... Chapter 66 ...

Veering the bike off of the beaten path, Daryl gave the girl sitting behind him a cursory glance over his shoulder just to make sure that she was still doing ok. Beth saw him do so and wrapped her arms tighter around him in response. The wind in their ears made small talk impossible and as he downshifted the Triumph to a gradual halt, he noticed in the small sideview mirror that she was curiously looking around in an effort to try and determine where he had taken her. Realizing that the surprise destination might be considered to be somewhat anticlimactic after everything she had gone through, he could only hope that she wasn't going to be left disappointed by it.

The two of them had left the camp as soon as their designated shift of watch was over, taking with them only what was needed to protect themselves. He had purposely chosen the most direct route to the bike as possible and hadn't given it much of a second thought. It wasn't until he saw Beth looking around them nervously that he realized that it might not have been the best decision. They were surrounded by dead walkers, all of whom still hung limply within the tangled tree branches that had been their undoing. She hadn't been part of the group sent out to kill them all so the sight they made had to be disconcerting.

For his part, he had just made a pointed effort to walk past them all while doing his damndest not to look at them. Most of the corpses were now decayed beyond recognition, the weathered rags on their frames fluttering slightly in the breeze. The rest looked disturbingly normal for the most part... almost as if they had just turned for the sole purpose of being put down again soon after. He honestly didn't give a shit one way or the other as he made his way around them. The walkers did nothing in return but stare lifelessly at the ground, each one swaying on the tree limbs like the worst kind of debris left there to waste.

The bodies draped all over the place made a landscape so surreal that Daryl wasn't even shocked by it anymore. To him they were nothing more than an ugly testament to the many hours it had taken to put them all down. Going out of his way to ignore them, it was then that he happened to look over and see that the girl at his side obviously wasn't feeling the same way. Stepping over a fallen log, she had given a particularly fresh looking one an extremely wide berth before unknowingly moving closer to him.

"I... I didn't know that there were so many..." She had whispered, swallowing past her own dismay about it loud enough for him to hear her.

He made a discerned effort to relax his features before saying calmly, "Easy there princess, it ain't nearly as bad as it looks. If anythin', I'd say we were damn lucky... tha trees did us a solid by actin' like a net that they couldn't get out of. Trust me, tha only thing walkin' round out here is us."

Struggling to believe him, she had still felt the need to apprehensively ask, "But... how can you be sure that you got them all? How do you know?"

He could see why she thought the question was warranted, especially considering the direness of their surroundings. The two of them hadn't seen a single active walker since leaving the camp earlier that day... a circumstance that was almost as unnerving as seeing many. The unusualness of it brought along with it an eerie silence that inundated the trees, making her more anxious than she needed to be. If he had to pinpoint it, he'd say that yesterdays carnage must've left an indelible mark on her that she was still obviously trying to come to grips with.

He had turned around to face her, making sure to pick his next words carefully.

"I know 'cause I was there... an' I wouldn't lie to ya about it." He said, meaning it for what it was worth. "Ya know me an' ya know that it ain't in my nature ta half-ass shit that's important. That bein' said, none of us would've wasted tha time an' effort needed ta put 'em all down if we thought there was the slightest chance we could've left one alive. If we had, you could be damn sure that you wouldn't be out here right now ta be worried about it."

The nervous tangle of her fingers had slowly unraveled for hearing his assurance. "I know... you're right, what I don't know is why I'm suddenly feeling so edgy about it..."

"Nah, it's my fault," He had found himself admitting, "If anythin', I shouldn't have brought ya this way. We're both in strung out shape and doin' our best not ta show it. Ya been through a lot, more so than most. Don't recall anyone else gettin' held at knifepoint before tha shit hit tha fan. We're all gonna be dealin' with what happened yesterday in our own way... hell, even I broke out this mornin' in a cold fuckin' sweat thinkin' about it. Takin' that into consideration, I reckon ya handlin' it tha best ya can."

Beth seemed to feel better for the encouragement and had looked around once more... only this time with a much more grounded perspective on things. Put in context, the death on display around them must not have been as off-putting as initially thought, no matter how morbid they both found it to be. With him alleviating whatever fears she might've had about it, her shoulders had slumped in relief. She nodded for pulling herself together and expelled a deep breath.

