Shattered Wings

Chapter Eighteen: Ten Years Built Up

A few hours had passed and although the banging on the car had stopped, they could head the herd still outside. They knew eventually that the herd would move on, it was the waiting they was killing them. "Why did you wait so long to come back to Alexandria?" Beth finally broke the silence, keeping her voice low.

"I thought we were past this?" Daryl was lying on his back, Beth was on her side facing them. They were so close together he could feel her heart beating against his arm.

"I'm not." Beth had her head resting against her arm, "Is it me? Did I do somethin?"

Daryl was silent for a moment, he sighed, "No."

"It was hard." Beth started, "I woke up...I thought I was in heaven." She shook her head, he could feel that, "I worked so hard to get to a point where I could leave. When I could find my family again." Beth took a deep breath, "I forgot so much. I forgot you." She swallowed, Daryl listened, "I spent a year ignoring my thoughts. I stopped thinking about Maggie and Carl and you...I started thinking about myself. I learned a lot about me while at Grady. Before and after I was shot. One thing I never forgot was...how much I took from our time together."

"Yeah." Daryl mumbled, he wasn't good with words, "When they took you...when I saw that car speeding off...I donno...I just..." Daryl was quiet.

"What?" She tried to pull.

"Why do you always need answers?" Daryl barked back.

"Why do you always have to keep things to yourself?" Beth shot in return.

"Alright." He laughed a little, "Ten years...we're still fightin."

"It's what we do." Beth shrugged.

They sat in silence a little longer, Beth expected the conversation was over, until Daryl broke the silence, "I learned who you really were...I got to know Beth. Not the teenager who I felt sorry for...the woman I learned to care about." Beth's hand was already pressed against his arm, she turned it to rub her hand up to his elbow and back to his wrist, a relaxing gesture. "I had to ignore my thoughts, they weren't...appropriate."

"Because I was young?" She asked.

"Yeah..." He mumbled again.

"And now?" Beth took air in as she spoke.

"Yer still young." He shook his head.

"Daryl...you're what? Fifteen years older than me?" Beth shook her head.

"I guess." He shrugged, still mumbling.

Beth shifted her body, Daryl tensed up worried that it could move the car and draw attention, but he felt Beth's hand move from his arm to his neck, it took him off guard. Beth was looking down at him, her head against the trunk door, he couldn't see her, but he knew where she was. "Why did you make me wait twelve days?"

"We're still on that?"

"Yea we're still on that. I want an answer, a real one this time. Treat me like an adult for once. Like I asked you to. Tell me what you've bottled up over ten years. God tell me anythi..." Beth couldn't talk anymore, she couldn't because Daryl had reached up and grabbed her face in order to pull her down to him so he could kiss her. It was more than surprise, it was shocking and unexpected. The roughness of his stubble and the dryness of his lips meshed with her soft skin and plump lips. The more he kissed her, the softer his lips became. Beth pulled away only to take a breath, Daryl's hand fell softly to her neck, they were quiet, only the growling of walkers outside. As the moment dragged on Beth found her thoughts aligning and she leaned back down to kiss Daryl again, this time a little pushed through as they kissed, she felt his hands disappear from her neck and grab her waist, turning his body more so he could face her. Ten years was a long time. From what was a light at the end of the tunnel became clear over time as feelings of compassion and care. It was so many years of thoughts and feelings bottled up that he wanted to let out. It was her optimism and kindness of her teen years mixed with her courage and toughness of her now that pulled everything back for him, and maybe it was wrong. Maybe Maggie would kill him, maybe Beth deserved better, but couldn't they be selfish just this one time?

Daryl pulled away this time, "I ain't good with words..."

"I think you said everything..." Beth laughed softly.

"Good." Daryl smiled, though should couldn't see it, "Good..."