Leave Out All The Rest (Bethyl AU)

< 5 >

                 

Daryl slowly followed behind Beth as she walked through the door to his shack. He hadn't been there since the night his mother died. There was a sort of eerie feeling lingering over the house as he walked through the thresh hold for the thousandth time. He had entered the small shack so many times but this time felt much different. Daryl knew his mother wouldn't be sleeping in her bedroom and his father wouldn't come stumbling in, high on rage. It never felt like home to him before and now, it was just the last place he'd ever see his mother alive.

            "This is your home?" Beth asked softly as she looked around. There wasn't much to look at considering how small it was. Daryl felt embarrassed seeing the look on her face now. He couldn't tell if it was disgust or concern as she looked around the small shack.

            "Nah, just a place to sleep." Daryl said shrugging off the sad look on her face. He picked up a jar off the kitchen counter and smirked at it, his father's last batch of moonshine. He poured it down the sink liking the feeling of getting rid of something that was his fathers.

"What's this?" Beth asked with a smile on her face. She held up the pink bra shaped makeshift cigarette tray Daryl's father used when he filled up his other ashtrays.

            "Was my dad's." Daryl said shaking his head. He walked over to her and grabbed it from her. "Used it for his cigarettes and shootin' practice on occasion."

            "He shot in your house?" Beth asked surprised and Daryl couldn't help but smile a little at the shocked look on her face.

            "Only sometimes." He said and put the thing down. He watched her look at the few photos of him and Merle over by the kitchen.

            "Have you always lived here?" She asked and Daryl nodded. He walked over to the window and saw his bikes under the car port and was about to go show Beth when he heard her opening the door to his mother's bedroom behind him. He knew the blood was still everywhere and hurried to grab the door before she could open.

            "You probably don't wanna see that." Daryl said looking her in the eyes. Beth felt a coldness surge through her and she grabbed his hand.

            "I told you Daryl. I wanna know everything. Even this." Beth said and Daryl nodded.

            Before they left the hospital Beth convinced Daryl to bring her here. He said no at first but he couldn't say no to her big blue eyes when they pleaded with him. Beth knew Daryl wasn't able to share this with anyone else and took it upon her to be that person.

Daryl couldn't explain what his home life was like so he decided to show her. He wasn't sure why but he wanted to tell someone. He wanted what happened to be more than just a police report. He wanted someone else to care and she did. Daryl took a step back and waited for her to come out. He heard her gasp but couldn't bring himself to go in that room.

            When she came out he saw the fear and shock in her eyes. He didn't say anything and neither did she. She looked at him for a moment and he watched her walk out the front door. He knew a girl like her wouldn't want anything to do with someone with a life like his but she didn't get in her truck to leave, which encouraged him to follow her out the door. He found her sitting on the porch looking out into the woods that surrounded the shack. He sat a good distance away from her, unsure of what to say. Finally, ending his agony, she looked over at him with thoughtful eyes.