I do feel bad that this story is taking so long for me to complete. These two little boys are running their mama ragged. I thank you all for your patience. I do try to write a little ever day, but sometimes I just...can't.
Anyway, enough excuses. Thanks to all who are still hanging in there. I appreciate every favorite, follow and review!
This is also my submission for tumblr's Summer of Bethyl 2018 prompt - Fear. Enjoy!

Beth woke suddenly, the sun already well above the horizon. Daryl was softly snoring in her ear, and their arms were still wrapped around each other from the night before. The birds outside had begun their morning chorus, but beyond that, she could hear the distant murmur of commotion. As much as she hated to wake him, knowing he needed every wink of sleep he could get, she gently brushed the hair out of Daryl's eyes before nudging him awake, softly calling his name.

He woke with a start, muttering a string of select profanities and rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Daryl," she apologized, already missing the closeness they'd shared the night before. "I heard something from over by the tents, but it just sounds like everyone else is up and moving already." They dressed quickly, then walked together to join the rest of the group to find out what was going on.

Despite her situation, being cut off from her family, as well as the loss of Dale the night before, Beth felt a twinge of happiness rush through her when Daryl's hand found hers. Though he never said a word, she guessed the gesture was both a thank you for being a source of comfort last night and a reassurance that he was there with her, a promise that he'd take care of her. She gently squeezed back, silently telling him that she had his back just as he had hers, though in very different ways. They were in this together, so they might as well make the best of it when they could.

Her heart gave a tiny flutter when she realized she was learning to read his silent cues, a sign of how truly close they were becoming. At least, how close she thought they were becoming. Maybe she was reading too much into it.

It turned out that Beth had been right - the group was already hard at work packing what little they had into the cars and trucks. Rick explained that, because of what happened the night before, knowing that walkers were now making their way onto the farm, they were no longer safe sleeping outside in tents, even with someone keeping watch. According to him, Hershel was gracious enough to allow the group to stay in the farm house, especially now that autumn had truly settled in, leaving the nights to grow colder and colder.

Beth's heart soared. Her father was welcoming her back. Granted it was because he was making accommodations for the group and she happened to be part of that group. Still, it was something. At least...she hoped he included her and Daryl in that group…

Rick asked if he could talk to Daryl privately, then mentioned to Beth that Lori had some leftover breakfast she was welcome to if she wanted any. Beth smiled gratefully then let her fingertips trail down Daryl's arm as they parted ways. Before she could take a step, Daryl grabbed her wrist and leaned in to whisper to her, instructing her to stay with Lori and Carl until he got back.

As she approached the Grimes' tent, Lori smiled up at her and asked if she was hungry at all. Although her near-constant nausea kept her from having much of an appetite, she knew she needed to eat something, so she smiled shyly and nodded. As she ate, Lori asked how she was feeling and offered any advice or help Beth might need. "I know it's scary, especially now, but we'll get you through this." Beth took her sincerity to heart and felt a slight relief in knowing it wasn't just her and Daryl against the world. This group of survivors were becoming her family when her own turned her away.

The thought made her breakfast go down just a little easier.

When Daryl returned, Beth offered him some of the leftover breakfast and sat with him as he ate. Just by looking at him, she knew his conversation with Rick hadn't been a pleasant one. Once Daryl had finished his meager meal, she took his plate from him to take to the wash bin. When she turned around, she was surprised to see him standing just behind her.

"'M gonna be gone for a while. Couple hours or so. You stick with Lori, you hear?" His tone left no room for discussion, but Beth was definitely curious.

"What's going on? Where are you going?"

Daryl sighed and looked down at his boots, kicking a clump of dirt. "Rick wants me to go with him to take care of Randall. We're leaving in a little while. He's checkin' on Carl now, talkin' ta yer ol' man."

Beth swallowed the dryness out of her throat. Were they just going to kill him in cold blood? "I guess I'll start packing up our stuff again," she mentioned to him. He looked at her in confusion, so she explained, "Looks like Daddy is letting everyone stay in the house until it's time to leave because of...last night," she ended weakly.

Daryl snorted, "Doubt that includes me. He ain't gonna want the redneck who knocked up his little princess under his roof."

