A/N Greetings, and thank you for coming back for more of Love's Long Road. We've got a busy chapter, let's get to it :)
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There's been a lot of tossing and turning and neither Daryl nor Beth have gotten much sleep. Daryl finally gives up, gets up, and he's making early making coffee when he glances over at her and attempts to make a joke, "Probably don't have more than another week's worth a coffee. Maybe we can ask that governor guy ta trade us a couple a pounds of coffee for a stylish prison jumpsuit."
The humor escapes her, "Daryl, you're not really serious about approaching that place, or that guy, are you?"
He's handing her the cup and shaking his head, "Hell no I ain't, 'specially not with you there. I's just try'n ta get ya ta smile."
He sits next to her and gives her knee a little bump with his, "Don't be mad at me or get all nervous, please. I ain't plannin' on doin' nuthin' crazy. I was just thinkin' we'd take that long eye scope we got at the sportin' goods in Smithton, our binoculars too. Maybe we can get a bead on the place without gettin' too close. We'll see what's goin' on and check what kinda security they got." He shakes his head when he asks, "Shit Beth, what did ya think I was thinkin'? That you n me are gonna storm the joint by ourselves?"
She shrugs, "I wasn't sure, I just know I don't want trouble."
Now she sees concern on his face. He's gone from cracking jokes to being so serious, "It don't seem ta matter if we want trouble or not, it always finds us, don't it? That's the thing, these new people we got with us now, they lived there, they know the place. They made it sound like the guy who's in charge, this governor asshole, he ain't satisfied just runnin' that town an them people, he likes control and he wants more."
She softly sighs, "I'm interested in finding out about the place, in seeing it too. I just don't want to get close enough for them to even know we're there. I don't want problems. Besides, I thought we decided that today we were going to check out the countryside around here, and check out that small town you were talking about, the one where we might find our furniture."
"We are Baby, an I don't want problems either. If I's plannin' ta go lookin' for a fight we'd be bringin' Merle, Rick, and them two great big bastards with us."
She smiles, he called her that again, but the look of concern is still on his face when he asks, "Shit Beth, ain't I showed ya I'm lookin' out for ya?"
"Yes, I know, and I'm glad. I just wish we could have a day when we weren't scared of something or someone."
"I'm tired of it too." More than anything he wishes he could give her that. He wishes they could have that life she wants. For him? Well shit, when he looks at her, when he makes love to her, even when she's mad at him, he's living a better life than he ever thought he could have.
Daryl and Beth have a fast breakfast with the group, oatmeal. There's a whole drum of oatmeal, and one of dry milk too. They were stocked in the prison pantry along with the giant industrial sized cans of fruits and vegetables, gravy and ketchup, and packages of pasta and dry soup mix. So, oatmeal's what's for breakfast until it's gone. No one's complaining, it's warm, filling, and it's keeping them from going hungry. They all know what hungry feels like and they definitely prefer the oatmeal.
Rick asks, "Where exactly are you two headed?"
Beth lets Daryl do the talking. "We're mostly gonna just scope out the area. I'm hopin' for some kinda suburb area where we can get us a bed n stuff for our room," He assures her Daddy, "We'll be back by dark."
Daryl helps her into the huge pickup. They each have their backpacks with binoculars, a water bottle, and a snack for later. There's plenty of room left in the packs for smaller things they might find along the way. They also take their scavenging bags, they'll bring back whatever they can find in the way of food, batteries, matches, soaps and other necessities. Just in case, Daryl's got his toolbox, a small axe and a shovel, and Beth smiles as she turns to look behind her, "My gosh, this pickup is enormous, we'll be able to bring a whole house back with us."
Carl slides the big chain link gate open, Daryl and Beth drive through and they're on their way.
She slides over close to him and smiles, "This is fun, this is like we're leaving on a date or something," she wiggles a little closer and adds, "I'm really glad whoever owned this thing decided to get bench seats."
He smiles, "A date. I never been on a date."
She's stunned, "What? What are you saying?"
"I'm sayin' I never ask a woman on a date, never took one out ta dinner or a movie or whatever people like ta do on dates."
She knows he wasn't inexperienced in bed; she stumbles a little when she tries to ask how that could be, "Um, well you, oh this is so embarrassing. You knew what you were doing that first time we…"
He pats her leg and says, "I ain't proud ta say this, but bein' with a woman that way and datin' a woman ain't the same thing."
Her innocence shows then, "I don't get it."
It's not something he wants to talk about, and he's hoping if he sticks to the basics the topic will just go away, "Bars. They're called bars and it's called alcohol n sometimes people gettin' together is just what happens at the end of a night of drinkin'. I ain't proud."
"Oh."
