Beth laid on her bed and looked up at the sign in her room. The numbers were back to zero. Zero days since the last accident. She signed and looked up at the bottom of the bunk above her. That accident had been Zach. She'd been able to get small snippets out of different people but not the whole story. Everyone she talked to said it was best for her not to know the details. She wasn't some weak little girl who needed to be spared; she'd accepted what had happened. It was like she'd told Daryl, she was just glad to have gotten to know him. Daryl. There was a man who didn't know what to do with himself. Beth failed to conceal a giggle. When she'd hugged him, he had been so awkward and uncomfortable. It was like he'd never gotten a hug before.

"What's got you snickerin' in the dark, girl?" Speak of the devil. She turned and spotted Daryl leaned against the bars by her cell. She sat up and turned towards him.

"Nothin'." He eyed her up and down where she sat. "Just thinkin' 'bout somethin' kinda funny." There he went, looking all awkward and stiff again. She flashed a smile at him, "You can sit down ya know." Her cell was small but she still had a chair that fit into her room. He moved over to it, pulling it out and sitting down. "What's up?" She asked. It wasn't very often Daryl paid a visit to her cell, it was a case never that he dropped by twice in one day. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah." He rumbled, fidgeting in his chair. "Jus' wanted to check on ya." She bit her lip to keep from smiling at how flustered he was. This was so far out of his comfort zone it was endearing.

"Yeah. Daryl I told you, I don't cry anymore." He looked at her, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. "I really don't. I just wish people would stop walkin' on eggshells around me. Like I'm about to break down at just the mention of his name."

"They're just worried about ya."

"Well, they shouldn't be." Her thumb played with the scar under her bracelets. "I'm stronger now. I know I messed up before, but I'm not that scared little girl anymore." She squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. He gave her a quiet 'mm' and she left it at that. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You think I'm about to break down too?" She couldn't stop the anger that rose up inside her. "That's why you're here aren't you? To make sure I haven't tried it again?" She moved her arm and he knew what she was referring to when she said 'it'.

"Nah." He looked away and out the door of her cell. "I just came in from watch. Not tired. Heard you makin' noise and thought you might enjoy the company." He stood go. "Guess I was wrong."

She reached out and grabbed his hand without thinking, "No. Just…" She looked up at him, "Just stay. Please?" He quirked an eyebrow at her but sat back down. "I can't sleep either." She said softly. She really didn't know what to say. This was Daryl…someone she really hardly talked to. She more of her time looking at him from across the room or from behind some lookout place. Her longest conversation had been earlier today when he'd told her Zach was gone. "Just keep thinkin'. Ya know?" He watched her. He knew she would go on. "About what happened. I don't really know. No one will tell me exactly what happened. I'm left with all these questions. Was it fast? Did he turn? Did he hurt? Was he scared?" She shrugged, "Morbid and dark, but I can't make my brain shut off." She looked at him and he just stared at her. She dropped her head into her hands, her shoulders slumping. "Maybe I am as weak as everyone thinks." She whispered. An arm slid around her shoulders as the bed depressed slightly under Daryl's weight.

"Nah. It's normal to have thoughts. To think about what happened. 'Specially when no one will tell you what happened." She looked up at him hopefully. "I ain't going to be the one to tell you. You don't need to know, yet." Her shoulders dropped. "You aren't weak." He was very clearly out of his element. Comforting others was not his strong point, and they both knew it, but Beth felt comforted in the fact that he was at least trying. "You're trying to cope and that's what matters." She let out a breath and rested her head on his shoulder, staring out into space.

"Thank you." He looked down at her. "Sometimes, all you need is a hug. Physical contact to show you the world isn't shit like you thought it was." She looked up at him, and heart started to thud a little faster in her chest. She was battling with weird feelings inside her. She'd always thought he was attractive, but having him sitting so close, holding her to comfort her, it was causing feelings to well up inside her that she wasn't completely sure she could control. Her eyes darted down to his lips and then back up to his eyes. She wasn't really sure who moved first, but she knew they both moved. Next thing she knew his hand was on her cheek, and his lips were battling with hers for dominance. The liquid fire that started in her belly settled somewhere decidedly lower, making her restless where she sat. Her hands came up and pushed his vest off his shoulders, along with the jacket that was keeping him warm during his outside watch. The clothes dropped to the floor with a muted thud.