Beth frowned at that. Daryl had a point, one she hadn't even considered in her excitement to be in her home again with her family. Come to think of it, no one had said specifically that she was included, she'd just assumed. Her father had seemed pretty adamant that she was no longer welcome in his house. She was with Daryl now, for good or bad, like it or not. Beth took a deep breath and steeled herself, "Well, I can at least move some things to the bike, just in case. It'll at least give me something to do. Everyone else is busy moving."

Daryl nodded, "Just keep yer eyes and ears open and make sure ya got yer knife on ya." Beth nodded in response, which was met by a nod of his own. "Shouldn't be gone too long," he muttered around the corner of his thumbnail which had somehow found its way to his mouth. "Oughta be okay if ya stay in the tent."

Without a second thought, Beth reached out to lay a hand on his bicep. "You be careful, okay?" She smiled when his eyes finally met hers and he gave another small nod. She gave one more light squeeze and hadn't quite turned to walk back to their tent when she paused, looked up at him, and stood on her tiptoes to peck a quick kiss to his lips. Before he could say a word, she turned and quickly walked away, a blush covering her cheeks.

Where had that come from?

Beth set to work packing what she could into the side compartments of Daryl's motorcycle. When that was finished, she went back to the camp, which by that time was nearly disassembled, save for Shane's tent. She asked Lori, who answered, with a sorrowful expression, that her father made it clear that Shane wasn't welcome in the house with everyone else.

Beth was thrown for a loop. She had always known her father to be a kind-hearted man, always willing to help those in need. He had always believed in the power of forgiveness. Had Shane's outbursts and actions at the barn been what had hardened Hershel's heart? Yes, he had gone against her father's wishes to stay away from the barn, had exposed not only his secret but his naivete in regards to the walkers. She supposed that was enough to truly anger Hershel Greene.

If that were the case, was there any hope for her to ever get back in his good graces?

Beth returned to their tent, thankful she had the forethought to grab her favorite book from her room when she'd packed. Lost in her fantasy world, she was startled when she heard the sound of running footsteps coming closer and closer. She froze, unsure if she should go to see who was approaching or wait for them to come to her, even if it meant she'd be cornered in the confines of the small tent.

"Beth!" Daryl's voice called out, winded from running.

She poked her head outside. "Daryl? What's wrong? Are you okay?" She met him just outside the zippered opening.

"The kid's gone. Goin' out to look for 'im. Ain't safe fer you out here," he rattled off in between pants, trying to catch his breath. "Need to stay closer to the house. Stick with Lori til I get back. Andrea. Someone, but you stick to them like glue, you hear me?"

Beth mutely nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. Daryl stood there for a moment, staring at her, a recognizable heat in his eyes. If it weren't for the situation they were facing, Beth could almost imagine it to be a romantic moment, the two of them standing together at sunset, pulses racing, unable to take their eyes off each other. Suddenly he stepped in closer to her, planting a rough kiss against her lips. Before she could react, he pulled away, taking her hand in his and pulling her to his bike, both of them riding back to the house.

When Daryl went to search the woods with Glenn, Beth stayed on the front porch of the farm house. She couldn't exactly stick to someone like glue the way Daryl wanted; everyone was busy unpacking and resituating furniture to make room for everyone moving in. She didn't want to get in the way, and figured she wasn't exactly welcome in her father's house anymore, anyway. Instead, she stayed on the porch swing, hoping someone would start preparing a meal soon. Normally, Daryl would make sure they had something to eat, but he'd been more than a little busy. Surely someone would notice her and offer her a plate of food.

Her stomach had been rumbling for a while, waves of nausea running through her off and on when Patricia came out the front door with a plate of food. The older woman, who had been like a second mother to her, smiled softly at her as she sat on the swing beside her. "Thought you could use some dinner."

The two sat in near silence as Beth ate, reminding herself to go slow or her stomach would just force everything back up. Bits and pieces of conversation floated through the windows; it seemed most were concerned about Randall going missing, while others were still expressing their gratitude to Hershel's for letting them all stay in his house. Beth took long slow breaths to keep herself from crying once again. She hoped Daryl returned soon so they could both go back to his tent where she wouldn't have constant reminders of how she was no longer welcome in her childhood home. She gave a watery thanks to Patricia when she'd finished and her friend took her now empty plate back inside.

