The Walking Dead (Bethyl) Spin Off (Volume Two)

Tough

Carl kicked the rock by his foot and huffed. He doesn't deserve her! .. He thought. "Carl?." His head snapped up and he instantly locked eyes with beth who's face was twisted with several emotions. "What do you want?." He said rudely as he turned his back to her. "I came to talk to you.." She said as she sat down on the log beside him.

"If your here to brag about how much you love that redneck asshole then your better off talking to a tree cause I don't wanna hear it." Beth furrowed her eyebrows. Beth opened her mouth to speak before pressing her lips together. "Is that all you want?." He asked as he picked dead bark off the log.

"You wanna know what I want Carl?," beth yelled as she stood up. "I want you to quit being a jackass! I came out here to talk to you and you don't get to treat me like crap because your jealous! Its bullshit and I'm done with being treated like this!." She yelled and Carl rolled his eyes.

Beth balled her fists and walked back towards the barn when she heard Carl say something that made her gut twist. "Whatever, go slash your wrists." Beth stopped in her tracks. He had just lit a wildfire inside of her that was no longer in her control. "What did you just fucking say?." She yelled as she turned around.

Carl's eyes widened as he got up and stepped backwards with his arms out for defense until she pinned him to a tree. Beth punched him so hard in the jaw he fell to his knee's. "You don't speak to me or anyone like that Carl. Do you fucking understand me?," Carl just moaned in pain and she kicked him in the gut. "Understand?."

"Y-Yes." He choked out.

"What the fuck - beth?!." Rick exclaimed angrily as he ran over to his son who was crouched on the ground. "Control your boy Rick, or next time its gonna be worse."

Beth walked back into the barn and made her way to the top and laid down on the hay. Carls words seemed to replay in her head over and over until she felt tears prick at the rims of her eyes. Soon enough, she began to cry. "Bethy?." She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Y-Yeah?." She croaked and Maggie stepped into the light. "Why are you cryin'?." She asked and beth rolled on the opposite side. "I ain't crying." She said and Maggie laughed. "Beth, I'm your sister. I know you well enough by now." It grew silent for a few minutes before beth spoke.

"Carl told me to slash my wrists.. So I punched him in the jaw." Maggie's jaw was nearly hitting the floor. Sure, she was shocked that he said that to her. But she was even more surprised that she punched him. In her eyes, beth was still that 10 year old girl who wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Beth, yeah he deserved it but Rick is the leader of the group.. Thats his son. You cant just do that. You should have told one of us to deal with him." Beth sat up and clenched her jaw.

"No!, I'm done playing tattletale Maggie. I'm sick of being completely useless to this group due to being a 'kid' still. You always told me to stand my ground, so I finally do and you get mad at me? Screw that. I'll do what I want and show everyone what I'm capable of." With that beth laid back down and let small sobs escape her lips.

Maggie got up and sat down beside her as she rubbed her back. "I'm not saying that bethy. Your not useless to this group-"

"Yes I am, name five people that I saved. Oh wait, you can't cause I'm not tough right?I'm not like you, or michonne, carol, Lori. I'm not like you or them am I." Maggie felt her heart crack. She knew beth was tough.

"Daryl, Me, Judith - bethy you saved 90% of the people at that prison." Beth turned to face her sister. "What? How?."

"We were all emotionally drained, pretty much in a state of depression. But you, you're like daddy. You held onto hope and faith and you restored ours. All of ours. Bethy, being tough doesn't mean being behind a gun all the time, its also about how much you can take," Maggie nodded towards her wrist. "You don't have to be like me or them, beth your so strong. And I wish you knew." Beth sat there attempting to comprehend her words for a moment.

"Thanks mag's, now can I be alone for a bit?." Maggie nodded before kissing her on the forehead and making her way down to the main level of the barn. Carl sits in the corner with people treating his punch and Maggie rolls her eyes. She opens the barn and sits outside.

"Whatta you doin' out here all by yer' self?." Daryl asked as he scanned her. "Beth punched Carl.."

"What? Why?." He asked as he placed down the rabbits along with his crossbow. He took a seat beside her and listen twd intently to her words. "He told her to slash her wrists and she punched him." Daryl was about to get up when she tugged his muscular arm back down.

"Don't, just leave it." She said and he huffed. "That kids gonna get it one day! Just wait!." He mumbled angrily and Maggie bowed her head. "Im gonna go see beth," he said trying to get up again when Maggie pulled him back down.

"She wanted to be alone for a bit. Just let her cry it out." Daryl's gut twisted. He wanted to kill Carl for saying that to her. Who the hell does this kid think he is?! ... He thought. "How is she?." He asked and Maggie lifted her head. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

"She's in a state of depression almost. Its like she doesn't realize how far she's come with all of this.. She thinks she's weak because her place isn't behind a gun, or a sword or a crossbow.. Its bullshit." Daryl smirked at that. He recalls beth yelling at him at the house oh so long ago for behind a jackass..

"She's tough," he mumbles and Maggie looks at him. "She just doesn't know it yet."

"Yet?." Maggie asked and daryl nodded as he lit the last of his cigarettes. "She'll come around one day. I know she will." Maggie nodded. "The issue she has is that she wants to play hero." Daryl flicks the ashes and looks at her. "Play hero?." He asked, slightly confused and she nods.

"She wants to save people. She thinks that for example, you saving me is heroic and she wants to take pride in something like that."

"She saved me," daryl says as he picks at the dry grass. "From a walker?." She asked and he shook his head. "Nah, she saved me from ma'self." He simply said and Maggie looked at the man sitting beside her. "I was far gone.. I would cry some nights for Merle, and others for the shit ma dad done to me. Then, I would take it out on walkers, trees , anythin' i could find.." Maggie's face softened at his words, fore she knew the feeling.

"But she brought me back," Maggie looked at him and smiled softly. "She showed me beauty in the broken world, comforted me when I was down and put me in ma place when I was out of line."

"Yeah, that sounds like beth." She laughed. Daryl tossed his cigarette and smiled softly. "I remember when I started gettin' feelin's for her," he started. "I never thought I had a chance.. So I played it cool. I'll tell you it was the hardest thing not to pick her up and kiss her and tell her i love her."

"Aw daryl, if my daddy knew the hands his little girl was in before he died, I don't think he could be happier." Daryl looked up at her. "Really?." Maggie nodded. "C'mon," she said as she stood to her feet. "Let's go check on beth."

Meanwhile, on the second story of the barn, Beth's heart was melting due to the conversation she overheard. She ran back over to the hay and laid down and 'slept' as soon as she heard the footsteps. Even then, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face. I did it... She thought.

I saved somebody.