AN: Set after the golf club scene where they find the cabin. Beth and Daryl's friendship and eventual relationship, starting from Season 4 until 7. No kidnapping, no deaths, just Bethyl forever. First Fic from TWD series as I've just started watching it and fell in love with these characters. Happy reading Bethyl Shippers x

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Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since the prison was taken. Two weeks of her and Daryl on the run with nothing but the clothes on their back. Beth only had her knife, he had his bow, and that was it. She couldn't believe they had made it this far. They ran for their lives that first day, never stopping, never looking back. Now that they were alone together, he was her protector. She felt guilty about that and wanted to say thank you, but it felt silly. Someone like Daryl wouldn't understand her emotions anyway. Her father had been murdered right in front of her, and she couldn't get the image out of her mind. She felt a shift within her that was scaring her, and she felt so out of touch with her surroundings. She thought she had gotten used to this feeling, being out in the open so much before they found the prison, but after living there for so long, the fear and adrenaline cursing through her veins felt a little too foreign for her liking.

She hated that.

Hated that she had gotten so comfortable there. Hated herself for thinking this was it. They would live there forever, and they were all going to be safe until they'd find a cure, and then live happily ever after.

Beth shook her head. Looking at the trees around her as she sat on a fallen log. Daryl was somewhere behind her, watching out for Walkers. They were making their way back from the golf club they stumbled upon a few hours ago, where she unsuccessfully found her first drink.

Peach schnapps.

Well, now she'd never know what that tasted like, she thought bitterly.

After a few miles of walking, they had taken a break. She was falling over her feet every second step, dehydrated and fatigued and begged Daryl to let her rest. They could only stop for a few minutes before they would continue on, those were the rules. Now her mind was rambling on again, playing tricks with her. As much as she didn't want to think about what happened, it was consuming her every time she had a moment to herself. Roaring back to life and tormenting her like the nightmare it was. Maybe she had become depressed again, she wondered absently. It wouldn't surprise her. The world had gone to shit. This could be her last day on earth before she would be decapitated by a flesh eating zombie. They were all alone struggling to survive. And her dad had been murdered right in front of her.

The odds of not having a mental breakdown weren't good

Beth shook her head again, her face crumbling as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks. Maggie had left with Glen on the bus, she understood that, but now it kind of stung. Did Maggie even look for her? She never saw where the others went, the two little girls, Mischonne…

She could still hear the screams ringing in her ears, the sound of gunfire and the taste of smoke in her mouth. Beth was looking for Judith before Daryl found her, but then it was too late to circle back.

"We gotta go Beth." He had stated simply, "We gotta go."

Judith…

The tiny blonde choked on a sob, staring miserably at the muddy ground. She loved that little girl so much, it felt like her heart had grown seven times its size once she was born. She had found the car seat, covered in blood and guts, but she wasn't in it.

Beth knew she didn't have time to go back, there were Walkers everywhere and she could barely see who she was shooting at. But still, maybe she should have? Maybe she should have tried harder? Did she really do enough? It all happened so fast.

The tiny blonde groaned, putting her aching head in her hands. She was cranky, tired, hungry, thirsty, all of the above. What were they even doing out here anyway? They hadn't discussed any plans yet and she felt restless. Were they even going to make it?

She started kicking at the ground when she saw a shadow pass over her head. Her bright blue eyes were still glistening with tears as she looked up.

Daryl eyed her from head to toe before he spoke, making her feel exposed again. He obviously knew she was upset, but he still hadn't asked if she was ok.

"C'mon." he mumbled, standing over her with his hand outstretched.

Beth sighed, her shoulders slumping a little as she placed her tiny hand in his, letting him pull her up the rest of the way. She noticed she was swaying a little as she adjusted to standing.

Probably because they hadn't eaten in 2 days...

Daryl's hair was long now, but she could still see his eyes. A darkness in them staring right back at her in what she could only assume was concern. He was hard to read, but she decided she'd trust him. She kind of had no other choice. In the past, she had caught him staring at her when she wasn't looking, always feeling like something was there between them but she never had the time to figure it out. It happened a lot once they got to the prison, more so after Judith born, taking care of her together in between feeding times. He never said much but his shyness was always endearing. As much as his broody stare and closed off nature could be intimidating, to Beth, he always seamed to be more of an introverted, considering type of man. His temper got the better of him at times, but Beth could tell he was most likely just misunderstood. She knew the group appreciated it when he would get protective of her and Maggie. Coming to their defence when someone new crawled in and misjudged their dynamic, hitting on them or making her feel uncomfortable. Even if it had been his own brother, Merle. He was simply not one for games or superficial crap, and was surprisingly very level headed. Considering the world they lived in, that was an impressive feat.