The sky grew dark in the early autumn evening, and there was still no sign of any of the men returning. Beth had an awful feeling down deep inside her that something awful was about to happen, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Instead she stayed on the porch until she couldn't take the chill in the air anymore. She slipped into the front entryway and found nearly everyone that was left gathered in the parlor. Beth lingered in the hallway, not wanting to draw attention to herself, and debated sneaking upstairs to her room to grab more things.

She had just turned to walk down the hall when Glenn and Daryl came in through the door. She met his eyes for a brief moment while Glenn started explaining that they'd found Randall, but he had died and turned already. Daryl broke eye contact with Beth to confirm Randall's body hadn't been bitten or scratched, but that the boy had died of a broken neck. Amid the confusion of this new development, someone wondered out loud where Rick and Shane could be. Beth stayed frozen in her spot in the hallway as Daryl and several others went to the porch to start looking for either of the missing men. She watched as Daryl took a cautious step into the yard, peering into the darkness and followed where he was looking. There was movement just out of sight, like the haze of a watery mirage dancing above the asphalt on a hot summer day.

"It's a herd," someone called out, though Beth couldn't tell who it was over the thundering of her pulse ringing in her ears.

Others rushed inside, grabbing any guns they could find. Daryl just shook his head. "Ain't gonna be able to hold them off. Herd that size would tear through the whole house."

"So, what do we do?" Andrea asked.

"Gotta lead 'em away. Kill the lights in the house, use the cars to spread 'em out and get 'em pointed back toward the highway," Daryl ordered and Beth watched in amazement as everyone followed his instructions. Her breath caught when he approached her, wrapping each of her upper arms in his firm grasp. "You stay inside. Don't get cornered, don't get stranded."

"Why can't I go with you?" she pleaded, not wanting to be left behind.

"Don't want you out there. Can't be worrying 'bout you fallin' off the bike in the dark with those fuckers on my tail." He squeezed her arms again, bending so he was eye-level with her. "You be smart. I'll find you."

And with that, he was gone.

.oOo.

Daryl tried directing the other drivers where to go to cut the herd in sections, stopping when he could to take out as many walkers as he could to give himself a little more wiggle room between them. Others' gunshots were sounding from all over the property, which could be good or bad. It was damn near impossible to see if his plan was working in the moonlight.

He wondered who had set the barn on fire and wished he could tell everyone to stop firing, stop driving, and just let the damn things walk right into the blaze. Instead, with all the commotion going around the farm, the walkers ended up being corralled rather than scattered. He realized he was the furthest out, that everyone else was staying in the main field not far from the house. One by one, he watched as each of the cars started making their way away from the farm, and he was relieved that they'd finally gotten a clue and followed his lead, only to realize they were all just driving away, abandoning ship.

And he had no idea if Beth had made it out. She was a smart girl, but if everyone was out to save their own, had she been left behind?

He scoured the herd for an opening to make his way back to the house to make sure, hoping against hope that he'd be able to find her, when he heard a scream come from not far off. He revved his bike's engine and took off toward the source of the sound only to see Carol running weakly, nearly falling down with each step, as a group of the dead were chasing her. He stopped several feet in front of her, not wanting to get too close to the walkers to make sure he could get them both away safely, yelling at her that he didn't have all day. She certainly wasn't his main concern, but he knew he couldn't just leave her there.

Beth wouldn't want him to.

An icy cold fear gripped him from the inside when he thought of Beth being all alone as he drove away with the older woman clinging to him for dear life. He'd promised Beth he'd find her, that he'd take care of her. Why the hell couldn't he have taken her with him? Then he'd at least know…

But now there was no way to get back to look for her. The herd had been worked into a frenzy and were swarming around the property like a hive of hornets looking for the idiot who'd disturbed their nest with a rock.

He began to accept the idea that she may well be long gone. Part of him was relieved, for a couple of reasons, but something heavy sat in his heart at the thought of her dying. She was so good, so trusting of him, and now her faith in him might have gotten her killed. He'd actually begun to care about her, and now he'd gone and lost her...and it was all his fault. He'd broken his word to protect her by trying to save everyone else. He'd done just as her family had, just passed her over while pretending like he was some kind of fucking hero.