He knew she'd probably fiercely deny it but it had been clear to him that she was running on empty. She obviously didn't have it in her to face another day of mindless bloodshed and if he was being truthful with himself, he didn't either. It was just another reason why he believed this little excursion was necessary. It wasn't just to go get the motorcycle and his cigarettes although both were equally important to him. It was a chance to take her away and allow both of them a moment to catch their bearings.

Daryl's thoughts returned back to the present as he cut the motorcycle off, once again thanking the powers that be that the damn thing had been exactly where he left it. All the tedious hours of work both him and his brother had put into it was paid off when the engine had fired up like a charm on the first turn of the key. Peeling her arms from around his waist, Beth got off from behind him and stood by patiently while he assessed the area using just the keenness of his hearing alone. The whole time he did so she didn't say a word, most likely because she didn't care where they were just as long as it was away from the camp and the harsh realities that came with it.

Detaching the Horton from the Triumph's handlebars, Daryl slung it over his shoulder before pulling the saddlebags from over the bikes rear tire.

"Remember yesterday when I said I had somethin' I wanted ta show ya?" He said over to her quietly, "Well, this is it. C'mon... it ain't far."

Reaching over to take her hand, he led her further into the woods, doing so until the bike eventually disappeared from view. It didn't take long from there before the sound of running water could be heard above the ambient noises of the trees themselves. As Daryl pushed aside the low hanging branches out of his way, he could feel his heart begin to pound. He had put a lot of thought into this moment... more so than he ever thought himself capable of. As such, he could only hope she'd find it worth the effort it had taken to get her here.

He watched apprehensively as Beth stepped into the clearing if only for being unsure what her reaction was going to be. Waiting for it had him on edge. His brain immediately kicked into overdrive as it ran the gamete of every possible response she could have so he could best prepare himself for it. What the hell? What had he been thinking when he had come up with this cockamamie idea anyways? To say that he was beyond fucking useless at attempting anything meaningful was an understatement and this... whatever this was that he was trying to do here... was exactly the reason why!

Fighting the urge he had to crawl out of his own skin, Daryl moved aside as Beth slowly walked past him. She didn't seem to notice the tense expression on his face as her eyes lit up for the view in front of her.

"Daryl... it's beautiful!" She breathed, the awe in her voice telling him that she undoubtedly meant it.

The instant wave of relief he felt had him feeling equal parts nauseous and lightheaded as his anxiety dissipated. With the pressure off, he looked over as well... this time able to do so with a vague remembrance of what had drawn him to the spot in the first place.

Nestled under the boughs of the surrounding trees lay an undisturbed pool of water, crystal clear with a bed consisting of colorful river rocks. It was large... larger than most of the watering holes that ran off from the river that flowed nearby. What made this one particularly special was that it was fed by a waterfall that spanned the entire length of the embankment, creating a perfect arch of water that cascaded around its edge. He had come across it while hunting that first night out and had immediately thought of her.

Daryl glanced back over to where Beth was standing quietly nearby. She was looking on wistfully... almost as though she had never seen anything quite as peaceful before.

He pulled his thumbnail out from where it had been unknowingly worried between his teeth. "Ya ain't lyin'? Ya really like it? I found it tha other day while I was traipsin' around out here. I really liked tha waterfall part an' tha way tha trees kinda cover it but still let the sun shine in..." Realizing that he was starting to ramble, Daryl dropped his gaze from hers and mumbled almost inaudibly, "Anyways, I thought you'd might like ta come here... y'know, after everythin' ya been through..."

Beth came back over to where he was shuffling unsurely on his feet nearby and surged up onto her toes to kiss him, the sincerity behind the gesture relaying her gratitude. Daryl dropped the saddlebags in his hand and closed his eyes, giving himself over to the moment as his fingers trailed a slow path down the length of her back. He had taken a chance and it had surprisingly paid off. As someone who was not used to emotionally putting himself out there, it was a heady feeling to try and wrap his head around.

She followed up the stirring kiss with a smaller one by his ear before whispering there, "I more than like it. Thank you."

"Yeah, well... I reckoned a bath would do ya good, especially after everythin' that happened yesterday." He said quietly, pulling back to continue looking at the ground, "I know how much ya like 'em. Only difference is this time I thought I'd get in with ya... if... y'know, ya offer from before still stands."

"Really?" She asked incredulously, "What about everything you said about not taking a chance with my safety again?"

