A/N: Hey guys, this story is going to be a long one, so stay tuned. The story starts with Beth and Daryl as children, but the time span moves fairly quickly in the first few chapters. This is primarily BETHYL and it won't be a slow burn. Later chapters will also incorporate Richonne, Glaggie, and Merle/OC. Please leave us reviews and let us know what you think! Thanks! eReedus & LolaRitaVida

The Hunger

Chapter One - Visions

You have a Guardian Angel

Who watches over you

Everywhere you go

And everything you do.

This gentle, Heavenly helper

Is there to be your guide

To shelter and protect you

And for you to walk beside.

Your Angel will always help you

Whenever things go wrong

They'll be the wings beneath your feet

As life's path you walk along.

Feel this calming presence

Be enfolded by her love

And let your life be guided

By a power from above.

Saturday April 18th 1992. Marietta, GA

Erika was sat in solitude in her huge mansion in Marietta, looking blankly out into the stillness of the silent night. There were tears forming in her vivid blue eyes as she contemplated his fate. Daryl's fate. She was more upset than she had been for a very long time. She felt frustrated because she didn't fully understand why he was so important, why these things were happening to him. She also felt truly powerless. And powerless was something Erika did not like feeling at all. She just wanted to help him, stop the pain and make everything okay.

She'd been awoken hours ago. She'd had another vision, a fleeting but vivid glimpse of a horrific event that was to happen soon and as much as she wanted to stop it she knew she couldn't. She understood the rules. She didn't like them and she sometimes felt they were unfair, never more so than right now. When there was a young child involved. There was only one rule her kind had to obey under all circumstances; Human life had to be allowed to play out the way fate had determined at the dawn of time. The dice had already been thrown, lives mapped out. She was merely here to comfort and guide. It was forbidden to interfere and the penalty was severe.

Erika had found a loophole in this ruling many years ago. She was able do more than watch and guide, if the human made an effort to help themselves, if they fought back and tried to effect change themselves. If they attempted to alter the path destiny had laid for them. She had used this loophole once or twice in the past and although Lorelei hadn't approved of Erika's decision she had let it go unpunished. Lorelei was kind and fair and she had seen the anguish Erika had been feeling. Erika knew she could do nothing this time though, Daryl was only seven, he wouldn't be fighting back and he wouldn't try to change anything. Erika had witnessed over the last seven years the way his father had told him time and time again this was how his life should be. That was why her heart was breaking. She knew what she had just witnessed in her vision, was going to happen and there was nothing she could do about it.

Erika sat for a while staring into the darkness as silent tears fell quickly from her eyes. Tears for something that hadn't happened yet, tears for a pain that hadn't been experienced yet. She decided if she couldn't stop it then she would be there for Daryl afterwards. She would comfort him and let him know she was there for him. She knew he had Beth Greene now and that was how it was supposed to be. That was, after all, why she had gently guided Daryl into Beth's path a year ago. The union of Beth Greene and Daryl Dixon had been written since the beginning of time. Erika didn't know why, not yet, she just knew it was imperative that they met while they were young. The rest would just happen as it had always been destined to. She neither had the power to alter it nor to stop it. She was there to merely watch and comfort.

Daryl's POV, one year earlier...

Wednesday April 10th 1991. Senoia, GA

This day started off just like most of the others in Daryl Dixon's life so far, with screaming, fighting, fear, and sadness. But what Daryl didn't realize that morning was, by the end of this particular day, his life would have changed forever. And the beating he got for coming home late would be worth it. He would have taken it a thousand times to know that his life was never going to be the same again.

This day was to become the first day of the rest of his life.

It always started with his mom and pa screaming and cussing at each other, her throwing things, his pa throwing things - usually at her, until one of them either left or got injured so they couldn't carry on fighting. Merle would make himself scarce first chance he got. Being eight years older than Daryl, he was able to just leave, take care of himself for a while, and stay under the radar. Daryl used to tug at his sleeve, his dirty little tear stained face looking up at his big brother, and ask if he could go too. Merle would tell him no, that he was too small, he'd just get in the way, and that he should just stay quiet in his room until their pa either left or got so drunk he'd fall asleep. That would've been fine except his pa didn't always leave or fall asleep. Sometimes he'd find Daryl and take it out on him, slapping him until his legs were so red raw he couldn't even sit. He'd knock him to the floor, cussing at him, and telling him he was a waste of space and was never wanted and he wished his stupid whore of a wife had never got herself knocked up. His pa had once even told him that he'd tried to get rid of him but nothing would work.

