anything that could be of use to them. Glenn had found a car that only needed a jump to get running. Beth had helped them push it in front of the house they had commandeered. The next day she and Maggie had come back with a portable jump starter they'd found in the garage of a house across the neighborhood. Syphoning the gas from the surrounding vehicles, storing the jump starter in the trunk, the car would have a full tank and be ready to go the moment they saw a vehicle with a white cross drive through.
Going on the sixth day with no new leads, they discussed over their meager breakfast whether they should give it one more day or head back to Terminus. They had all left the decision up to Beth. She knew someone was bound to come through eventually, but she had no way of knowing if it would be that night or a week from now. She had decided one more night couldn't hurt and they all decided it would be best to leave at first light.
Sitting on the porch, the sun getting close to setting, Beth watched Daryl tinker with the engine under the hood of the black Honda they'd found.
"Did you enjoy workin' on motorcycles?" Beth asked, referring to their conversation the other night.
They'd made a habit of sharing a few things about themselves from before, Daryl far less revealing than Beth, but she was happy with anything he felt like disclosing.
"It was alright. Paid tha' bills," he said while wiping his hands on his red rag.
"You sure sounded pretty excited when we found that Scrambler," Beth acted more interested in her short, chipped nails than the man staring at her.
She heard him softly chuckle, "Yeah, I enjoyed it."
"You should open a shop someday," Beth's statement was genuine regardless of how naïve she knew it sounded.
"Maybe I will," Daryl repeated her words from the other night in the same, easy tone.
Beth felt a tingle climb up her back as the hairs on her neck rose. She jumped to feet, scraping the porch with her crossbow, and immediately nocked a bolt. Daryl was already moving to the trunk and grabbing the portable jump starter. Beth set her crossbow down beside the car and ran around to the driver side. When Daryl had both cables hooked up to the battery, she turned the key and the car roared to life. He then removed the cables, dropped the hood, and tossed the now dead charger in the yard. It was only a few seconds later that Maggie and Glenn came running out of the house.
"You guys hear that?" Glenn asked slightly out of breath.
"Grab yer' shit and get in tha' car," Daryl hollered, running around the back of the car and busting out the tail lights.
Beth scrambled over the console, rearranging herself in the front, passenger side. Reaching for her weapon, she placed the front of her crossbow, still nocked, on the dash ready to shoot through the windshield if necessary.
"We couldn't grab everythin'. We'll have t'come back by on our way to Terminus," Maggie announced as she and Glenn climbed into the back seat.
Daryl handed Glenn his crossbow and rushed into the driver's seat. The car had flown past them from the direction of the rail road track intersection toward where Beth and Daryl had seen the truck. They could only assume that the group's camp was in the direction they were driving and Daryl wasted no time catching up to the vehicle they had heard approach from the distance.
"Either of you see it?" Daryl asked, looking for taillights.
"No. We ran outside as soon as we heard it, but didn't see where it went. It was already gone by the time I got upstairs," Glenn said from the backseat.
"This could jus' be a wild goose chase," Daryl grumbled.
"It's not," Beth interjected, "It can't be coincidence that this is the third vehicle we've encountered here. That car is goin' to take us to wherever they've set up camp."
The conviction in Beth's voice left no room or argument. They rode in silence, focusing on taillights that illuminated their way in the setting sun.
…
Beth memorized every road sign they passed. The time on the radio was wrong, but from when they had started, they had been driving close to three hours. Having to stay far enough back to be out of sight, they had lost sight of the car several times, but through a few lucky guesses and tracking they had managed to stay on the trail.
"How're we on gas?" Maggie asked, breaking the tense silence.
"Half 'ah tank," Daryl spoke over his shoulder.
"Too much farther and we'll run out of gas before we can get back," Glenn pointed out.
"It'll get us close 'nough. We're used t'walkin' anyhow," Daryl affirmed.
"I remember hearing about this group of Native Americans who could run like two hundred miles in one go," Glenn said jokingly, "So, you know, fifty or so miles won't kill us…walkers might though. So we'll have to make sure and avoid the herds."
"I'd prefer not having to walk too far if we could avoid it," Maggie replied not sounding impressed with Glenn's optimism.
"What're the odds of the alternator charging the battery enough for the car to start again? We're going to have to shut if off when we get…wherever it is that we're goin'," Glenn mentioned as an afterthought.
"Guess we'll find out," Daryl countered grimly.
"They're stopping," Beth interrupted.
Daryl immediately pulled the car off the road and killed the engine. Beth got out of the vehicle, careful not to shut the door too hard, and moved to the front of the car.
"You have any idea where we're at?" Beth asked Daryl who stood beside her.