He grinned for being reminded of his own words and the circumstance that had come with them. "Well... seein' that walkers can't swim, I reckon you'll be a'right."

Beth laughed at the uncharacteristic attempt at humor... the lilting sound of which putting him instantly at ease. It was all the incentive he needed to shrug the crossbow off and set it against a nearby tree. His jacket soon followed to be tossed haphazardly over the handle of the weapon, leaving it there as well.

He was about to pull his shirt off over his head when he paused and looked over. "Ya might wanna get them clothes off... unless of course ya wanna get thrown in jus' like that..."

Her eyes widening at the prospect, Beth raced to do as he said, not questioning his motives as she undressed as fast as possible. It was then just a matter of who would get done first to claim the bragging rights.

Everything seemed to fade away as they both eagerly waded in, losing themselves within the moment for reasons that didn't need an explanation. For the next hour or so they laughed, played and swam together, the quality of the time spent not diminished at all for having to stay relatively quiet. One thing led to another as Daryl upped the ante on a random kiss and next thing he knew, he was making love to her under the waterfall, the cascading noise around them effectively disguising any sound they made of their own.

When they were done, he retrieved the leftover travel kit from one of the saddlebags so they could wash each other down... both of them happy and satiated as the afternoon languished on. Finding a comfortable spot in the waters shallow end, Daryl worked what was left of the shampoo down the length of her hair. As he did so, he found himself wishing that it could always be this way. It seemed as though a lifetime full of misery had led him to this very moment and now that he was here, he didn't want to leave it. He was aware that such wishful thinking wasn't doing him any kind of favor. All either one of them could do was enjoy the small moments when they presented themselves and look back on them fondly during times when they didn't.

Beth sat quietly between his legs with her chin propped on her knees, seemingly lost in thoughts of her own. He rinsed the soap out and wrapped his arms around her, neither feeling the need to say a word as their time in the water drew to an end.

The girl inadvertently shivered against him, leading him to ask her if she was cold.

"No... not really." She whispered as she pulled his arms around her tighter, "I was just thinking about how nice it would be to stay here. I know it's a pointless thing to do but I couldn't seem to help it..."

"I was jus' thinkin' tha same thing if it makes ya feel any better," Daryl admitted, kissing her lightly on the curve of her shoulder. "Tell ya what, why don't ya get dressed while I build a fire. I'll see if I can find us somethin' ta eat 'round here while ya take tha time ta warm ya self up."

Beth immediately brightened and looked over her shoulder to where he was behind her, "You mean we're not heading back?"

"Nah, not jus' yet. I ain't in a hellfire rush ta get back an' neither are you." He stood up and went over to where his clothes lay in a pile next to the crossbow. Grabbing his jeans, he put them on without bothering to dry off first. "Don't see nothin' wrong with taking a few hours ta eat somethin' an' relax... tha camp ain't goin' nowhere an' they got plenty of food of their own. Sound good?"

Beth nodded happily as she stood up to make her way to the waters edge as well. Daryl watched her do so thankful that he had made love to her thoroughly enough to drain himself completely of the need to do so again. There was a natural sexuality about her that called to him on a purely base line level... from the soft curves of her skin to the appealing way that she moved. He wasn't sure that he would ever get used to it. That she belonged to him was more than he could've ever possibly dreamed for himself. It was just fortunate that he was finally at a position in his life where he could tentatively believe that he deserved her.

"Goddamn woman..." He muttered, the words leaving his mouth before he was aware that they were doing so, "Ya sure know how ta go 'bout gettin' my attention."

Hearing him, Beth realized that he was referring to all of her naked splendor and an instant flush of color flared over her cheeks that had nothing to do with the cooling temperature of the air. Daryl smirked knowingly for seeing it before turning his attention to putting on his boots. As much as he could stare at her all damn day, he'd need to get cracking on that fire if they planned on getting warm anytime soon.

Sometime later over a sparse dinner of decently cooked squirrel meat and whatever food had been left in the bikes saddlebags, they both sat around the campfire enjoying what was left of the evening. Smoking one of his cigarettes, Daryl regaled her with the story of his recent run in with her sister, making Beth laugh despite herself. Maggie had caught him on the fly and had laid down her expectations, not much caring that he had just stood there in her wake looking uncomfortable as shit about it. With her finger prodding him in the chest, she had taken on the role of the entire Greene family as she had jabbed home every point she felt the need to make. Swearing up and down that she had left bruises, Daryl went so far as to pull down the neckline of his shirt in an attempt to prove it.

