This is AU as I've said before, but I wanted to point out some major differences.

Daryl and Rick still have a bond but it isn't the same, they haven't spent months on the run together learning to trust each other, right now it is more a mutual respect.

No Andrea means no Carol, which leaves an opening for who is supposed to deliver Lori and Rick's baby. I like Beth for the role, I can just see her as a midwife and healer and who better to learn from than her daddy.

Rick and Merle don't hate each other here, there was no rooftop and Merle still has his hand (that will also change his relationship with the Governor but that's for next chapter). I don't see them being besties or anything because Merle is still Merle but they will be on better terms than the show.

Beth was ignoring him, two weeks he'd been at the prison helping them out, going out for a couple of days at a time looking for any sign of his brother. He was going to make a longer trip this time, farther in the direction that Merle went. He could be gone a week and Beth still didn't acknowledge his existence. At the farm they would avoid looking at each other but there would always be a glance here or there. Not anymore, no glances, no awkward silence, he was a ghost.

"Daryl, are you sure you want to do this? What if the herds haven't cleared out?" Rick was trying to talk him out of leaving.

"I'm goin' ta find Merle. I said I'd be back, came back the other times didn't I." He glanced over Rick's shoulder at Beth. She didn't look up from her book, her daddy was sitting right next to her his bible open as he shifted uncomfortably trying to arrange his stump in a way that wouldn't hurt. It had been an eventful two weeks and he'd learned many things, like cutting off a limb when bit could mean survival. It was a miracle Hershel had survived the bite on his leg, he admired Rick for having the guts to do what was necessary and he also admired the way he'd been handling the prisoners. He was convinced, a group was better than going it alone like they had been. He would bring Merle and Emily back, they would do well here, they had a lot to offer.

Daryl looked back at Rick, "Need anythin'? I can make a run while I'm at it."

"I'll ask around, make up a list." Rick nodded. Daryl studied the man, he was stressed and he was leaning on Daryl more and more for support. It had started since the farm, Rick would seek him out for help and council almost as much as Shane, maybe more. He looked to Merle also, but Merle liked to keep people at arm's length and didn't offer himself up to be inconvenienced as much as Daryl did. He never would have guessed but he liked the responsibility, he liked knowing he was worth something. Beth was the only dark spot in his plans.

Daryl walked out of the room to begin packing for his trip, he'd have to find a way to corner her before he left tomorrow.

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Beth couldn't shake this feeling of numbness from herself, she just didn't want to deal with Daryl. She'd quietly slipped the rest of the jerky he'd given her into the community stash and made sure she was surrounded by family at all times, aside from that she just pretended he wasn't there. After all what could they really say to each other, he'd used her and dumped her, She'd heard his reasoning from the group, he went with his brother to find a girl but he could have told her, if she mattered he would have promised to come back to her. He just left her to her fate, he let her believe he was dead, she mourned him and now he was back. She wasn't willing to let him in again.

"I'm goin' to go take a nap daddy." She gave Hershel a small smile. "I didn't sleep well last night, been worrin' about Lori and the baby."

Hershel gave her a smile and brushed the hair back from her face, "You and Maggie are going to do a fine job of bring that child into the world, I'll be there to help, your old pa isn't out yet."

Beth grinned at him, "No you sure aren't." she gave him a peck on the cheek and gathered her books. "Wake me if you need anything, daddy."

"Don't worry Bethy, I saw you studying those books until late last night, you need your rest, if I need anything, Maggie and Glenn are around."

Beth nodded and headed back to her cell. The birth of Lori's baby had consumed her lately, she had thrown herself into learning everything she could about giving birth, she had let her studying take up all her energy, it was better that way, it left her little time to think about her own sad little problems.

Just as she had reached her cell and dropped her book on the small cot that made up her bed, a rough hand clamped over her mouth and a strong arm reached around her, pinning her back up against a hard wide chest.

"We need to talk and we need ta talk now Beth." Daryl rasped in her ear. She squirmed angrily, hating the fact that Daryl was all over her. She never wanted him to touch her again. He tightened his grip on her and dragged her out of her cell and into a dark hall way.

There was a time when Daryl dragging her anywhere would not have caused her alarm, there was a time when her faith in him was so strong that she would have willingly followed him into a horde without hesitation, that time was long gone. Beth went from anger and distaste at him touching her to all consuming fear, why drag her into this deserted chamber, was it even cleared?

They were already too far into the dark winding halls for her to make her way back on her own, Daryl seemed to know exactly where he was going and soon she found herself being thrown into a pitch black room. Beth looked around her wildly, there was not a spec of light with which she could discern her surroundings. There was a rustling to her right and then the sound of a match being struck, for a moment the small little flame hurt her eyes and she squeezed them shut for a second. When she opened them up Daryl had lit a small lamp and stood between her and the door way.