"Close t'Atlanta. I saw a sign for Sandy Springs," he pointed down the road behind them.
"So what's the plan?" Glenn inquired, handing Daryl his crossbow.
"You two head through the woods," Daryl pointed toward the tree line on the side of the road closer to their car, "Me an' Beth will go around and see what we can find that'ah ways."
"Alright. We'll meet back at the car in a half hour or so," Maggie suggested.
"Sounds good," Beth replied as Daryl nodded.
As they began moving, Beth grasped Maggie's hand, stopping her sister and Glenn, "You guys be careful."
"Same for you guys," Glenn replied.
Maggie squeezed her hand twice and Beth returned the gesture with a small smile.
'I love you too.'
Then they were running. The urgency she felt was the same as when they had been running from the walker's, and yet there was no immediate danger in sight. The lack of people had Beth's senses on high alert as they trekked through the woods.
"What is this place?" Beth whispered.
"Looks like an old evac site," Daryl motioned to the army green tents and barbed wire fences.
Beth gave him a look that said she required an explanation.
"'Fore I was with Rick and tha' group, I'd went t'Firesign Stadium. Was 'ah big evacuation site in Atlanta, before walkers got in. Merle stopped me from leavin'. Said a guy was bit on the copter I was supposed t'get on. Me an' him got out. Ended up comin' across Shane and them outside Atlanta," Daryl elaborated while scanning the area below.
Beth said a silent thank you to Merle for saving his brother and joined Daryl in scanning the camp below them.
Without a watch, Beth didn't know how long they had been lurking in the trees. So far all they had seen was a person exit a building, wearing black and carrying a gun. She couldn't be certain of any details because it was a brief glimpse from the light the doorway provided, but they had electricity. That in and of itself was no small feat.
"Maybe they're taking in survivors," Beth adjusted her legs to keep from cramping in her squatted position.
"You see anyone out there lookin' like they're havin' a good time?" Daryl questioned her.
"Think it's another Terminus?" Beth barely whispered.
She would never forget the hanging torsos of what had once been people with flesh covering the exposed muscles as they cleared out everything Gareth and his group had established.
"Can't be much worse," Daryl scoffed.
"You would hope not at least," Beth managed weakly.
"Whoever they are, they're kidnappin' people, bringin' them here, and they got guns," Daryl construed.
"Maybe Maggie and Glenn saw where the car went from their side?" Beth proposed, glancing back in the direction they had come.
"Lead on," Daryl directed as he turned to follow behind her.
They made quick work to get back to the car. Daryl let out a quiet whistle signaling to Maggie and Glenn. There was a rustle in the woods, causing both Daryl and Beth to raise their crossbows, lowering them once they saw their two companions come out of hiding.
"You guys see anythin'?" Maggie asked, standing by the car.
"A guy came out with a gun. They've got electricity. That's about it," Beth sighed, "You guys have better luck?"
Glenn and Maggie exchanged a look and Beth's stomach dropped.
"We saw the car we followed," Glenn began, "They took someone out of the trunk and dragged them inside. They didn't look conscious."
"Whoever they are, they aren't good news," Maggie added.
Beth turned to Daryl to see him already staring at her.
"Come'on," he motioned toward the car, "Let's get out of here."
Beth moved to the passenger side and got in the car. Her heart was racing as she replayed the night she was taken, realizing this is where she would have ended up.
"We'll drop by the house, grab our shit, and head straight back t'Terminus. We need to let Rick and everyone else know what's goin' on," Daryl's gruff voice cut through the tense silence.
No one said a word the entire drive back to the neighborhood, leaving Beth to dwell in her thoughts of what could have been. If these people were bad…they would handle them, like they always did. She just hoped they would be back to find Terminus still in one piece.
…
The full moon was high over their heads when they reached the neighborhood they had left hours before. It was eerily quiet and the light that blanketed the ground made the house appear otherworldly. Beth immediately felt like something wasn't right. Glenn and Maggie rushed into the house to get their items while Beth took a moment to check their surroundings.
"What is it?" Daryl asked a few steps away from her, closer to the house.
"I dunno'. Something just feels…off," Beth gripped her crossbow tightly, eyes scanning the neighborhood.
She didn't really sense that anyone was watching her, and she was aware that her nerves were a bit jumpy from what Maggie and Glenn had seen at the evac site, but there was just an uncomfortable feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"You feel anythin'?" She turned to Daryl.
"It's quiet," he commented and Beth noticed his finger was on the trigger of his crossbow.