In those moments, all Daryl could hear was buzzing white noise and the ranting of an awful drunk man mingling with a woman's screaming as she tried to stop her husband from killing their son. That was when his mom wasn't on her special pills and too out of it to even notice. Daryl would just curl himself up into a ball on the floor and wait for it to stop, or wait for the other. The belt. It would be one of them, his pa would either stop or would thrash him with his belt.

Daryl tried not to make a sound. Even at six years old he knew that crying just inflamed his father more. So he'd just take it. All of it; the pain, the stinging, the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, the hate filled nastiness that spewed from his father's mouth, the feeling of being alone and totally uncared for and unloved. Sometimes he couldn't hold it in though. It would hurt too much and the tears would roll down his cheeks, whimpers and yelps would escape his trembling lips, and sometimes he'd bite down so hard on his tongue he would draw blood. He would scrunch his eyes shut praying someone would make it stop hurting. Wishing someone would soothe him; just cuddle him until it all went away.

Daryl had only gone to school this particular day to escape his father. He'd crept out the back of the house and he'd run all the way to school. He knew he was going to be in trouble later. If his pa had tried to find him and he wasn't there, it would make him even angrier.

Daryl didn't like it much better at school than he did at home but at least he wouldn't get beaten there and he liked his teacher. She was pretty and nice and kind to him.

Some of the other kids were mean to him though, but he just ignored them. They were cruel just because his clothes weren't as good as theirs, because he wasn't as clean or as tidy as them. His hair was always long and unruly and he always had dirty hands and knees with rips in his pants where they'd become worn through.

Although his mother did try to care for him when she could, in between her bouts of drug and alcohol use, she wasn't much good with sewing...or anything really. Daryl liked it when she tried though. He liked to sit on her knee as she combed his hair. She'd sometimes hum and sing to him. He liked it when she'd rock him in her arms. He'd close his eyes and play with her fingers, twirling his tiny ones around her bigger ones, enjoying the warmth of her skin on his. None of that happened very often now though, not now he was at school. His pa would yell at his momma that Daryl was too old to be coddled like that, that she'd make him soft. He thought it would probably never happen again now. Ever. Why would anyone want to cuddle him? He was useless and bad, he was unlovable... that's why he had to be punished.

School was almost finished for the day and Daryl didn't want to go straight home, but he knew he would have to eventually and then he'd be in trouble. Even more trouble if he was late and his pa had already had too much to drink. Another beating. He could still feel the marks his pa made over a week ago. Every time he leaned back into something, even a chair, they made him wince as they stung across the middle of his back.

Daryl decided to stay behind for a while and sit behind the wall at the back of the bus stop. He peeped around and watched as the rest of the children were collected by nice moms and dads, being hugged and having their hands held as they walked home. He didn't know why his mom and dad weren't like that. He thought perhaps he'd done something bad or had something bad inside him that made them not like him. All the other moms and dads liked their children so it must be his fault.

Daryl wondered if he should not go back home at all. He could run away and live in the woods or he could go to the city where a nice man and lady would look after him. Daryl imagined they would take him to school, they would hold his hand and they would mend his clothes. Yes that's what he was going to do and he was about to start walking when a voice interrupted Daryl's thoughts.

Suddenly there was a woman stood next to him frowning down in his direction. "Young man? Why are you hiding back here? You should be out in the open with everyone else so the teachers can keep an eye on you." Daryl scowled at the woman as she knelt beside him and removed her sunglasses. Her eyes were a bright blue, bright as the sun and real pretty to look at. She talked with a funny accent like James Bond, too, which was really cool. She smiled at Daryl kindly and he relaxed. She seemed nice, so maybe he didn't mind her talking to him after all. "It's not good to be alone, Daryl," she said in a quiet serious tone as her smile faded. How did she know his name? Maybe she was another parent or something. The lady turned her head and studied him for a moment, then grinned. "Being alone will make you a grumpy-pants, you know." The lady poked at him jokingly and it made Daryl grin, too. "Come on then, out front with the others. I won't take no for an answer." The lady took his hand and guided him out to the front of the bus stop then pushed him forward lightly.

