The Baker and the Butcher

Chapter 20

"Daryl, come on over and taste these berries! I reckon I could make a darn good raspberry buttercream with these!"
She said quickly, taking out her note pad and marking down the spot the berries grew.
That was Beth's new thing. If she found something beautiful she would jot it down in the tiny journal they had found at one of the houses they stayed in.
She claimed she was just "waitin' for the world to fix itself, because there wasn't no way that it could be bad forever."
"You just gotta have a little hope Daryl Dixon, you'll see. it'll work out."
She had whispered to him laying in the grass on one of the bad days.
They both missed their families, more and more everyday. But Beth wouldn't let either of them lose hope.
He couldn't imagine being out here without her. She was the only person he wanted here with him.
Putting her journal away she turned to him smiling.
"So my very scruffy friend, where to now?"
He rubbed his hand over his beard which was coming in too fast for his liking.
"Very funny, I reckon we go straight for a bit longer , I've gotta feeling I recognize these woods."
"Ay ay captain" she saluted him , reaching inside her pack for the water bottle at the bottom.
Bringing the bottle up to her lips Daryl watched the tiny beads of water linger on her lip before she licked it off.
They hadn't kissed since there first meet up, and he couldn't help but miss the warm pressure her lips left.
He hated how much he cared for her.
He knew what love left you with and that was nothing.
He couldn't afford to lose her, she was the only thing that kept him human.
"So" she started " when we get back to the family , I wanna ask Merle about helpin' me fix up my car. I know that I can bribe him with some blondies, those are his favorite."
The rest of the family not including Hershel , wasn't the most receptive of Merle.
Daryl had done everything he could to try and get them to give Merle a chance, but they were stubborn people and they just didn't understand.
Beth asked him about it, but he didn't want to cause a rift in the family dynamic so he just told her Merle was fittin' in just fine.
Daryl looked over to the beautiful blonde and grabbed her hand in his.
"Now what about me I can fix up your car. Everything might not be in place, but I'll do anything for a blondie."
She smiled and looked up at him
"Well you have you're blondie right here."
He looked at her eyes wide before he shook his head laughing
"I walked right into that one huh?"
She smiled gently swinging their conjoined hands.
About fifteen minutes later and Daryl couldn't stand the silence.
" hey how bout you sing something?"
Beth stopped abruptly sending Daryl stumbling foreword.
"You just told me about an hour ago, you wanted some quiet. Here I am givin' it to you and you still ain't happy, men I swear."
He just rolled his eyes and nudged her arm.
Taking a deep breathe she looked over at him.
"Alright I wrote this song when Finn Tucker broke up with me for Julie Harmon, and that was when I was in highschool so you don't get to say a word."
He mimed zipping his lips and he smiled.
"Fine" she huffed taking a big breath
"Let go of Julie and take my hand
Let go it's time to be my man, let go of Julie and kiss my face.
She's standing she's standing in my place.
And I'm not normally the jealous jealous type , but I imagined it'd be you and me tonight.
And I bet Julie's really smart and you think Julie she's so cool but if you pick her over me you're just a fool."
She giggled
"I haven't sung that song in a while. pretty silly huh?" She looked up to Daryl who was busy humming the chorus to her song.
She smacked his arm
"You're funny Dixon, but wait til' I tell Rick how you slept in bunny pajama pants at that old house on west street."
He immediately shut his mouth and pecked her cheek.
"I actually liked your song, hell Beth you could be singing about blood thirsty zombies and I would still like the song. I ain't never heard a voice nicer than yours. Not even Conway can top you."
She blushed slightly squeezing his hand opening her mouth to speak when she was cut off by the rustling of leaves and the loud familiar voices of two men.
"I still don't see why we have to do this. I ain't never killed nothin' in my life. We've been living pretty good off a Merle's catches and even Rick has gotten better. Ain't no need to test me out here."
Beth and Daryl exchanged wide eyed glances at each other from there spot behind a thick tree trunk.
Another more familiar voice chimed in sounding closer.
"Shut up Abraham , I have listened to you complain for the last half an hour about this shit, if you put half the energy into hunting as you did complaining maybe we'd have something to show for it."
Beth mouthed "Glenn?" To Daryl as he placed a steady hand on her arm signaling her to stay put.
She placed her hand over his an looked him in the eye she whispered
"Be careful."
He nodded forcefully before pushing himself around the tree and catching a glimpse of the small Asian he knew too well and the annoying red head with the big mouth.
He quickly ran back and pulled Beth with him standing in front of the pair.
Glenn pulled his gun quick an was ready to shoot before he recognized the two.
"Daryl? Beth?!"
They both smiled bigger than they thought possible.
Abrahams voice came from next to Glenn.
"AWW man were gunna be heroes. We went hunting and brought back two humans. Suck it grimes"
Daryl couldn't help but smile at the idiotic hillbilly.
They made it.