"Be dark soon." He said simply, his voice in that usual husky drawl. He let go of her hand and patted her lightly on the arm, "Should keep moving."

Without another word, he turned and headed south.

Beth just stared at the back of his head, watching him for a moment before trudging begrudgingly behind him. He was still giving her no indication he was going to leave her anytime soon, and it was enough to calm her nerves for the moment. But she was still surprised he had stuck around as long as he had. They were complete opposites after all. She wondered if he was keeping her safe because he felt obligated, or if he genuinely cared whether she lived or died.

Honestly, she was too exhausted to decide if she wanted to know the answer to that.

She didn't know where they were going, or how long they would be walking, but she trusted Daryls knowledge of this part of the country and always let him lead. He was a good tracker and hunter, and was pretty much silent on his feet as they walked. She had learnt a lot from him in their short time together and she was grateful.

The lazy part of her however, just wanted to collapse and sleep for twelve hours. Her head ached, her tummy constantly rumbled, and she knew she would snap sooner rather than later.

"We should find a creek." She suggested suddenly. A rinse from the grime and dirt would be nice, she thought longingly. She could use the change of pace.

Daryl just grunted in reply, looking around as he walked, crossbow at the ready. "Be dark soon." He repeated flatly, not looking at her. "Creek is too far away anyways, theres a road up ahead. We'll find a place there."

They both shoved fallen tree branches to the side as they continued on, heading through some denser parts of the forest as they climbed down the slope of the bush.

And that was it for the next hour. Which gave Beth more time and silence to think.

Great.

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"Motorcycle mechanic." She blurted out, lost in her thoughts. Beth couldn't take the silence anymore. It was also past midday and they had been walking for hours again, she needed another rest, and a drink...

At least they had only come across ten Walkers though, it was almost a miracle.

"Huh?" Daryl replied, looking sideways at her.

"That's my guess. For what you were doin before the turn. Did Zack ever guess that one?"

The man next to her grunted again before he spoke. "It don't matter. Not anymore."

She could tell he was distracted as they walked, so she matched his stride, trying to catch his gaze. "It's just, what people talked about. You know. To feel normal."

Daryl looked around, his only concern was to make sure the next few hundred yards in front of them were safe as they kept walking.

"Yeah well, it never felt normal to me." He mumbled frustratedly in reply.

Beth gave up on trying to make small talk again. It was obvious Daryl wasn't very good at it.

They finally found a road up ahead he seamed to recognise, still lush with greenery on each side. They got to a crossroads at the end of the bend, and found another barren street. Just a shop and a car that had obviously been set on fire. They walked down the road into another street on their left, and to Beth's surprise, they found a cabin, half hidden by big fallen trees and a collapsed fence.

"Found this place with Mischonne." Daryl stated simply.

Beth frowned, looking around. "I was expecting a liquor store." She reminded, still not over the fact she hadn't had that drink she was craving.

"Nah, this is better." he assured.

Once again, she was surprised at how he managed to get them out of harms way so effortlessly. It was like Daryl was made for this world, and not the one they were forced to leave behind.

As they came closer, it looked like the cabin was on the collapsing side of things, but it was shelter and protection and that was more than she could ever dream of these days. The prospect of a proper nights rest in an actual bed made the aches and pains in her body sing out in response.

Is that why he brought them here? She wondered, trailing quickly behind him.

Daryl never liked to stay in one place long for safety reasons, but it looked secure enough to her. Honestly, it was a dump, but Beth was so tired she really didn't care. She'd take it over another night on the cold hard dirt any day.

The two of them wandered through the living room and kitchen, apprehensively at first, taking in their surroundings.

Daryl then walked into a room to the side of front door, returning proudly with a tray of haphazardly filled glass jars.

"What's that?" Beth asked, unimpressed.

"Moonshine."

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