"Maybe we're jus'-"
Her sentence was interrupted by Maggie walking out of the front door with her hands up and Glenn following behind her in the same pose. At the sight of a third person, Beth's blood ran cold and she found herself having trouble taking another breath.
"Now, now. Let's not do nothin' that would cause me t'pull the trigger and blow Mr. Chinaman's brain t'bits," a man Beth recognized all too well was holding a gun to Glenn's head as he trailed behind them.
"Either 'ah you hurt?" Daryl growled, lowering his crossbow from the man behind Glenn.
"No. He came up behind us. We didn't even know anyone was in there," Maggie said apologetically moving to stand beside Daryl.
"I want all 'ah ya' to throw your weapons out on tha' ground," the stranger ordered, "Now!"
Beth stood frozen in place barely hearing the sound of Daryl's crossbow hitting the ground.
"You get over there with them. No sudden moves," he shoved Glenn toward Maggie and Daryl.
"What d'you want," Daryl hissed angrily.
"Yer' still stubborn I see," their visitor directed to Beth, "Get yer' ass up here and drop yer' weapon or I start shootin'."
Beth's eyes narrowed at as shock made way to vehement anger.
"This one got me into lots of trouble," the man gleamed as his eyes raked over her body.
Daryl quickly put two and two together and turned hostile.
"Ah, so you've told 'em about me, haven't ya'," the way he rubbed his unblemished throat and smug smile made Beth's stomach churn.
He looked to be in his fifties, maybe older, with the same bald head and beady eyes she remembered. She could see more distinct features than she could before while she was busy fighting for her life. He was thin, starved looking, and a little shorter than Daryl. His cocky grin held a few missing teeth and Beth felt herself beginning to see red just as much as she did in their last encounter.
With her aggression reaching its peak, she began frantically coming up with a plan to get everyone out of there when felt herself being tugged backwards; a set of wings filling her vision.
"If you knew what was good for ya', you'd keep them eyes on me," Daryl snarled.
"Ah, I remember you now," the man tapped his gun to his chin, "Yer' the one I took her from."
"I'm gonna' tear you t'fuckin' pieces," Beth could feel the anger rolling off of Daryl.
"And what's some backwoods, redneck gonna' do? Huh? You ain't even got yer' crossbow. I'd have you all dead 'fore you could even get to it. You too stupid to realize that the one holdin' the gun calls the shots?" The man snarled while waving around the revolver in his hand.
Beside Daryl, Glenn was tugging at the front of his shirt, and at first, Beth had thought it was out of nervous habit. After several more tugs, she paid closer attention, barely making out the impression of a gun underneath the material.
She could hear Daryl throwing insults back and forth with the man and she used the verbal distraction and Daryl's body acting as a shield to lift the gun from the hem of Glenn's pants.
"What do you want with us?" Glenn yelled once Beth had the gun in her hand.
She recognized the gun to be Tara's. The irony that in her most desperate situation, it would be Tara that was there to help her was fitting. Tara had saved Maggie. Now she was saving Beth and her most precious people.
As quietly as she could, she pulled the slide over the barrel of the gun back, loading a bullet in the chamber. She couldn't risk making more noise to see how many bullets were in the clip, but if all she had was one shot, she knew she had to make it count.
"I don't want nothin' with you three," the gunman sniggered, "It's the youngin' I'm takin'. Only one that's ever gotten away."
Beth's eyes flitted from Maggie, to Glenn, to Daryl, trying desperately to think of a way to get them out of the line of fire.
"You're not takin' my sister anywhere," Maggie yelled.
"Oh yes ma'am. She's comin' with me. I shoulda' taken her straight t'camp last time," Beth could imagine his expression from the sound of his voice, "But she's such a tasty lil' morsel."
"You sick bastard," Glenn moved closer to Daryl, closing any sliver of space between them and completely blocking Beth from sight.
"You've been followin' us, haven't ya'," Daryl's announcement wasn't a question.
"Why yes. Yes I have. See when you two passed me on that motorcycle," he began pacing leisurely in front of them, "I was able t'figure out you were holdin' up in that old railway station. Had I been able to get her through tha' walkers, I woulda' snatched her up the other night. Woulda' saved me a hell of'ah lot of trouble."
Beth's knuckles turned white around the grip of the gun.
"I plan on pickin' right up where we left off, then takin' her to Officer Lerner," he continued, stepping down from the porch to stand a few feet away in front of them.
"You'll take her over my dead body," Daryl shifted forward ever so slightly.
The man lifted the gun directly to Daryl's head from where he stood, cocking the hammer back, and smiled, "Why that's precisely tha' plan."
