Spiced Molasses

Chapter 34

It was late afternoon by the time they made it back to Atlanta. Despite asking, Beth hadn't been allowed to drive so she tucked one leg up against her and settled back to watch the landscape slowly shift from rural to metropolitan.

"You alright?" Daryl asked after most of the drive had passed in silence.

Beth tilted her head to look at him and smiled softly. "I'm good. I'll just miss the country."

The earned her a slanted grin in return. "It was nice," Daryl agreed quietly, eyes switching back to the road.

Beth shifted her shoulders and tried not to think too hard about what she was leaving behind. The most important thing, she was taking with her. Without their trip to the country, who knew where she and Daryl would be? Probably still locked in that confusing stalemate that wasn't fooling anyone.

Beth was steeling herself to return to her covert existence, though there would be less pretence involved now. Her grin turned a little mischievous and she was glad Daryl's eyes were on the road instead of on her.

The sooner this situation could be resolved then the sooner she could, in theory, have Daryl all to herself. Additionally she wanted to be there for him. He needed someone in his life that he wasn't lying to. Someone who was on his side first, without some kind of hidden agenda. Likewise she needed him to give her life some purpose. Without his mission driving her, then she would just be some poor little orphan, separated from her family and hunted by a madman. She didn't want her life to revolve around her being afraid.

Walking back into the apartment was interesting. It felt different, like she had some kind of ownership of the space. Also it was less depressing now that she knew it wasn't a symbolic representation of Daryl. The cabin did a better job at conveying his personality.

Beth ran her fingers through her hair, casting out some of the knots that had worked their way in while they were travelling.

Daryl dropped their bags at his feet and glanced around. For a brief second, he looked directionless. Beth stopped trying to detangle her hair and instead wrapped her arms around his waist. Daryl peered down at her as if mildly surprised to find her attached to him.

"We'll work this out," she swore fiercely. "We have each other."

"That's all I need," Daryl claimed in a rare moment of tenderness.

His words made her heart thrum. She didn't think she would ever get tired of hearing him declare that she had an important place in his life. Beth rose on her toes to press a light kiss to the curve of his jaw, so caught up in the moment that she genuinely believed that they could get through this.

Daryl sighed, "Much as I'd like to be distracted by more of this, I think I have to go and meet Martinez. Tell him I'm back and all."

"I'll distract you some other time then," Beth promised, releasing her lover and picking up her bag.

"Besides I can always distract myself until you get home." Beth flipped her hair over her shoulder and watched just long enough to see Daryl's jaw drop open before making her way towards the bedroom.

...

Daryl ordered a beer and tried to force Beth's last words out of his mind. It was hard to think of much else when he had quite a vivid picture of Beth naked on his bed, hands in imaginative places. Daryl physically shook his head and hoped being in love wasn't going to turn him into a useless sap.

Pete and Martinez were in their usual booth and for a second it was easy to pretend that nothing had changed. Pete was shaking his head ruefully at something Martinez had said and fighting off a smile.