She let out a soft groan as his hand came up to palm her breast through her soft cotton tank top. She wanted his hands all over her, all at the same time. She tangled her hand in his hair and kissed him, her tongue darting out to taste his mouth. That kicked him into gear and before she could reach to help, the button on her pants was undone and they were sliding down her legs. The air was chilly but she only vaguely registered that, too focused on the man in her bed, above her, striping her clothes from her. Her fingers hooked in the hem of his shirt and she tugged, pulling it up between them and over his head. She flung it, not caring where it would land. Her hands smoothed up from his stomach to his chest and she looked at him. He was breathing hard as he watched her. Her fingers ghosted over the tattoo on his chest and her lips pressed against it. His lips took hers again hungrily as her fingers darted to the top of his jeans, undoing the button and drawing the zipper down. She used her legs to push the material down and he popped free, hot, heavy and hard against her. She reached to touch him but he caught her hands and placed them up by her head. He dragged her tank top up and off of her, exposing her to the night air and his hungry gaze. His lips took one of her pink nipples into his mouth, sucking gently until it hardened. He kissed his way down her ribs to her stomach and paused, placing a hot kiss along her hip bone. With one glance up to her eyes he peeled her underwear down and exposed the most intimate part of her. She wiggled and moved beneath him, but his touch made her arch up off the thin mattress.

He placed a hot, opened mouth kiss to the inside of her thigh before he turned and laved his tongue over her. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from crying out. Her other hand tangled in his hair as he pleasantly tortured her with his tongue. She was so close to shattering beneath him when he stopped. She almost sobbed. A smirk covered his face as he crawled up her body. His lips took hers and she felt him settle between her legs. She could feel him, thick and heavy against her. She wanted to beg him to take her, to just do it because she couldn't wait anymore. She didn't have to. He slid into her, stretching her and filling her like she'd never imagined.

His hands drew her legs up and around him as he started to move and it took all her effort not to cry out as the pleasure mounted. Her nails dug into the skin of his shoulders and she panted near his ear, softly encouraging him to go on and that she was so close. He looked at her, his blue eyes cloudy with want. He panted her name, "Beth…" She sighed as he moved again. "Beth." It was a little more insistent and made her look at him again. "Beth."

Beth bolted up right breathing hard, fully clothed and sweating. She looked around her cell noticing Daryl leaning against the side of the wall by her door and Maggie perched neatly on the edge of her bed. "What? What happened?" Her voice was groggy.

"You were making noises and freaking out. Thought you were having a nightmare." Maggie stroked Beth's hair and looked at her with a strained smile. The dream flashed before her eyes and she felt her cheeks heat up as she looked over at Daryl. He gave her a studying look and she didn't want to analyze whether or not he knew what was really going on.

"Yeah…a nightmare." She said softly, nodding quickly. "I'm all better now. Thanks." She made to settle, not looking at Daryl again to see if he could tell she was lying.

"Ok. Good night Beth." Maggie stood to leave and walked outside back to her cell that she shared with Glenn. Beth breathed a sigh of relief and ran a hand over her face. She looked over her shoulder and noticed Daryl was still watching her. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up and she felt electrically charged.

"What?" her voice was soft. He shook his head and gave a shrug.

"Nothing." He looked at her again. "Didn't peg you to have nightmares." She felt her cheeks flame red and was suddenly very glad it was dark. "G'night Beth." She listened to his footsteps as he went up the stairs and away from her. She let out a pent up breath…she was never going to go to sleep again. Not with the chance of having another dream like that. Not with him just around the corner listening. She sighed and looked up at the bottom of the bunk above her. She'd have to face him tomorrow…this was going to suck.