Daryl was about to turn and tell the nice lady that he wasn't waiting on his parents; that he was just supposed to walk himself home. But the lady was already gone. Just poof. She must have been in a hurry, he thought. Daryl scratched his head and made his way over to a bench in any case. He figured he'd sit here a little while more before heading home. He was revisiting the thought of walking to the city when another voice chimed in. He looked up to see a really pretty girl walking toward him.

"Is your name Daryl?" she asked as she got closer to him "Will ya wait with me? I gotta wait for my daddy to come pick me up in his truck but he's got a flat so he called Miss Jackson to tell her he's gonna be late. I don't wanna wait on my own and everyone else has gone now" Beth finally stopped talking as Daryl just carried on staring at her.

He didn't know who she was but then he didn't know who most of the kids were. He thought she was real nice though, even if she did talk a lot.

"My name's Beth… you're Daryl Dixon ain't ya?"

"Hhhmm." Daryl just grunted at her, he didn't know what to say to a girl.

"What ya doin' out here? Why ain't your momma come to pick ya up yet?"

"I don't need no one walkin' me home. I ain't a baby. I can do it on ma own."

"Do ya want daddy to give ya a lift home? He won't mind. Daddy never minds nothin' if I ask him." Daryl didn't want anyone knowing where he lived or to know about his parents, either, so he just shook his head.

"You don't talk much do ya… do ya wanna come for supper at my house? Momma don't mind. She said I can bring anyone I want home but when I ask them they all say no. I don't think the other girls like me too much." Beth continued to talk as much at Daryl as to him.

Daryl just sat on the bench and watched her. She had real pretty curly blonde hair with a red ribbon in it and her clothes were real clean and neat. She looked smiley and happy and he wondered if she had a nice mom and dad. They sounded like they were nice.

"None a' the boys like me much neither…I don't care. They're all momma's boys anyway."

"We can be friends Daryl! I know I'm a girl but daddy's got a farm and we can play in the barns. I got a horse, Blaze, you can ride him if ya want, he won't mind, and ya can ride on daddy's tractor, too, another time. It's real fun…"

Daryl liked the way she talked. She babbled softly and he liked how it sounded; happy and excited, it reminded him of birds singing. No one at his house ever talked, they just shouted.

"Are ya gonna come for supper then? Daddy don't mind. He'll take ya back home later and ya can call yer mom and dad from my house if ya want?" Beth was looking at Daryl in a way nobody had ever looked at him before.

She wasn't looking at his messy hair or his ripped clothes or his dirty face. She was just looking at Daryl, the little boy behind all those things that just wanted a friend; wanted someone to play with.

"I don't wanna ride yer stupid horse… but I'll come over for supper." Daryl tried to smile at her but it sort of came out more like a grimace. He knew he'd be in trouble if he didn't go home but he wanted to know what it would be like to have a friend... even if she was a girl.

Beth just giggled at him and cocked her head to the side. He didn't know it then, but at that very moment Daryl Dixon had just fallen in love with Beth Greene. His Guardian Angel had done her work... for now anyway.

Hershel Green had finally gotten to the school at about 3:30. He was surprised to find that Beth wasn't alone. There was an unfortunate looking little boy sitting with her. As he got out of the truck and walked to them, he watched as his daughter chattered on and the boy watched her in amazement. His daughter was like that. She could talk about anything and everything and it always sounded like the most beautiful happy melody he ever heard. This boy obviously thought so too. Hershel chuckled to himself as he took in the awestruck look on the boy's face.

"Daddy, this is my new best friend Daryl! He don't talk much but he's real nice. I invited him to supper. He said his parents wouldn't care for him coming over. Can he? Please? He won't stay late. You can drive him home right after we eat. Please daddy?"

Hershel looked the boy over again and noted his torn dirty clothes and unkempt hair. He looked like he could use his daughter's friendship. He looked like he could use anyone's friendship. Hershel ducked his head to try to catch the boy's eye, but he'd had his head to the ground ever since Hershel approached the two kids. "Well, what do ya say, son? You want to come for supper?"