He watched her through his hair, his head slightly ducked and his shoulders slumped as if expecting a scolding. Seeing him like that reminded her of why she had been drawn to him in the first place, when it came to sex and fighting Daryl was in his element, strong and sure, but when he had first spoken to her, taken her to the patch of Cherokee roses, he had been shy and soft spoken, not daring to look her straight in the eye until she had kissed him, then he'd come alive in her arms, it was a strange and exhilarating combination and she'd fallen into their tryst whole heartedly completely ignoring the nagging voice in her head that scolded her for treating Jimmy so carelessly, but after shy awkward conversations when she was in Daryl's strong and very capable hands, doing things a girl her age had no business doing with a man his age, she couldn't be bothered with Jimmy's potentially hurt feelings. Perhaps this was her punishment for being so unfeeling, she was treated with the same indifference that she had dished out.

Her chest heaved with fear as she glared at him, "I'm not going to be your sex toy again Daryl, find someone else." She looked nervously around the room. "And get me out of here and back to my cell." Her voice trembled at the last part.

"I'm gonna explain first." His raspy voice just above a whisper.

"There is no explanation. NOTHING will make abandoning me in the middle of an attack OK. I could have died and you didn't care, you left without looking back. I didn't even merit a goodbye. I hate you." She bit her lip and scowled at the last part, she sounded like such a child. You are a child, you're 17, you were playing the adult and lost.

"You believe that?" His voice still low and gravely. "You believe I left you there to die?"

Beth scowled in his direction. Was he seriously asking that? Like it was an actual question, like it was up for debate?

"I didn't do that." He took a step in her direction and she took a matching step back.

"Liar." She hissed.

Daryl froze and took a deep breath. "I..uh…I covered you. I made sure you made it to the truck. I didn't leave until you drove off."

"Liar." She choked out again through the lump that was forming in her throat.

"I saw Patricia get ripped from you. I killed the biter that did it, Lori had pulled you away, didn't you see them fall?"

Beth shook her head and turned away.

"I had ta leave Beth, don't you get it? I should leave now." He took another step toward her. Beth whirled around to face him.

"Leave then you damn coward. I've been waiting for you to leave." She could hardly believe it when she raised her fist and pounded him on the chest. "You aren't getting another go at me before you turn tail and run."

Daryl caught her fist as she raised it to hit him again but she squirmed angrily out of his grasp. "Don't touch me you bastard."

Daryl moved so quickly that she didn't even see him coming, one second she was yelling angrily at him and the next she was pushed up against the wall with her arms pinned to her sides. Daryl's face was inches from hers, and expression of pure anger twisting his handsome face.

"Don't hit me." He snarled.

"Why not?" Beth asked softly, "Does it hurt, Daryl? Does it make you feel bad?" she raised an eyebrow at him. He let her go and stepped back, she laughed, "Good." The anger was leaving her quickly, she felt tired again, tired and ashamed at how ugly she was being despite the fact that he deserved it.

He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and just stared at her. Beth let out a deep sigh.

"Just take me back, Daryl, do whatever you want, it isn't my business or concern anymore."

"No." his voice was back to being soft and unsure. "I'm gonna explain, then I'll take you back, I won't bother you."

Beth let herself slide down the wall till she was sitting on the cold concrete. "Go on then." She wrapped her arms around her legs and leaned her head back against the wall.

"They'da found out 'bout us, I was always gonna have ta go but Merle wanted ta find Emily, so instead of waitin' till ya daddy run me off, we left." Beth didn't react to his words.

"Merle said we should take ya." She opened her eyes and looked at him. " I said no." he walked over and crouched down in front of her. "Didn't want ta take you from your family."

"Coulda asked."

"Didn't want to, didn't want to hear ya say no." he looked down at his hands. "I am a coward."

Beth let her head fall back again, would she have gone with him? Could she have left her family?

"You should have given me enough respect to ask." She finally said, "if you wanted me, you should have asked and at least said goodbye."

Daryl stood up, " I can fuck around Beth but talkin' , given respect, I don't know, been dumped a lot for bein' a closed off bastard, never bothered me much till now." He glanced at her quickly before looking away.

"So what now? You gonna find your brother and disappear again?"

"No, I wanna bring him back."

"What's the difference? Why couldn't you stay at the farm but you can stay here?"

"Not much difference but," he glanced at her, "I'm more useful here, me and my brother, you need hunters and fighters, don't think anybody is waitin' for the world ta go back ta normal no more. We ain't so easy ta run off, this group needs us more than we need them."

Beth nodded, "And us? You expect ta be sneakin' round with me again."

"If you want. I still want you."

"Not a lot of selection is there."

Daryl shook his head sadly, "Ain't only that Beth. You're a good person, haven't known many like ya. You're a hellion when angry but I deserved it."

"I don't trust you, Daryl." She stood, it all came down to that, his story rang true and something in his eyes and demeanor also convinced her he wasn't spinning tales to trick her again but trust was tricky, once broken was hard to put back together. She wasn't ready to just let go of her hurt and anger.

"I got it. I'll come back with Merle and Emily, you need us either way."

Beth nodded, "I shouldn'ta hit you."

"I deserved it."

"Can you take me back now, it's scary here." Daryl nodded and went to put out the lamp, on impulse Beth stopped him and wrapped her arms around his waist, Daryl hesitantly returned the hug, dipping his head down to smell her hair, Beth pulled away,

"Be safe."

He nodded and blew out the lamp.