Oh? Oh, fuck him. He doesn't know what to say, but he thinks he'd better say something. He pulls the rig over, looks at her and says what's in his heart, "With you though, I told ya, this is a whole thing I never even knew I wanted, now I never wanna lose it. That's that. Oh, an just so ya know, I never have put my mouth on a woman's…umm…in that way I like ta do with you. Oh yeah, and I love ya. There's that too."
His face is full of color and she can feel hers turn red too. She wants to laugh and cry. She knows him saying all that wasn't easy. She knows he's sincere, "I love you too Daryl." That's it, right? They love each other and at the end of the day, that's really all that matters.
The pickup begins to move again and as he's watching the road he's smiling, "Yeah, there I was in Atlanta, mindin' my own business, and then I seen this badass little blond chick fightin' off walkers and right away I thought, ya finally found yourself a good woman."
They both enjoy a good laugh, and then Beth adds the big dose of reality, "At first I was really scared of you, but I also knew I needed your help."
He latches on to that one word, "Scared?"
"Yes, I told you. I didn't know what you might end up doing to me or with me, and I was afraid that any minute you might just leave me behind. Tell me to go figure things out on my own, and I knew I couldn't survive without you."
It's heavy, he must have been being a real dick, "Shit, I really am an asshole, aren't I?" His hand is on her thigh as he talks, "I told ya before, I was scared too."
"I can't imagine you being scared."
"Sure I was. Dead people walkin' around eatin' livin' people, I'd left my house, a nice little fishin' boat and a good job behind, and I wasn't havin' any luck findin' the only family I got, my dumbass brother. Then I come upon you n I couldn't let ya get killed, an I couldn't leave ya behind, and once I took ya in the van with me I knew, I wasn't gonna be just lookin' out for me anymore. I's gonna be lookin' out for you as long as ya wanted me to."
"That's so romantic Daryl."
She can see he's a little embarrassed, "Well I think I told ya all that before, and I don't know nuthin' about romance."
"You know a lot more about romance than you think you do."
He shrugs, "Whatever, I think we're always gonna be a little scared Beth, shit, the world was pretty scary before, wasn't it?"
They're quiet then, content to simply enjoy the rare pleasure of a drive through the country and sitting close together. They've gone about five miles when Daryl spots someone up ahead and quickly sizes him up. He's not a walker, not a guy looking for help, he doesn't look weak or like a man desperate for a meal.
He's dressed in camouflage gear with a military backpack, there's a long gun over his shoulder and he's wearing combat boots. As soon as he spots them he ducks into the woods for cover. Daryl's got the guy pegged right away. Judging by the stories Tara, Tyrese and Sasha told, he's most likely a scout from Woodbury.
Daryl's already got a plan in mind. He's got to make the guy think he went unseen, so he keeps driving until he's gone a good half mile passed where the guy ducked in the woods. Then he pulls the pickup over into the trees and tells Beth what he saw. She admits, "I saw him too."
Daryl nods and says, "I got a feelin' he's a scout from that Woodbury, and if he is, it ain't good. We'll leave the rig here, I'ma just pull it a little further off the road and outta site, then we're goin' back ta see what's up."
She's sure he's right about the guy, but gosh she wishes it weren't true. She's grasping at straws when she suggests, "Maybe he's just a guy looking for a group to join."
He feels bad, just like her he didn't want to have to deal with shit like this today, but what else can they do, "Beth, he's a soldier in someone's army, he's all geared up like he's goin' ta war. I got a bad feelin' this has sumthin' ta do with that governor guy, pretty sure this fella is one of his men and he's on his way ta scout the prison."
She nods and says, "Okay," because what else can she say?
"Listen Beth, if ya wanna wait with the truck, I'll go see what he's all about."
"No, I'm going with you."
Beth's pistol is in the holster and her knife is in its sheath, she swings the quiver of arrows over her shoulder and grabs her bow. Even though they only saw the one man, they want to be prepared for whatever. They agree it wouldn't make sense to send just one, he's probably not alone.
Daryl's got both a gun and a knife, and his crossbow is always cocked and ready. They start off to find the soldier, keeping off the pavement. Instead they walk quietly through the dense trees, and Daryl breaks off a large leafy tree branch. Every time they walk a few feet he sweeps the dirt with the big leafy branch, cleverly covering their tracks.
Beth stays close to him, following his lead while wishing they were somewhere else. Somewhere far from this place. She knows Daryl's right, they've got to find out who this guy is and whether or not he's a threat to their family, but she almost laughs to keep from crying. This is not the way she hoped this "date" would go.
Suddenly he stops, finger raised to his lips, and then he's pointing ahead and to his right. She hasn't heard or seen a thing, but she knows that when Daryl's really tuned in he can hear the faintest whisper and feel the presence of another being.