The boy had barely nodded his head at the ground before Beth had him by the hand and was dragging him to the truck, chattering about what she figured her momma would be making tonight. Hershel grinned as he watched the boy pick up speed and trot after his youngest daughter. The boy looked too thin and he would be glad to get him home and get him fed.

Hershel wasn't able to get a peep out of the boy on the ride to the farm, either. Daryl had sat as far from him as possible, squeezed against the passenger door. The only thing that seemed to brighten the little guy was Beth's chattering and when she would pat him on the knee midsentence or nudge him with her elbow to urge him to answer a question.

Hershel already understood what Daryl's issues were, or he thought he had a pretty good idea. Hershel's own father had been a cruel man, abusive. His mother had been a capable woman despite that and she took good care of him as a child. Hershel was always clean and perfectly groomed as his father demanded but Hershel imagined that he was much like Daryl emotionally when he was young – skittish and uncertain.

When they pulled up at the farm, Hershel got out and helped the kids out his own door. He lifted Beth easily to ground then reached for the boy. Daryl froze and Hershel instantly understood that he didn't want to be touched. He backed away and let the boy clamor out the big truck on his own. When Daryl barely had his feet on the ground, Beth had him by the hand again, pulling him down the drive. "Come on Daryl. You gotta see the barn! We can play 'til supper, can't we Daddy?"

"I reckon. I'll tell Momma you've got a guest. You two come straight in when we call for you so you can eat your fill before Daryl's gotta go home."

"Okay Daddy!" Beth was already chattering on, something about the barn. But Hershel was surprised to find that Daryl turned slightly back to him, caught his eye, and offered a small little smile and nod of appreciation. It was over as quickly as it had appeared, but Hershel caught it. That one little grin had already captured Hershel Greene's heart.

An hour later, true to Beth's promise, Beth and Daryl came running straight from the barn as soon as Annette called from the porch. Annette was shocked at the little boy, even though Hershel had told her all about him. As he came up on the porch, Annette fought the urge to plunk him down in the bath, cut his hair, and mend and wash his clothes before supper. Instead she just knelt down and reached her hand out to him in greeting. "Hey Daryl. I'm Annette, Beth's momma. Thanks for comin' ta have dinner with us."

Daryl was confused as he shook the lady's hand. Annette. Wasn't he supposed to thank her for letting him come for dinner? Not the other way around? He smiled at her, in any case. "Uh, thanks?"

Hershel was right. The boy didn't say much, but that shy little crooked smile of his would absolutely steal your heart. Annette looked at her daughter and wondered if that's what had drawn her to him. No, probably not though. Beth wasn't like everyone else. She didn't need a smile or fancy words to see the goodness in someone. She'd seen something else in this boy. Annette stood back up and grinned. "Well, come on. Shawn's at Jacob's house but Daddy and Maggie are already eatin'. There won't be any left for us if we don't get in there." Daryl looked at her sharply before realizing she was only kidding about there being nothing left if they waited too long. It broke Annette's heart to see that. He probably went hungry most nights. She made a mental note not to joke about food again.

They were having a simple casserole, handmade biscuits, and a store-bought strawberry pie for dinner. Nothing fancy. But Daryl gawked at the dinner table like it was a feast fit for a king. He ate two heaping plates full and two pieces of pie and three glasses of milk. Hershel and Annette enjoyed feeding him as much as he enjoyed eating it. They actually took turns dishing out the food for him. Beth giggled at Daryl, but didn't say anything about his eating. She was too busy telling her momma and daddy about her and Daryl's plans to build a clubhouse in the barn.

Maggie watched wide-eyed as Daryl ate like a horse across from her. She didn't say anything about it either, though. Even Maggie understood that this boy needed to be welcomed into their home. When Daryl reached for a second (and the last) piece of pie, Maggie reached over to help him dish it out. As soon as Maggie's hand touched Daryl's, Daryl saw a flash of white light behind his eyes that grew and grew until he was almost blinded. Then he saw Maggie, an older Maggie in a pretty dress, placing a big tall cake - not a pie - in front of Daryl and Beth before passing him a big triangle-looking knife. Daryl looked around quickly. Beth was older now too and Daryl taller and wearing a fancy suit! All of Beth's family was looking at him and Beth with love and acceptance and hope as Beth took his hand and started helping him cut Maggie's pretty cake...

