Coming Clean

They were all together again after the shit storm that had claimed their lives. They'd managed to escape the horrors of Terminus and were set up somewhere relative safe for the night. Beth was so nervous she was nearly shaking. She had no idea how the group was going to react to the relationship that had developed between herself and certain crossbow carrying redneck. He was talking with Rick, working on a schedule to secure the perimeter and who would be on watch and when. She was setting up their campsite. She'd talked to him about it, but he'd just kissed her head and told her to set up a spot for them and he'd deal with it later. She bit her lip as she started to set up a second sleeping place next to the one she'd already made for herself. She glanced around, noticing the looks Carol and Maggie were giving her. She wasn't stupid, she knew they were wondering what she was doing. She tried to ignore them, tried to focus on what she was doing.

Maggie walked over and crouched beside her. "Beth, sweetheart, what are you doing?" she asked, looking at her with that motherly concern. Beth glared slightly, she hated when Maggie attempted to act like her mother.

"What does it look like?"

Maggie frowned and wrapped her hands around Beth's to stop her. "Beth, who is the second bed for?" Beth looked at her and realized Maggie thought she'd lost it. Maggie thought she was setting the second bed up for their father.

Beth opened her mouth to tell her sister off, rage bubbling inside of her, but she was stopped, thankfully. "Ladies," Daryl greeted as he walked over, throwing his crossbow onto his back. He bent his head and kissed Beth on the head. "Problem sweetheart?"

Beth smiled, looking Maggie in the eye and reveling in the shocked expression lining her eyes. "Nope, no problem, you want the left or the right?" she asked, turning her eyes from Maggie to Daryl.

"You know I like the right," he said smirking and lying his crossbow on the already made up bed.

"Do you two want to tell me what's going on?" Maggie demanded, her hands on her hips and her eyes glaring daggers at Daryl.

"Not really, ain't your business." Daryl looked at her and that smirk was his downfall. Maggie punched him in the face, knocking him back. The whole group was surrounding them now as Beth jumped between Maggie and Daryl. "What the hell Maggie?"

"Are you fucking my sister?" she screamed.

Beth blushed as all eyes seemed to fall upon her. "What was that?" Rick stepped into the middle and looked between the three of them. "Daryl, is something going on?"

Daryl respected Rick. Respected the hell out of him. He looked Rick in the eyes and nodded his head. "Yeah, Beth is claimed." He put his arm around her and stared them all down, daring every single one of them to tell him otherwise. They didn't.

Rick sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking around and pacing. "She's eighteen, Daryl."

"It's the apocalypse, don't think age matters that much, 'sides, last I checked, eighteen was legal, officer." Beth bit her lip to try and keep the laugh bubbling up inside of her from escaping. "Any other problems?"

Rick stepped right up to Daryl, going nose to nose and Beth swore she could feel the testosterone radiating off of them. "You hurt her, and you're going to get hurt."

Daryl's eyes narrowed and he pushed his chest out just a little bit further. "Ain't ever gonna happen." Rick seemed to accept that and got everyone to disperse and leave them alone. Glenn had to nearly drag Maggie away. Daryl sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking down at her. "Could'a been worse."

Beth smiled a bit. "Could have been better." She sighed and turned to finish setting up their camp but Daryl wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto the already made up bed. Beth laughed as he pulled her into his arms.

"Keep it quiet!" Glenn yelled from the tent he was climbing into with Maggie.

Daryl smirked and looked over at them. "Right, because you two are quiet," he shot back. Glenn smirked and zipped the tent up. Beth shook her head and looked up at Daryl. He just shook his head and kissed her. Maybe things would be okay, Rick seemed to be okay with their relationship, and Maggie would get over it in time. Besides, at the end of the world, who cared who you loved, as long as you had that person to hold onto.