Rolling to her back Beth Greene's eyes popped open. Laying on her back on the hardwood floor of the abandoned house she was currently in she listened intently. She sighed with relief when all she could hear was the snores of her new family and not the moaning of the literal walking dead.
Glancing next to her she could see her sister, Maggie, snuggled under a blanket with Glenn Rhee. Despite the situation they were in, Maggie seemed genuinely happy with Glenn, whom she had only just met three months prior when the group Glenn was with came to their farm.
Knowing she wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon Beth slowly got to her feet, careful not to disturb her sister or father who was sleeping on her other side. Wrapping her blanket around her shoulders she slowly picked her way through the dark living room and made her way to the front door.
Opening it quietly she slipped out to the front porch. Pausing she glanced around for the person on watch, another person from Glenn's group, Daryl Dixon, who could literally blend into the darkness. Not seeing him Beth moved to the stairs and settled herself on the bottom steps.
Sighing she leaned against the railing as her eyes roamed the darkness in front of her looking for any movement. The last seven months had been a literal nightmare.
It had started as a sickness. High fever, upset stomach, vomiting all the telltale signs of just a regular sickness. However, they quickly learned that this sickness killed, and once you died you didn't just stay dead.
She had overheard Rick Grimes, the designated leader, of the group Glenn and Daryl belonged to telling her daddy, Hershel, what he had learned from his visit to the CDC. The dead had the ability to 'reanimate' and rise from their graves to walk amongst the living killing anyone they came across.
Her daddy hadn't believed Rick at the time insisting the barn full of living dead he had on their property would be okay until a cure was found. Rick tried reasoning with her father but she knew once her daddy had his mind made up it was hard to sway him. Especially when in that barn was his wife Annette, her mama, and her half brother, Shawn.
In the end her daddy hadn't been able to stop Shane Walsh, another from Rick's group, from opening the barn and letting her family and neighbors out only to gun them down right in front of her daddy. Beth's heart had broken watching the destruction and just when they thought it was over the little girl that the group had been searching for came stumbling from the barn too.
Carol Peletier's daughter, Sophia, had gone missing after the group had gotten stuck in the middle of the highway near Beth's family farm. A herd of the dead that they called walkers had come through and Sophia had run into the woods to get away from them.
While the group searched for the little girl Rick's young son, Carl, had gotten shot by her daddy's friend, Otis, and that's what had brought the group to the Greene farmhouse. Otis had sent Rick to the farmhouse in search of her father, who being the town vet, had a basic knowledge of what to do to help Carl.
In order to help Carl though her daddy needed equipment at their local fema shelter, which had been the town's high school. Otis and Shane had gone for what was needed but only Shane had come back.
Shane claimed that Otis had sacrificed himself because it was his fault Carl was hurt but Beth had her doubts. The group had stayed at the farm for nearly two months while Carl recovered from his wounds until another large herd had come through forcing them from her family's farm.
She had lost her childhood friend, Jimmy, and Otis' wife, Patricia, that night. The group had also lost a woman named, Andrea, and Shane too.
It had been over a month since the fall of the farm and ever since the small rag tag group had been circling around Georgia trying to find somewhere to stay. When they were lucky the group sometimes came across homes to stay a night or two in and when they were unlucky they were forced to either sleep outside or in the few cars they still had running.
Tonight was one of the lucky nights.
Knowing it was well past midnight Beth pulled out the small notebook and pencil she had found in one of the houses they raided and turned to the page where she had been keeping track of the days. Adding the new date to her hand drawn calendar Beth sighed and closed the notebook before using the eraser of the pencil to draw in the dirt.
Smiling slightly she was reminded of the time she had read Harry Potter as she stared down at the birthday cake she had drawn. Leaning over she blew softly in the dirt, "Happy 18th birthday, Beth," she whispered.
"Thought you was 16," came a gruff voice from behind her. Jumping Beth let out a very undignified squeal as she twisted around to stare up at the man who had literally blended in with the night.