"Oh my god!" Beth gasped, wiping at her cheeks, "I wish I could've been there!"

He chuckled and tried his best to sound even more convincing, "I don't know... she 'bout scared tha hell outta me pokin' at me like that. Swear her finger was tryin' ta beat my ass or somethin'. Whatever she was tryin' ta do, I was jus' thankful ta get outta there in one piece."

The exaggeration brought on a new peal of laughter from Beth that gradually abated until just the remnants of her smile remained. Feeling better than he had since leaving the mortuary, Daryl could see through the floating embers of the fire that she obviously did too. That was all the justification he needed to make the long trip out here worthwhile.

The comfortable silence dragged on, leaving them both just staring at the flames in a trance. Seeing that they had yet to talk about their plans for the future, he knew that now would be a perfect time to discuss it. The only thing stopping him was the subjects potential to unintentionally dampen the mood. That was the last thing he wanted to do, especially when everything up to this point had been so lighthearted.

Daryl pulled a deep breath and prepared himself to broach it anyway, knowing either way that he was still taking a chance. Before he could formulate his thoughts into words, Beth glanced over and took the initiative... beating him to the punch as if somehow reading his mind.

"I thought about what you said earlier..." She began to say hesitantly,"You know... about the both of us leaving..."

Somewhat surprised, Daryl just nodded and left it at that, not much trusting the sound of his own voice. Despite literally just thinking about the same thing himself, he was now curious to hear what she would have to say about it first if only to determine if they were on the same page about it or not.

Realizing that she had his undivided attention, Beth swallowed hard and purposely cleared her throat.

"Well... after thinking about it long and hard, I think I've finally come to a decision... and just so you know, it's only what I'd like to do and it's completely up for negotiation." She rushed to amend.

"Go on..." He shifted forward on his seat to give her the encouragement she needed to continue on her own.

"I think that I'd like for us to stay with the others." She said, the conviction in her voice unknowingly gaining traction, "We only just found them and I've missed my sister for longer than I can say. She's the last family member I have left. The way I see it, there's nothing stopping us from taking off on our own once we reach D.C. but... I think we at least owe it to ourselves to see if it has something better to offer us first."

She paused... taking the moment to gather any other thoughts she might have on the matter. Daryl looked on and waited patiently from where he sat nearby.

"A few days ago, I told Rick that this group is where you belonged. If that's true, they're going to need you more than ever to help get them there. I guess what I'm trying to say is... is that I really think staying with them is where you need to be, if... you know... they're going to have a chance."

Her gaze met his as she unknowingly worried at her lower lip. Daryl could see that the stand she had just made meant a lot to her and he appreciated the courage it had taken to tell him so.

"C'mere..." He said, beckoning her over.

The girl hesitated for a moment before doing as he asked. When she got close enough, he took her by the hand... pulling her onto his lap to settle her comfortably upon it. He could see that she was nervous for anticipating whatever response he was about to give and not wanting to draw it out unnecessarily, he swept a stray lock of hair away from her forehead.

"First up, it ain't jus' where I belong, it's where we belong..." He said to her quietly, "...an' that's jus' somethin' that everyones gonna have'ta get used to. Wherever I am, that's where you are, got that?"

Daryl waited for her to nod in agreement before he continued. "Secondly, what this group needs is both of us... not jus' me. I wouldn't even be here right now if I hadn't had ya givin' me tha strength I needed ta keep pushin' on... hell, it's only 'cause of you that I'm able ta sit here an' make a decision about it at all. Either way, tha two of us are a package deal. You stay, I stay. End'a story."

Feeling the tears start to gather, Beth still felt the need to ask, "But... are you sure that's what you really want?"

"Ya mean was that was tha direction I was leanin' anyways? Yeah... so don't ya worry ya head about it. I jus' wanted ta hear what you'd have'ta say about it first before I set my decision in stone. Truth is I don't much care one way or tha other what we do, jus' as long as I'm with ya. Stay... go... whatever... makes no fuckin' difference ta me. You're all that matters, not jus' now but always. Bottom line is... well, I love ya... an' I ain't goin' no where without ya."