Unless maybe she did make it after all...

He was still mentally beating himself up as he followed whatever paths he could find through the woods and back toward the highway. They'd never agreed on any kind of meeting place if the farmhouse was no longer safe, but he figured the car they'd left for Sophia was a good enough spot to start. A pair of tail lights swerving along the road ahead of him told him at least one other person had the same thought.

Within minutes, he was pulling up to find the rest of the group gathered exactly where he'd predicted, all greeting each other with relief, but there were still several missing. He had yet to see Shane, Andrea, the scrawny farmboy and Otis' old lady…

...and most importantly, Beth. He quickly scanned the group, checking and rechecking for her as Carol climbed off the back of his bike before he engaged the kickstand, a panicked fear clutching his heart when he didn't immediately find her standing with everyone else. He walked closer, unsure of what he would do if his worst suspicions were correct, when he finally saw her long, blonde ponytail peeking out from behind the beat up old blue pickup that T-Dog had been driving.

Her arms were wrapped around her middle, head hung so low her chin was on her chest; she supported herself against the bed of the truck. She looked up, eyes red-rimmed and glassy with tears, when she heard his breath rush out of his lungs. He could barely move and yet couldn't move fast enough to get to her; his usually steady tread faltered at the sight of her, whole and intact...and alone. She closed the distance between them, throwing herself against him and wrapping her slender arms around his waist, pulling herself tightly to him, fear and relief evident in her hold.

A swell of anger and one of relief battled their way through him. This girl, woman, had come to actually mean something to him, had worked her way into his heart in some capacity in just a few short weeks, and there was what was left of her family, her own flesh and blood, just standing, holding each other, ignoring her. Daryl glared at her father, who appeared to be a good man to all others but in reality could be lumped into the same group as his own considering how he treated his youngest child. The old man looked over the top of his oldest daughter's head and only blinked at the two of them. He made no motion to see if Beth was alright, made no inquiries as to how she had survived.

What a horse's ass.

Gently, Daryl pushed Beth away to get a good look at her and noticed blood covering most of her arm and the front of her denim jacket, not to mention the exhausted look on her ashen face. "Shit, Beth, you bit?!" alarm clearly evident in his voice. Christ if she was...it would entirely be on him.

Beth looked up at him, confusion in her eyes, then looked down at herself in the early morning light. After a moment that lasted entirely too long, she shook her head, "It's not me...it must be...oh my God I shouldn't have let her go." Her breath was coming quicker now as a wave of panic washed over her features.

"Who, Beth?" Daryl pushed for an explanation, pulling her jacket away from her to make sure the blood was only on the outside of the garment.

"Patricia," Beth started to sob. "We were with Lori and Patricia was behind me and...they...she wouldn't let go and…" she trailed off as she fell back into his arms, her body wracked with sobs.

Daryl was in completely uncharted territory. Sure, Beth had been depending on him for survival, but this touchy-feely emotional shit was out of his league. Not knowing what else to do, he gently wrapped one arm around her shoulders and let his other hand cup her elbow before sliding up her arm and around her back. They both stood there, taking comfort in each other, leaving the rest of the group to debate and decide what to do next.

As far as he was concerned, they could all go straight to hell. He and Beth would probably be better off without them.

At least until the baby came. Daryl didn't have clue one as to how to take care of a kid, and Beth would only be going off what she read in the book she got. And that was just through the pregnancy. What was he supposed to do when it came time to have the kid? A whole new fear trickled down his spine. His shoulders slumped when he realized she needed more than he could give her.

As if that was really any kind of surprise.

The other members of the group began piling into the few remaining vehicles and started a caravan down the highway. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Beth and Daryl climbed onto his motorcycle. He turned to talk over his shoulder before starting the engine, knowing he'd be able to catch up easily. "We goin' with 'em or what?" He'd let her choose and would go along with whatever she wanted. Girl didn't get many choices lately, so he figured it was the least he could do.

When she nodded, he nodded back, started the engine, and took off.

A little shorter than usual, but if I didn't stop it here, I wouldn't be able to update for...who knows how long.

Thank you for reading - please take a moment and leave a review!