"Good God, Daryl, are you tryin to kill me?" she whispered harshly clutching her chest. Shrugging Daryl sat beside her and motioned towards the dirt cake with his knife, "You skip a year or somethin?"
Laughing quietly Beth held her hand up with her pinky out, "You gotta swear not to tell," she told him quietly. Snorting Daryl looked at her like she was crazy, "What am I supposed to do with that?" he asked her, looking at her hand like it was a walker.
Rolling her eyes Beth turned her body more towards him while grabbing his hand. Pushing his fingers down she pulled his pinky up and hooked it with hers, "Honestly Daryl, you act like you've never done a pinky promise." Scoffing Daryl looked at their pinkies twined together, "Have to say this is a first," he told her quietly.
Locking eyes with him Beth gave him a small smile, "Well let me tell you a pinky promise is sacred. It's a promise that can never be broken," she explained. Nodding he moved his hand away from hers, "So what's the promise?"
Biting her lip Beth sighed, "Well my daddy kind of lied to all of you. When you all first showed up he wasn't entirely trusting and basically told me to say I was younger then what I am. He was hoping it would deter any," pausing she tried to find the right word, "unwanted attention."
Snorting Daryl rolled his eyes, "You do know if a man is intent on giving you as you say unwanted attention your age ain't stopping him?" Shrugging Beth glanced behind her towards the house where her daddy was sleeping, "It made him feel better," she said simply.
They were quiet for a few minutes as Beth thought over what he said. Fingering the knife that she had in a sheath at her hip she chewed on the inside of her lip trying to build the courage to ask him what she needed to. She knew from back at the farm that Daryl Dixon had a bit of a temper on him.
Before she could get the courage though he surprised her by asking how she knew it was her birthday. Smiling Beth picked up the notebook she had dropped when he scared her. Flipping it open she showed him how she was keeping track of the days, "It's going to be Christmas soon. And I thought it could come in handy tryin to pinpoint a possible date for Lori to give birth," she added, thinking of Rick's pregnant wife.
Nodding Daryl glanced at her, "So when you think she's going to pop?" he asked. Shrugging Beth debated on telling him what she suspected. Sighing she held her hand out with her pinky extended waiting.
Snorting Daryl grabbed her pinky, "Seriously you sure you're 18?" he asked her snidely. "Shut up, or I won't tell you the secret," she responded glaring at him, "Now as far as I can tell based on conversation she should be due in June based on when Rick found you all at the quarry," she told him quietly, "But I'm thinkin it's more like May maybe even April cuz I ain't so sure it's Rick's," she finished waiting for him to show surprise.
When none came she narrowed her eyes at him, "You knew," she accused. Shrugging Daryl glanced at her, "Question is how you know?" he asked her.
Scoffing Beth rolled her eyes, "Please you're talking to the youngest child of a God fearing southern man and with siblings like Maggie and Shawn I got pretty good at blending in and listening when I wasn't supposed to. Plus I had eyes, Shane was angry for a reason. Only one reason two best friends turn on each other, a woman," she laid out simply.
Daryl studied her, "Well you're a bit of a surprise." Nodding Beth sighed, "All my life people just expected me to be the good girl especially with Maggie running wild so I fell into that category and never gave anyone reason to move me from it. Besides you usually see people for what they are when they think no one is watching," she told him quietly.
Humming in agreement Daryl nodded, "So what other things ya think ya see?" he asked curiously.
Holding out her hand again Beth waited till he linked his pinky with hers, "You're a strange one," he mumbled, rolling his eyes. Shrugging Beth agreed with him, "That was a promise you'd tell me the truth about what I'm about to say," she told him.
After agreeing to tell her the truth Beth glanced towards the house making sure no one was around, "I think Shane killed Otis," she whispered. Narrowing his eyes at her he asked why she thought that.
"When Patricia and I went to shooting practice Shane had a bag full of guns. Otis' was in the bag. He told everyone that Otis stayed behind to cover him but how does Otis cover someone without their gun?" she questioned logically.
"He doesn't."
