Confession

Somehow they had made it.

Their legs burned from their desperate attempts to outrun their pursuers. But the night and the roaming walkers proved to be an advantage. Once the Termites saw that there were too many walkers to get through, they gave up on their pursuit, but Daryl and Beth had no problem as they fought their way through the walkers together.

They fought until reaching an old house and collapsing in exhaustion. Only the next day did they discover that their current residence was an old historic home, some birthplace of an old fart Daryl never heard of. It had also been rough for poor Judith who fell ill upon arrival. All of them were shaken up about the ordeal. Daryl would hear Beth pray to God that night for forgiveness for killing those people back at Terminus.

"Does that sh*t even help?" asked Daryl.

"What?"

"Prayin'"

"I don't know what else to do," said Beth.

"Best you forget about it. You did what you had to."

That was the most they would speak to each other for a while.

The next several days were quiet and sore. Beth pretended to be asleep when she heard Daryl going in and out of the house. She feared that it wasn't to hunt but to leave them again. Her fears subsided when she heard Daryl return. Daryl thought that if he could do his hunting while she slept, he wouldn't have to face her assumptions that he was leaving her again. In all honesty, he didn't know what to do anymore. Terminus was a disaster, another one to add to the many he had caused for her. There were no safe places left for her and Judith...not even with him.

He took more caution as a result of recent events, only heating the fireplace at night, setting a security perimeter around the house. He never strayed too far for his hunts which meant the most he could get in food were some squirrels and rats...and that was on a good day. The rest of the time were spent on his guard while Beth tended to an ailing Judith. Her cries were making Daryl's task difficult.

"Daryl!"

He hurried to Beth's call. There seemed to be nothing unusual. Judith was still crying and her face was a bit apple-cheeked. "She's burning up!"

The searched the house frantically but found no medicine. "I'll check the other houses. Might have something. You got enough water?"

Beth nodded though she knew that he would have to leave again but it was for Judith's sake. She spent her time during Daryl's absence doing everything she could to bring Judith's temperature down. Despite what Daryl's thoughts were about prayer that wasn't going to deter her from still trying.

In less than an hour, Daryl returned with what he hoped was medicine that could help the baby. To his luck, Beth was able to use it on Judith. There were deep breaths as they waited. Relief only came as Judith's face returned to normal.

Daryl turned out of the room. "Wait. Don't go."

"Just checking outside. I wasn't going anywhere."

"Back at Terminus...you were going to leave us? Why?"

"That was a mistake," said Daryl. "Never woulda left you there if I'd known how f*cked up they were. I thought that was the place."

"What place?"

"For you and the kid."

Beth was silent and then. "Do you hate me?"

"What?!"

"Is that why you were leaving us."

"Nah, it ain't like that!"

"Then what is it, Daryl? Why do you act like you wanna stay and then you just us leave like that? You weren't even going to say goodbye! What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you, girl? Huh? You expect me to stick around...be the kid's daddy? The hell with that!" Daryl yelled. "That ain't what I've been around for. I've already seen what that sh*t does to people and believe me you don't want that again!"

Beth was stunned and painfully confused. "Again?" In a voice that nearly killed Daryl. "What do you mean, again?"

Daryl rubbed his head and paced around the room frantically. This was it, he thought to himself. He held it off long enough. And holding off such things...that usually makes people angrier. No doubt Beth won't forgive him now.

He looked away from her. "I was there...at the prison...when it all went down...I was with the Governor. Had been with 'im for a long time." Daryl couldn't look at Beth. He didn't need to. He could feel the tension, hear her hyperventilating. "I found the prison for him." He heard her take a few steps back. Every word that came from Daryl became harder and harder for both of them.

"I..." Daryl struggled. "I tried to tell 'im it ain't worth it. I wanted to come and warn all ye. Never got the chance. I woke up and I was there. Your people. My people. They died because of 'im. I killed 'im but hell...don't matter now, does it?"

It took everything within his power to find his courage and look at Beth. The look on her face was unbearable. Shock and despair. Her face was now red and filled with tears.

"He was the only one," Daryl said looking at her. "The only one I used my bow on, I swear!"

This didn't seem to comfort Beth...or him for that matter. "Beth...I..." Every moment of that damn war of the prison came flooding back to him and it became too much. he found himself suddenly dropping to his knees. Daryl had never broken down like this in his entire life. He didn't even notice Beth coming over and kneeling down next to him.

"Daryl..." She tried to put a hand on his shoulder but Daryl batted it away.

"Nah! Don't!"

"Daryl...please." Beth wiped her own tears and reached for Daryl again. She felt him shaking. "Daryl...it's okay." Was this girl kidding? How could she even stand to be this close to him after everything he just told her? How can she even be this calm?

"You...lost everything!" Daryl cried.

"So did you," she said. "Your brother...he died there too, didn't he?"

Daryl could only respond by nodding. Feeling confident now, Beth reached out further and wrapped her arm around Daryl. When he finally brought himself to look at her again, she knew that there was something else he wasn't telling her. Something was still in the dark with him. "What is it, Daryl?"

"Yer dad...," he said. "I saw his head just lying there and it was..." Sh*t, he realized. He shouldn't be telling her that...as if she need enough trauma than to be reminded of what happened that day all those months ago. "I had to do it...I had to take it out."

He felt her pushed away from of his and to his surprise, he felt her lips against the side of his head. "Thank you..." she said. "Thank you for doing that for him."

Daryl remained a curled up sobbing mess on that floor with every kind, unworthy, word Beth was speaking to him. She wasn't as strong as she looked however and she let herself cry once more with him.

Finally! The truth came out! But don't worry, it's not the end of the story.