Wildfire || A Modern Bethyl AU.

Town drivin'. || Chapter 4

The commotion outside stirs Beth and she groans. Rubbing her eyes she sits up. Through the open window she hears the sounds of yelling. Three voices; Rick's, Daryl's, and Shane's.

"Shane you seriously need to stop being a douche bag." Daryl's voice sounds.

"Yeah, and maybe you need to stop chasing after things you can't have, like the farmer's daughter." Shane shot back. Beth's breathing stopped for what seemed like a life time.

"That is none of your business, Shane." Rick's calm voice, surprised her. She knew he was more or less the leader.

"You know what, maybe Hershel would like to hear how you had your hands all over her." Shane's voice had a tone only an evil cat could attain. It almost came out as a sneer.

Quietly she got out of her bed and creeped to the window. She sees Rick with his arm out stretched in front of Daryl. Shane only a few feet away.

"Shane, don't make this worse than it needs to be." Rick says bringing his hand to his side and slowly walking toward Shane.

"Maybe, you should tell your little blonde to keep her mouth shut. She don't know nothing about nothing." Shane says, at first Beth is confused. She thinks of last night. She remembers what she had said about Shane to Carol and Michonne. That he wasn't a gentle man and she only wondered about Andrea and the marks she had seen on her arm and neck.

She was right though. He wasn't a gentle man.

She quickly moves from the window and gets dressed in pants and yellow tank top.

Heading down stairs she bumps into Maggie who also heard the fight. Maggie's face is expressed into disgust with disappointment.

"Nice, Bethy." She says shaking her head and walking down stairs leaving Beth at the top.

She hasn't done anything wrong. It was a harmless flirt.

She quickly pulled on her boots, opening the screen door and walking out onto the porch, she felt the tension lingering from the fight. Rick was walking away with his arm draped around Daryl's shoulders. Shane was already more than half way to his bike.

She trotted down the steps. The barn doors were open, her father would be in there.

She kicks the dirt up, coating her boots in dust, as she walks toward the barn.

"Hey, Beth." Rick's voice called behind her.

"Hey, Rick." She says turning. Rick was smiling, he always was, except for earlier.

"Wanna go into town? I, uh, need some things for tonight and tomorrow." He says walking toward her.

"Oh yeah sure." She smiles back and they turn tail toward the blue powdered truck.

The ride was quiet with only the radio and the wind in the rolled down windows.

Beth stole glances at Rick. He simply thumped his fingers against the steering wheel to the old rock song flooding the cab of the truck. She exhaled and plucked up and began the conversation she knew was going to happen anyways.

"Rick, I heard this morning." She says turning the music down. He looks at her for a few seconds then back to the road.

"Oh." Was all he said. he stops just before the rail road tracks parking to the side.

"Beth, you have to understand something. " he says turning the truck off.

"Shane isn't a calm man. He has a temper that's something awful." He says looking at her. She shifts in her seat.

"And Daryl, can you tell me what happened?" Beth blushes.

"Nothing. We took the horses and went through the fields. When we got back me and dad always check for ticks. So I did." She says slightly faster than intended.

"I know you're old enough to know things. And-"

"I'm 21! I'm not a child!" Beth seethes.

"I understand. I know." Rick says putting his hands up.

"I just don't want this to get outta control. Daryl is a harmless soul, he just falls so hard." Rick says and realization hits Beth. He wasn't scolding her for her actions, he was warning her. They would be leaving soon and Daryl with them.

"I'll be careful then." She says looking out toward the corn fields.

"Well alright." Rick says smiling. He starts the truck and continuing into town.

They gathered varies things from the stores around town. They piled the truck bed with their finds and got back into the truck.

The drive back was the same as the drive there. Quiet. Pulling in the dirt driveway, everyone was busy. It was like a little community.

"Need help unloading?" Beth asks but he declines as she watches Carl, Dale, and Shane walking toward the truck. Her heart sinks when Shane stares at her. Her eyes follow his being till it passes the window to the truck bed.

She hops out and quickly walks toward the barn, to help her father.

She slowly walks into the barn hearing a voice soothing the horses. The stalls are empty. She walks over to the open door to the pasture. Daryl is holding onto Nelly brushing her neck like their hugging. She whinnies and a smile erupts on his face. He side steps and she happily trots toward Jack, who immediately runs to her. Daryl stands and watches as they both take off toward the south field.

"And now I'll have nothing to do." She says and he whips around, another smile crosses his face.

"Sorry, usually I go with Rick on runs." He says walking toward her.

"Figured I'd do something around here."

"Well the hay needs to be turned. Can always do that." She says smiling up at him.