Shivering Beth pulled her blanket around her tighter, "Whatta think happened?" she asked quietly. Shaking his head Daryl sighed, "Won't do ya any good thinking on it. Don't change nothing," he told her.
Taking a deep breath Beth shifted closer, "Can I ask a favor?" pausing when Daryl simply nodded, "So Maggie gave me this knife," she showed him on her hip, "And she's been working with me but as you politely pointed out earlier unless my attacker is a woman about my size it ain't gonna do much. I need someone else, someone like you, to show me how to survive."
Sighing, Daryl cracked his neck, "You think your Pops gonna be okay with that?" he asked her roughly.
Biting her lip Beth took a deep breath, "Well I'm hoping he'll understand my need to not be raped while we're out on the road," she retorted, "I may look naive Daryl but I'm not. I know full well what that kid, Randall, out in our barn told you about the group he was with. I know there are bad people out there just as much as good people. I need to be ready for the bad people, like Shane and Randall. They wanted me to fight to live so badly, but no one wants to show me how to in this world," she pleaded, playing with the bracelets on her left wrist. The bracelets that hid the scar she knew he was well aware of.
After her mama and brother were killed the second time Beth had essentially given up on life. Taking a shard of broken glass to her wrist before realizing that killing herself was no way to honor her mama or brother.
Luckily her daddy was able to stitch her up and Beth was bound and determined to live for those who no longer could. She just wasn't sure if she was strong enough to live in this new world, but she knew someone like Daryl, who was pretty much made for this world, could and she wanted to learn from him. He knew how to hunt, track, fight, and survive in the woods.
Swearing under his breath Daryl nodded, "Fine," he relented. Smiling widely Beth grabbed his hand hooking her pinky with his, "Now it's a pinky promise and you can't go back on your word," she told him excitedly.
Rolling his eyes Daryl shook his head before glancing at the sky, "Get some sleep, Greene, I gotta wake T-Dogg for next shift," he told her, rising to his feet. Glancing down at her he shook his head smirking before walking into the house to wake another member of their group.
Two days later the group was still settled at the house and Beth got her first lesson on self defense with a man. Daryl had just knocked her on her ass for the third time when they heard Lori yelling as she came out of the house, "What the hell did you just do to her?" she exclaimed.
Standing quickly Beth jumped in front of the pregnant woman holding up her hands, "Daryl isn't doing anything other than teaching me how to defend myself," she explained as she saw a few other members of the group coming out to see what the commotion was about.
Hands on her hips Lori shook her head, "Beth, you don't need to worry; nothing is going to happen to you," Lori assured her.
Hearing a snort from behind her Beth took a deep breath, "You don't know that, Lori, nobody does. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed in this world and I've asked Daryl to teach me how to defend myself. You're not my mama, she's dead now, because she didn't know how to defend herself. I'm not just going to be a walking dead girl," Beth told her calmly before walking away.
Daryl found her a few minutes later leaning against the back of the house, "You got your knife?" he asked. Nodding, he motioned her to follow him, "Let's go, your Pops put Olive Oyl back in place, we're going hunting," he told her heading for the woods.
Hurrying after him Beth questioned, "Daddy? Olive Oyl?"
Walking into the woods Daryl glanced back at her, "Yeah, that's one of the nicer names I've got for her. Your Pops vouched for ya, told Miss Nosy he asked me to show you some things."
Following behind him Beth bit her lip, "I'm sorry to be such a bother," she apologized. Stopping and turning so fast that Beth ran into him, "Oh," she squeaked stepping back, Daryl glared at her. "One thing I know is that you can't rely on nobody for nothing. Don't be sorry for learning how to take care of yourself," he snarled, "Now let's go; we're going to lose the light," he said whirling around and stomping away.
Wide eyed Beth smiled before rushing to catch up to him.
Her first lesson consisted of learning how to walk through the woods without sounding like a herd of elephants coming through, Daryl's analogy not hers. After that Beth paid attention to everything he told her and by the time they were headed back to the house she had successfully tracked one of the rabbits he was now carrying.