Take Me as I Am
Chapter 19
[The Talk]

Daryl gripped the plastic sacks in his hand so tightly, he felt the fragile material tear under his trimmed fingernails. After adjusting his... ahem... from his heated kiss with Beth into a more inconspicuous fashion, he hurried to deliver the bags to Rick. Damn did he feel embarrassed when Rick walked into the kitchen. It won't happen next time. If there is a next time, that is.

""ere you go man," Daryl tossed the crumpled bags at Rick, who caught it without missing a beat.

Rick nodded his thanks, his eyes were stern and a frown marred his clean-shaven face. "We have to finish setting up the bags before long. I think a storm's brewing out north- we should make a final run into a few outlying towns before we get trapped in. Me, you and Michonne. Beth and Carl can guard the house until we're back."

"We're gonna leave them alone in there?" The question sounded innocently enough.

"Yeah, they're gonna be just fine. We gotta start setting up for Spring. The rest of them... They're out there. They ain't dead and we've got to find them," Rick let out a troubled sigh and paused, placing a hand against one of the angled spears and the other bent at his hip. It was a stance of a man with many troubles and regrets running through his head.

Daryl felt for him. Dare he say it, he missed their family too. A part of him felt guilty as well. The entire time he was separated from their family in the prison, it was just him and Beth. He cared for no one else but Beth- she had somehow engulfed his conscious and subconscious thoughts. He knew at the back of his mind, they're still alive- even if it's just one member left, he would hold out for that hope. He knew Beth felt the same way too.

"You know, I ain't gonna lie. For the past few months, all I been worried about is keeping Beth and my sorry ass alive. Ain't had the time to worry about the others until I had time to sit down and think. I got a feeling though- they're still out there. Beth too. She ain't gonna give up hope on finding Maggie... And Judith," Daryl's gruff voice softened at the mention of the family's youngest member... Judith.

Rick inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled sharply. "They're out there. Don't know where to start looking though. This winter will be rough... snow's gonna erase all the tracks. At this point, I'm just grateful Carl is with me."

For the next half hour, the two men worked on the final touches of their spear-fence. They tested it time and time again from multiple angles until they deemed it near-walker proof. Of course, nothing is walker-proof. The two men stopped and stepped back, observing their handiwork from the front porch.

"Think it'll hold up against them walkers?" Rick started, his hands on his hips.

Daryl nodded, "Yeah. It'll hold. It ain't the walkers I'm worried about though." He turned to hold Rick's curious gaze with his steel blue eyes. "I don't know about leaving them alone for the run this afternoon," he nodded at the front door behind them. Soft chatter and feminine giggles emitted from behind the door as Beth, Carl and Michonne played a board game they found in one of the closets.

"Beth's good now, isn't she?"

The redneck shrugged, "physically... Yeah. She still has them nightmares though. If I ain't there next to her, she'll attract all the damn walkers around this area with her banshee screams."

"We'll be back before night hits if we leave here soon. You won't miss sleeping with her tonight," Rick said- Daryl could hear the disapproval in his friend's voice.

"It ain't like that," Daryl countered, he couldn't help but feel bristled at his tone.

"And whatever I saw in the kitchen is a figment of my imagination, right?" Rick's body turned to him, his stern gaze questioned him as a protective father would do. "I know it ain't my place to talk about this with you Daryl. But... Hershel, he...," he trailed off momentarily, his eyes glazed with a passing thought. "Hershel and Maggie ain't here, and she's near Carl's age. I just- I just feel responsible for her."

Daryl crossed his arms, a defensive stance, and leaned up against the side of the house covered by the porch's awning. "I hadn't done something for you to think that way. She's a grown ass woman, she can be responsible for herself."

"I know man, I trust you. Her family took us in those years ago, some died protecting us... She practically raised Judith and Hershel died because I let that damn one-eyed fucker live. I owe her and the Greene family a great deal. If it weren't for them, where would we be now?"

Daryl grunted in agreement. "Still, I ain't touched her. Not in the way you're thinking."

"I don't doubt you Daryl. She is a beautiful young woman, and I'm not against you two being involved... Just... Thinking about Lori. I- I just wanna make sure there ain't no baby surprises here in the next few months."

"And there will be none," Daryl growled out, rather briskly.

Rick was about to retaliate when the front door opened, a soft voice spoke behind them.

"What are you guys up to?" Beth asked curiously, her wide blue eyes glancing curiously between the two grown, rugged men.

"'bout something that won't happen. Gonna go get Michonne. Gotta go on one final run before sundown. Rick says a storm's a'brewing," Daryl all but growled and brushed past Beth and entered the house, leaving Beth and Rick to speak softly to each other on the front porch.

He entered the room where the casket used to be set up and found Michonne and Carl sneaking cards to each other. His eyebrows raised at the playful mood in the home. It was a stark contrast to his conversation with Rick on the porch.

Daryl cleared his throat, "Michonne, Rick says the three of us are gonna go for a run. Carl and Beth will man the house. We ain't gonna be long."

"Okay," the woman said to Daryl before turning to Carl. "Are you going to be okay?"

Carl shrugged, "why wouldn't I be? We'll be fine, promise."

Rick entered the hall with Beth's smiling face in tow. "You guys ready?" The sheriff crossed the room and gave Carl a quick hug before retrieving a few supplies that laid ready at the base of the table. Daryl and Michonne followed his suit, gathering their supplies while going over the checklist mentally.

Beth took her seat on the table besides Carl, watching them get ready with a worried glaze in her eyes. Though, her vision focused on one specific person in particular.

"Alright, we'll be back soon. Carl," Rick nodded at his oldest child. "Man the house, son."

Carl nodded and pressed his hand against the gun holstered at his hip. With that note, Rick, Michonne and Daryl headed for the front door.

Disappointment washed over Beth when Daryl shut the door behind him without a single word to her. What had happened between him and Rick that had caused Daryl to be so indifferent? Did he mean something by his silence? What if he never returns, or worse, she turns before he returns? Her heart quivered, a sudden image of a blond walker in her clothes flashed before her eyes. The sheer image of her as a walker forced her into action.

Beth sprang onto her feet, knocking her chair backwards behind her as she raced to the door.

"Daryl," she called out, catching a glimpse of his back just as he was about to climb out of the fence perimeter. With her blood pounding in her ears, she couldn't find the words to say to him. All she could do was stare at his face. The face, she realized now, that she would never forget- no matter the situation... Dead or alive. A part of her felt silly to feel as if he was leaving her forever. For some reason, an ill foreboding feeling was settling in the pit of her stomach.

Daryl turned around at her cry for him. He saw her standing on the porch, one hand clutching onto one of the porch's support beams. God damn, his heart jumped for a beat at the sight of her- she was beautiful. His body ached to feel her- just to have her in his arms for a brief moment before the trio set out for the afternoon. A part of him knew why she called after him. Though she would never admit it to him, he knew she's afraid of waking up and turning into one of the undead. He could see it in her eyes, those damn beautiful blue eyes.

She didn't say a single word to him, yet her worried gaze spoke volumes. Stay safe, come home soon.

He dipped his head for a subtle nod, his heated gaze never leaving hers. I will.

Beth smiled a watery smile in return. I'll be right here waiting.

"I know," Daryl whispered under his breath before nodding to her a final time and proceeded to climb over the fence.

/

JR - I feel like that's a good place to stop. There you have it folks, the reason why Rick got his panties in a bunch after walking in on Beth and Daryl kissing. And why does Beth feel the way she does?

Stay tuned for next chapter! Thanks for reading, please review!