Hope Lost: A Daryl Dixon Story (The Walking Dead/ Bethyl )

5- Surprises

"Where did you find this?" Daryl asked Robin. He was turning the sheriff's hat around in his hands. There was no doubt that it belonged to Carl. Rick gave it to him some time during their stay at Hershell's farm. Carl never once took it off. It sort of became his trademark.                                        

   "I found it lying along the riverbed not too far from here." Robin tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. She hoped bringing him a small gift would change his mind about her group, but it just seemed to take his mind off them even more.

"You take me to that exact place first thing tomorrow morning." Daryl instructed. This was his first real clue. Carl must have lost his hat along the way. Daryl might even find a trail he could pick up on. It had turned out to be a good day. He wondered if he should thank Robin. She sat quietly for a change. 

"You really miss your group." She observed.  

"They're like family."  

"It's good to have something to hold on to in this world. Adam was like family to me." Robin said softly. "He found my brother and me wondering in the woods a distance from here. He took us in, provided us with food and shelter. Our group was bigger back then. I could never thank him enough." 

"Where's your brother now?" Daryl already knew the answer. 

"He had cancer. The doctors diagnosed him terminal not long before the walkers came. He went to bed one night and never woke up. I'm just glad he went peacefully. But of course Adam had to put a knife to his head when he turned." She gave a small smile. 

There was a short moment of silence. Robin gazed at Daryl and he recognized a warm glint in her eyes as she spoke about her brother. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. She had a soft motherly side, almost like... Carol. Daryl didn't have time to ask Rick why he sent Carol away. He had completely forgotten about her until now. He decided he'd ask Beth in the morning. Maybe she'd know something.

"What happened there?" Robin's question brought Daryl back to his shitty reality. "Where?" "The scratch there on your face.

A walker didn't-" "It was Beth." He cut her off coldly. "Having troubles?" she asked, concerned. Beth didn't seem the violent type to her.

"I don't see how that has anything to with you." He answered cruelly.

"Just know that I'm here to talk. It's the least I can do for my small time hero." It was like Robin was immune to Daryl's hostility. If anything, it encouraged her to keep on with her nice act. Daryl wanted to take her downtown to Atlanta and show her all the horrors of this new world. He wanted the world to suck out all that cheery niceness. There wasn't any place for nice anymore. Instead he just stared at her. Robin's blonde hair was a lot darker than Beth's, and her eyes were a dark brown. They could be considered black in the evening light. Her large breasts stuck out a little in her dirty tank top. A loose curly strand of her hair fluttered in the breeze.

"Well goodnight then, Blondie." 

"Goodnight, Daryl." She said in a sweet country voice.

__ 

Daryl quietly entered his tent. He didn't want to be waking Beth up. He found her reading by candlelight. She must have taken the book from town the other day. 

"Still up." He grunted. 

Beth nodded and smiled. "I have trouble sleeping sometimes." 

Daryl didn't know how to respond to that so he just kept quiet and kicked his boots off. "Look what Robin done found." Daryl showed her the sheriff's hat. Beth's eyes went wide.