Beth could feel the atmosphere around them changing. This man was going to kill them just to get to her. Every plan she thought of risked the chance that the man would kill or injure one of them. If she told them to duck down, there was a chance that they wouldn't move fast enough for her to get a shot off before he could. If she just stepped out from beside Daryl, the scenario was the same. Panic gave way to clarity as a third option came to mind.
"Any last words 'fore I take her off yer' hands?" The stranger directed toward Daryl.
Staring down at the gun in her palm, Beth said a silent prayer, and stepped up on her toes to press a kiss against the back of Daryl's neck, interrupting him before he could reply with his 'final words.' She then put her hand slightly behind her back and stepped out from around Daryl.
"Beth!" Maggie hollered.
"What tha' hell are you doin'?" she heard an odd tone in Daryl's voice.
She stopped a few paces away from the man, his gun now pointed at her instead of Daryl.
"Finally decided t'come out an' play?" The man's grin sickened Beth.
She stood silently, gripping the gun tightly.
"What? Don't got nothin' t'say for yer'self?" His full attention on her as she stood away from the group.
"Yeah," her lips twisted into a smirk that could have rivaled Daryl's, "Burn in hell."
Twin shots echoed through the air as Beth watched the grizzly way the man's head exploded; blood, bones, and other substances splattering the porch and the ground at her feet. She heard voices screaming, but the words were incoherent from the gunshot making her ears ring.
She suddenly felt very tired, with the adrenaline leaving her body, but it was the most peaceful feeling she'd experienced in a while. Her loved ones were safe, for the moment, and she had found the ghost that had haunted her dreams.
She had finally been able to slay her demon.
She had finally been able to keep her promise to Daryl.
I told you I've got your back.
A/N: Apologies in advance for the long ending note here!
**SOOOO...there you have it! Longest chapter to date and BY FAR my most favorite! This is the end of book two! Please do not freak out! Book three will pick right up where two has left off. The ending was left ambiguous for a reason. It gives me the option of playing off of what we see in season five if I so choose. I'd love to hear your theories on what happened to Beth! : )
**I will be taking a break from For the Ones, but I won't be taking a break from writing! I'll be posting one-shots and drabbles until I've written all the stories that have been floating around in my head! So look forward to those! If you have any drabble suggestions, please leave a word in your review or pm me. I just need a word (I have peaches, farm, and dress/shirt that I will be posting drabbles about as soon as I get them written) so feel free to send them my way!
**I took a risk with this story and went for an angle I haven't read anywhere; Daryl being a virgin. I actually got this idea from Greg Nicatero. You can watch the video of him saying this on YouTube. Just search:
Nightline: 'The Walkind Dead': Surreal Zombie World Behind the Scenes
ABC News anchor Dan Harris went behind the scenes before the season 5 premiere! It's a fun watch!
I was considering making Daryl the stereotype I've read in most stories, where he's had a few drunken one night stands, but by now you guys have learned that I do my very best to stay true to the characters in the show and keep things as realistic as possible. I honestly think Daryl being a virgin makes a lot of sense considering his…lack of interaction relationship-wise. I could have been like everyone else, but I chose to step out of the box, so I hope you guys appreciate it!
**The remark Glenn makes about the Native Americans is actually based on fact. Look up the Tarahumara people and read their 'Athletic Prowess.' Pretty interesting! Just FYI.
**Sandy Springs is north of Atlanta. It's about two and a half hours from Macon and a suburb of Atlanta. Since our group was in the Macon area, having an evac site here was the most logical scenario I could determine geographically. It is my best educated guess that there would be evac sites outside of Atlanta as people fled the city, but since it's all fictional, I did the best I could! : )
**Yes, the mention of Daryl being at an evac site in Atlanta is a reference to the video game The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct for those who have played it! Definitely wasn't the best game in the world…but you got to play as Daryl so…justified! Lol
**You guys seemed to appreciate the author suggestions I made last time so here's a few more! This author is on a site called Archive of Our . Search for the queen conquers. She had some Glenn x Maggie stories, but I especially loved her stories:
Secrets (Give You Indigestion): Glenn only wanted to share his big news, so how did he end up running away from Daryl to avoid spilling Beth's secret?
He should not be allowed to know things. (Love the interaction with Glenn and Daryl here and she's thinking about writing a follow up story!)
Didn't See That One Coming: "Are you... planning to kill Daryl? Because I feel like I should point out that a) he's our friend, b) your sister seems attached to him, and c) he's a really good hunter and we all like eating."
Or, Beth and Daryl are finally reunited, and Glenn doesn't know what's going on anymore. (She is amazing a subtle, natural comedy. I love the way she writes Glenn and the final statement by Beth made this whole little snippet worth reading ten times!)