They walk a little slower, being even more careful not to make any noise. Soon she hears it too, whoever the person is, he obviously doesn't realize he's being tracked, he doesn't seem to be trying to be quiet.
Beth hangs back, hiding among the trees while Daryl sneaks up on the guy, startling him when he yells, "Hold up," and the soldier turns to see the menacing crossbow pointed right at him.
The fellow holds up his hands, "Whoa, whoa man, what's the problem?"
"The problem is you. Where ya headed?"
"I've been hunting and I got turned around, I was trying to find my way back to camp."
"Oh yeah, where's there a camp 'round here? Maybe I'm interested in joining up."
The guy must be stupid, "You're looking for a group? A tough guy like you is just the type the governor likes to have join our camp. It's not just a camp, it's a whole damn town, Woodbury. You ought to check it out, I can tell you how to get there." You just said you were lost dumb ass.
That's everything Daryl needs to know; his suspicions are confirmed and he's about to take action when a new male voice demands, "Drop the weapon!"
Beth already has an arrow nocked, and when she sees the rifle pointed at Daryl she draws back the bowstring while yelling, "I got this one!" and releases the arrow, it flies and hits the soldier in the neck. He falls and she runs to him, finishing him off with a knife to the skull, then promptly throws up.
As soon as Daryl heard her call out he was pulling the trigger on the big bow. His aim is true, the arrow pierces the soldier right in the center of his forehead.
Daryl hurries to her, "Beth, ya alright?"
She grabs him, holds on tight and says, "I'm fine now." She's not sure if she threw up because she'd been so afraid something would happen to Daryl, or if it was because she just killed a living breathing human. Probably both of those things.
"Love ya Baby."
"I love you back."
His brow is furrowed and he's chewing his lip, it's obvious he's thinking about what they need to do next. He's talking uncharacteristically fast as he tells her, "sooner or later someone's gonna come lookin' for these assholes, someone from Woodbury. We're gonna have ta get rid of the bodies, I don't want this governor guy ta think people from the prison done sumthin' to his men. I'll get the truck, I'll keep it on pavement so there's no tracks. We'll bury these two, cover all the signs and get the hell outta here."
"I'll go with you."
"Nah, I can get there faster on my own. Be back in a few."
He runs full out on the pavement, all the way back to the truck. As he jumps in and cranks the engine he suddenly panics, shit, why did he leave her alone? He races back and stops the truck close to where the soldier ran into the woods, then hurries to where he left her, stunned by what he sees when he gets there.
There's no new bad guy, there's no other terrible danger lurking near her. It's his sweet woman rifling through the soldiers' belongings. She looks ups and asks Daryl, "Is this gross? Am I coldhearted and gross? It just seems so wasteful to bury all this stuff. These boots are in great shape, our new people need weapons, and these packs are full of k-rations, extra socks, ammunition, and all kinds of things we can use."
He smiles, "No, ya ain't coldhearted, you're smart. Lemme get busy diggin' while you're doin' that, they're gonna hafta share the one hole."
When the bodies are buried and the goods Beth scavenged are in the back seat of the pickup, she anxiously waits for him as Daryl meticulously goes over the site, making sure there's no sign anyone has ever been there. Once he's back in the pickup Beth hands him a couple of baby wipes, "I bet you're glad I brought these."
She can see how hard he's working to hold back the laughter when he responds, "Yeah, I am. After all the shit that just happened I been worried sick about my dirty hands. I's hopin' there was a couple baby wipes around."
Who knows what makes him think of it, but shit, maybe it's just that after all that after everything, he needs a drink. She asks, "Where are we going now Daryl?"
He shrugs, "A little place I know. We're gonna get sumthin' for later, sumthin' ta celebrate with, then we'll go get our new furniture. K?"
She has a feeling this is going to be a whole new experience, but he seems so happy so she simply agrees, "Sounds good to me."
They drive along the highway for at least an hour and a half, and they never run into any people at all. A few walkers but they're slow and off on the side of the road where they don't pose a threat. Daryl doesn't bother to pull over and put them down.
It's actually a pleasant ride and she's enjoying this time with him. Eventually he slows and turns off the highway onto a dirt road. She asks again, "Where are we going Daryl?"
"It's a little shack that used ta be up this way, hopin' it's still here."
"A shack?"
"Yeah, an old moonshine shack. I come across it a couple years ago when I's up this way huntin'. I'd seen places like it before. My Dad had a moonshine shack. Whoever this moonshiner was, he was already long gone. So, not ta be wasteful, I got good n drunk on his shine, spent the night on the floor and the next day I took a few jars home with me." He smiles over at her and says, "I thought we'd see if there's a couple jars left. Moonshine don't have an expiration date."