Beth surged against him to kiss him wholeheartedly, stopping only so she could whisper into the curve of his ear, "... I'm gonna need you to remember who said that first!"

Daryl laughed in response, unable to help himself as the allure of the moment took back over. He hugged her tightly to him... attempting to relay everything he hadn't been able to say through the span of a single meaningful embrace. He wanted it to tell her that she had given him a reason for living where there hadn't been one for him before. That because of her, he now had someone to call his own... someone who genuinely loved him despite all of his character flaws and the obvious defects in his nature. More than anything, he wanted her to know that she was the other half of what made him a whole.

With those thoughts in mind he pulled back to regard her through the hair that still hung damply in his face.

"What?" Beth whispered, her affections for him lingering...

"I was jus' wonderin'... if at some point down tha line I was ta ask ya ta marry me, would ya say yes?"

Her eyes instantly widened for not expecting to ever hear him say such a thing. Daryl watched as the emotions played across her face... surprise, happiness and no small degree of love. To know that he was the reason was more than he could've ever dreamed possible for himself. The question lay promisingly on the air between them as his feelings for her fell into place. He couldn't say what had compelled him to ask, he just knew that he had meant it with all of his heart.

The girl in his lap made a long show of thinking about it, not much caring that he was sitting there waiting for an answer.

"Hmmmm..." She hummed, her finger tapping lightly at her lower lip, "Let's see..."

With a sassy predictability that was known well to both of them, she bit back a huge smile and gave him the single word answer he should've come to expect.

"Maybe..."

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The End

I want to thank you all for being a part of this amazing journey with me. 'What Still Lies Ahead' has been a labor of love that has taken over two years to complete. I honestly can't believe it's over! It's been challenging to say the least but also incredibly satisfying as well. To know that it has touched the hearts of all those who love Daryl and Beth as much as I do has been amazing and has definitely made the effort worthwhile.

Even though this story is finished, I will still be checking in on it to re-read it again myself. As I said, my goal was to write the kind of Bethyl fic that I had always longed to find, something that was laid out thoughtfully with lots of action, drama and romance. I wanted it to be fully contained within TWD world while being completely realistic and true to the characters. Every location mentioned in WSLA can be found on a map of Georgia, from the city of Barnesville where the store incident happened to the small town of Piedmont, the place where the burned out remnants of the mortuary house still stand. The claimer house in Bulter is on there too. All are located around Terminus to make it well within traveling distance.

'What Still Lies Ahead' has been a great opportunity to let my favorite characters from the past shine again. Giving Merle a chance to redeem himself with his brother was a highlight and something I felt he deserved. Len, Joe, Gareth... all of these were amazing characters that should've gotten a lot more screen time. It was awesome to give them all another shot at seeing their storylines through to a much more satisfying end.

Ultimately though, this story's heart is centered around Daryl and Beth, the life-hardened redneck with a heart of gold and the farmers daughter who loves him. I hope that anyone who has taken the time to read it comes away with a sense of fulfillment at seeing their relationship grow to fruition.

Beth found the strength within herself to become a force to be reckoned with, surpassing not only Daryl's expectations but also her own as well. She faced every challenge with her conviction intact while never letting the world she lives in erode her faith in the goodness of people. Holding true to it no matter what, it allowed her to open her heart to the one person in the group who needed it the most.

For his part, Daryl gradually responds to her growing feelings despite his own stubborn nature and all the reticence that had kept him firmly on the outskirts for most of his life. A self proclaimed loner with the social skills to match, he begins to see in her something more... a slim chance at happiness that he never deemed himself worthy of. With Beth at his side, he lets go of his past to finally find a future with someone who truly loves him.

I adore these two characters just as much as anyone who would take the time to read a really long story about them. As such, I hope I have done them justice. Please feel free to continue adding reviews, comments or musings in general... whether you are brand new to the story, have just finished binge reading it or have been with it since the beginning and just re-reading it again. I always love to see them and will always continue to do so!

At some point in the future, I may choose to add another chapter... just a little something to let everyone know what happened to everyone down the road. If I hit enough reviews I might even be persuaded to write another story... no promises... but I just may be inspired by then, who knows!

It has been an absolute pleasure writing this for all my fellow Bethyl'ers out there! Thank you again and I'll see you in the reviews!