Suddenly Daryl was back at Beth's momma's dinner table and Maggie was holding on to the last piece of pie, looking at Daryl strange. Daryl grabbed the pie from her and plopped back down in his seat with a wide grin that he couldn't seem to get rid of. Daryl didn't know what just happened - a daydream maybe, but it was great. He told himself he'd try to daydream like that more often as he looked at Beth with big eyes. Since he'd never had pie before, Daryl wondered if that was what did it. Maybe people that ate pie also got to have other good things like that daydream. The look of pure delight on Daryl's face as he stuffed himself with the last forkful of strawberry pie was enough to make Maggie smile and shrug as she asked to be excused at the end of dinner. That boy sure did like him some pie, Maggie thought.

After Maggie went upstairs, Hershel excused himself too. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Daryl. Gonna check on one of the horses before I take ya home." He kissed his wife and thanked her for dinner, making sure to tell her what a good job she did fixing it for them. Daryl watched the exchange as Beth smiled over at him. "Bethy, it's your turn to clear the table, remember? Help your momma." Beth immediately got up and started gathering plates; well, as many as she could reach. Annette did the rest.

Daryl was practically licking his pie plate and finishing the last of his milk as Annette gathered the last few dishes. As she began to wash them at the sink, she was surprised when Daryl tugged on her skirt to catch her attention. He cast his eyes down as he thanked her for supper and explained how his mom never cooked anything like that. She leaned down to Daryl and put her hand on his long unkempt hair and told him that he would always, always, be welcome to eat with them. Every night if he wanted to. She also told him that he didn't need to be invited, he just needed to show up and there would always be a place for him at their table. She'd had to stand up and turn away from him then so he wouldn't see her tears start to fall. The look on the precious boy's face had been one of wonder and gratefulness so deep that it cut at Annette's soul. She could hardly stand it and she didn't want Hershel to take him home.

Beth and Daryl played a board game until Hershel came back in. It was starting to get late and the sun would be about to set in about a half-hour. He needed to get the boy home. "Daryl, time to go." Hershel could tell that the boy didn't want to go, and that his daughter didn't want him to go either. Truth be told, neither he nor his wife wanted Daryl to go either, but there was nothing they could do about it. Everyone said their goodnights and Annette reminded Daryl to come back for supper any night or every night if he wanted. The poor little boy rubbed his stomach and shook his head urgently in response. Annette's eyes met Hershel's as he ushered the boy out the door toward the truck.

The ride back to town was quiet except for Daryl showing Hershel which house was his. After having been fed and welcomed, Daryl didn't seem to be as scared of the older man. That was a good thing, at least, Hershel thought. He knew instinctively not to park too close to the house, so he pulled the truck to the curb a few hundred feet down the road. Daryl looked at Hershel with a grateful smile but didn't make to get out of the truck immediately. Hershel decided to take the opportunity to say something to the boy.

"Daryl?" The boy met his eyes immediately. "You know what Annette said about you being welcome for supper every night?" Daryl looked dejected. Probably thought he was about to be uninvited, Hershel thought. "Well that invitation stands for anytime. Not just for supper. You run on over whenever you feel like it and you don't even need ta ask our permission. Our house is a safe place and we want ya there. Okay?"

Daryl's serious eyes met Hershel's again one more time as Daryl tried to figure out why these people were being so nice to him. He reckoned it didn't matter, though. A safe place…we want ya there. Daryl thought it was all too good to be true, but he didn't care right now if it was or wasn't. He didn't care that he was probably going to catch a beating for going to school and coming home late. He didn't care about anything except that he now had a best friend, the prettiest girl he ever saw in the world, and a full tummy that wouldn't growl and ache tonight. "Thank you, sir. I'll be back for sure." Daryl opened the door and started to climb out. He turned back to Hershel with a big genuine grin like a normal little boy and added, "Especially if there's pie." Then the boy was off and gone, struggling to shut the truck door and sneaking off through the yards to his house.

Hershel let a few tears fall in the parking lot of the Super Rama. Then he went in and bought a whole slew of assorted frozen pies and extra Cool Whip.

That was Wednesday April 10th 1991. Daryl Dixon saw Beth Greene every single day of his life from then on. They never spent one day apart. That was until Saturday April 16th 2005.