"Oh my gosh, you mean my first drink is going to be moonshine? I always thought I'd start with something sweet, one of those fruity drinks."
"Nah, ya don't want that sweet stuff, that just makes the hangover worse. Moonshine's got shit like peach schnapps beat right outta the gate."
"Okay, well I guess you'd know more about it than I would. You pick the booze, I'll pick the bedroom furniture."
There's a lean-to built next to the small wooden shack and he motions, "It's in here, this is where the old boy kept his money."
"His money?"
"Yeah, the shine. He wasn't makin' all this just ta drink himself, I'm sure he was sellin' it." He hands her two big wooden boxes filled with mason jars that hold the clear liquid. She's smiling nervously, being a country girl she's heard plenty of stories about moonshine, but never has she seen anything like this.
He loads the boxes in the back seat of the pickup and asks her, "Ya wanna have a swallow before we go?"
"Aren't you going to have any?"
"Nah, I gotta drive. If I start drinkin' shine now we're gonna be spendin' the night here, and this joint ain't exactly the Holiday Inn. If we wait, take it back ta the prison, we can get our room put together n get good n drunk right there in bed."
"Well gee whiz, that's a tough choice, but for my first time ever drinking, I think I'll pick getting drunk in bed."
"A very wise decision Miss Greene, very wise."
"Shit, we're gonna run outta daylight if we don't get a move on, but I got a place in mind for our shoppin' spree. It's not far, a small town with lots of cool older homes. I bet there's one with some furniture you'll like."
She smiles over at him, "Okay, I'm ready to shop," but Beth's not really as lighthearted about this as she sounds. She knows whatever they take, they're taking something that belonged to someone, something someone worked hard to buy and that they cared for.
He's right, the town is old and this street their driving down is so quaint. The homes have to have been built sometime in the 1940's. She spots one up ahead and she knows the minute she sees it, it's the place where she'll find just the right bed. She points, "Let's got there first Daryl."
"Yep."
They tread carefully, clearing the house room by room. The single story home has obviously been scavenged, but that was for things like food, water, weapons, not bedroom furniture. They find the main bedroom intact.
Beth falls in love at first sight with the big, old-fashion wood frame bed. "I don't know Daryl, I mean I love this bed, but do you really want to move such a heavy piece of furniture? We could probably find ten others that are just on those metal bed rails. Those things would be like moving nothing."
"You're right, but that ain't what ya wanted. Why settle? I'm pretty sure we're only gonna be settin' up housekeepin' in a prison one time, ya might as well have what ya want. Lemme see." He gets on the floor on his back and scoots close, his head under the bed as he has a look at the frame, "It's four big pieces, besides the box spring and the mattress. I got my tools; I can take it apart easy enough. If ya want it, we'll do it."
"Are you sure?"
"Are you sure ya want it?"
"Yes."
"Then I'm sure."
While he's taking it apart, she looks for and finds the linen closet, oh thank God, clean sheets. She grabs the basket from the laundry room and packs it up with two sets of those nice clean sheets, two pink bath towels that look brand new, and a clear zippered bag containing what's surely a vintage quilt. She carries the basket to the bathroom to see what she can find there. It's been picked over for medicines and bandages and such, but a person can always tell when the raiders were men, there are still tampons and pads. There's something else, a pink bath rug on the floor. She's going to ask Daryl if they can take that tiny vanity table and chair from the bedroom, the pink bath rug will look so cute in front of it.
She's back in the bedroom with her basket, scooping the mirror, hair brush and pretty lace doilies off the vanity and into her pack, and then she opens the drawer. Oh my gosh, it's the find of the day. There's a pretty women's manicure set and a small mirrored tray filled with polishes, polish remover and cotton pads. Mani Pedis for all the ladies! Especially Sophia. She puts it all in her pack, and just like that Daryl's done.
They lay a big bedspread from one of the other rooms onto the bed of the pickup, then together carry the bed one piece at a time to the pickup. As he's setting the last piece in she asks him about the vanity. He nods, "If we can get that dresser in n we still got room, then yeah, why the hell not?"
They remove the drawers from the dresser and pack it out to the pickup, then take the drawers one by one. They don't remove any of the items, someone back at the prison can use these things. Shit, the new folks came with nuthin', and Axel and Oscar have nothing but prison jumpsuits. All these socks, underwear, t-shirts, pants, yeah, they'll all get put to use.
It's getting close to dusk by the time they head back to the prison, but Daryl assures her, "We're not far, as long as we don't run into any trouble, we'll be home in thirty minutes."
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A/N We'll pick back up right there next time. Please leave a comment. There's a chapter photo on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick, please have a look. I'll be back next week with more of Love's Long Road. Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee