Hey guys! Here's the Valentine's day update I promised! (Yay I met one of my own deadlines for once!) I hope you enjoy it. Also, I wanted everyone to know, to both my Team Delusional and Team Acceptance readers, that no matter what happens, I will continue writing Bethyl fics, and this one in particular, till it's end. They are still my all time favorite TV pairing (OTP Bethyl all the way!) and will remain that way as far as I can tell.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and I will update soon! Keep calm and Bethyl on!

Four:

For a few days, Beth and Daryl used their time cleaning the place up; Beth making it her mission to make everything sparkle, and Daryl mostly helping because there was nothing better to do, along with the fact that he hated feeling useless. So, at his request, she put him to work, fixing a little leak in the roof above one of the bedrooms, and nailing down a loose board on the front porch.

Daryl couldn't help but feel a little unnerved by the normalcy of it all. How she looked mopping the floor, bringing him some lemonade to help him survive the sweltering Georgia heat. How simple it all was, and the growing connection that he and Beth were beginning to feel, without even really knowing each other.

It was easy for him to talk to her, and for him to let out the good pieces of himself around her. Easier than it ever had been with anyone else, and the reality of it was that it shouldn't have been.

Not only was it most likely that Maggie had sent Atlanta's finest after them, or him, more specifically, so he shouldn't get too close to her, but it was just an unspoken rule that men like him weren't supposed to make connections with women like Beth. No matter what she had gone through, she was obviously trying to pull through it. She still radiated that gentle innocence she had all those years ago.

He kept the happiness close to his heart at the fact that she had held onto that. It was a beautiful thing.

Once Daryl hand finished fixing the porch -he had taken it upon himself to fix the porch's railing since it was loose-, he headed inside, nearly tripping over Beth who had inconveniently seated herself right in the doorway.

"Move yer' ass, Girl! I almost kicked ya'," Daryl said, playfully nudging her side with his foot.

SHe just looked up at him, smiling wide. "Ya' know you hum while you work?" she countered, making his face burn.

"So?" he mumbled, walking over to get himself a glass of lemonade. They were lucky enough to get the power working to the fridge could turn on. Powdered lemonade may not have been as good as freshly squeezed, but in this heat, Daryl could settle just fine.

"So, it's cute," Beth teased, her eyes sparkling.

They had also been easily playful to each other, somehow knowing exactly what to say to make the other laugh, never going too far.

Daryl scoffed and said, "I ain't cute," deciding to guzzle down his glass, burping loudly to prove his point.

She just laughed, her nose scrunching sweetly. "Well, not when you do that."

Daryl smirked slightly, pouring himself another glass before going over to sit in the nice arm chair in front of Beth. He put one leg on top of the other, watching her as she tried to open some of the paint cans they found in the back shed. He knew how to open the can, and while he knew she sure as hell wasn't doing it right, he wanted to watch her struggle with it for a little bit. She was pretty damn cute when she was frustrated.

He grunted angrily at his own thought, taking a swig of his lemonade, trying to switch his train of thought.

Beth wanted to repaint the front. She said it looked sad; like it needed a nice new coat of paint to perk it up. He wondered if that was a metaphor for him, or maybe even for herself, but he didn't ask. He'd just help her out just like he had been, and maybe the answer wouljd reveal itself on it's own.

He still didn't really understand what he was doing there. Why he was still in this quaint little cabin with Beth, helping her fix it up, and joking with her like some stupid couple…

He tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach at that thought, and how he felt instantly nervous because of it. How he couldn't look at her after that, deciding to take great fascination in the wallpaper on the right side of the room instead.

He finally looked back her direction when she made a very angry noise. He turned his gaze to find her holding the can out to him, a pout pulling down the corners of her mouth.

He chuckled, taking the can and kneeling on the ground, opening it smoothly with one try.

She groaned. "That's so not fair! You've got magic hands or something!"

He looked up at her with wide eyes, not-so innocent thoughts involuntarily flooding his mind. She stared back, her cheeks blooming into a deep red as the same kinds of thoughts flickered into her head. Realizing that she had brought up something that had such a suggestive undertone, knowing but unable to voice that this was not her intent.

But then Beth wondered, why did it matter? Why did it make her so nervous to bring up something that wasn't even that sexual? Why did it make her blush and not want to look into his eyes?

Suddenly Daryl was standing, still holding the paint can. "Where're the brushes?"

Beth looked up at him, her eyes locking onto his midnight blue ones, seeing the nervousness she felt reflected in his always intense gaze. She reached behind her, pulling two brushes out. He hadn't said he would help with the painting, but secretly she had hoped he would.

He raised an eyebrow at her, a small smirk causing a little bit of light to reach his eyes. This was something new, and it made her stomach do happy little flips.

"What?" she asked, giggling a bit while she spoke the word.

"Nothin', come on. Let's start paintin'," he replied, holding out a hand to help her up.

She took it, letting out a little surprised noise when he pulled her up so easily. She looked at him, hoping he could see that she was impressed.

He just hid behind his bangs, glancing at her momentarily before taking a quick step towards the front door. "Yer' heavier than ya' look."

Beth huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It ain't nice to call a girl fat, ya' know," she countered, "S'not like I could carry you around for more than a minute anyways! Hipocrate."

Another smirk slipped onto his features, and he just shook his head, walking out onto the porch. "Doubt you could even last'a minute."

"Bet I could," Beth replied. "I'm stronger than I look too."

Daryl chuckled, turning an amused glance to her as he grabbed a dirty sheet to spread it over the main part of the porch, where they wouldn't be painting. "Aren't you jus' full'a suprises."

She smiled wide at him, helping to adjust the fabric so it covered the entire flat of the porch. "Speakin' of surprises, I talked to my sister."

Daryl gave her a concerned look, but she just shook her head, assuring him that there was no bad news. "Don't worry. I just explained the situation, and even told her she could stop by if she wanted."

"She wasn't mad?" Daryl asked, a bit confused by this turn of events.

"I don't think Maggie was really mad to begin with honestly. I think she's really afraid of losin' someone else, but now that Glenn's calmed her down, I think she's at least tryin' to understand why I need to be away from home," Beth replied, grabbing a brush and moving over to sit near Daryl.

"And Glenn is…?" Daryl asked.

"Oh, right! Sorry. Sometimes I forget that you haven't always been around… Glenn's Maggie's husband," Beth responded, a little nervous laughter bursting through her lips when she realized what she had said. God, sometimes around Daryl she just couldn't stop talking. Especially when she really needed to, apparently. It made her feel a bit better to see that he didn't seem to mind.

Daryl tried not to read too much into her words, but his mind seemed to go off like nothing he'd ever experienced when she said little things like that. It was getting harder and harder to ignore those sorts of sentences.

"Just glad she didn't have Atlanta's finest on my ass," Daryl replied honestly, letting out a little snort as he dipped his paint brush into the can. "Last thing I need is to get locked up for kidnapping after trying to be a hero for you a second damn time."

Beth laughed out loud, the sound causing Daryl to look over. Her beautiful expression made his mind go blank for a moment and his brain couldn't even send the signal to look away to the right place. Instead, he made a complete fool of himself.

he went to paint a few more lines on the wood, missing the intended target by maybe an inch or so while also practically tripping himself with the sheet. It was just his luck that he just so happened to be leaning a little bit too far forward as well, and he nearly fell completely, catching himself quickly, but not before his head had roughly tapped the wood railing.

A sharp pain shot through his head and he groaned in embarrassment, and for the small throb he felt as he pulled away.

"Oh my God! Daryl!" Suddenly she was right beside him, checking his head with a concerned look on her face. "Jesus! That sounded like it hurt!"

She was so close to him, half of her front practically pressed against him. Too close… Way too close.

He tried to push away but that damn tap had rung his bell, and she had already lifted his bangs to take a quick peek at the injury. He tried his hardest to look anywhere else but her face, and somehow ended up staring down her tank top for a few seconds, which only made his already heated face burn.

God, what was with him? She made him act like a bull in a China shop. Made him seem like he couldn't take one step without tripping or breaking something. Which was ridiculously stupid because he was more than capable of standing on his own.

And then she would get all close and personal about it… Like she didn't know she made his brain go haywire every time she smiled.

What the hell is wrong with me!

"'M fine," Daryl said, shaking her off, which only made her look more concerned. "Just a lil' bump. I done worse."

Beth laugh lightly, shaking her head. "God… What's with boys and hurting themselves? Drives us women crazy with worry, ya' know."

He was about to interject and tell her that he didn't hurt himself on purpose, but the last thing she said caught him off guard. He scoffed, beginning to paint again to try and take his mind off the girl next to him. "Got no need to worry 'bout me."

He didn't have to even look her direction to know she was smiling. "'Course I do! Who else is gonna take care of you when it's only us out here?"

He grunted, shaking his head. "I don't need no babysitter."

He made the mistake of glancing her way, her eyes alight with amusement, his heart rate speeding up. "Really? 'Cause that little tumble just now suggests otherwise."

He started painting faster, grumbling a short, "Shut up…" in response.

Suddenly he felt something wet and brush-like slide down his arm, and he turned to her, looking from his now white arm to a cheeky looking Beth. She giggled, and he smirked as he counter attacked, shamelessly dragging the paintbrush, heavy with paint, from her hip to her knee. She gasped, catching him with by painting a quick line from his shoulder to his collar bone.

They stared at one another for a minute, both needing a brush refill but neither making a move towards the can. Their eyes were locked as Daryl said, "Ya' sure ya' wanna do this, Girl?"

She just laughed confidently. "Oh yes, Mr. Dixon. One hundred percent."

And then, it was war.

Paint was splashing everywhere, lines of white were streaked across their bodies, and they both were laugh hysterically, until Daryl tackled Beth to the ground, somehow able to still be gentle with her. He globbed paint onto her right cheek, and she squealed loudly, laughing in fits as he pushed himself to his elbows, a few more chuckles escaping him before he realized what position he had put them in.

She looked up at him with this amazingly beautiful smile on her face, and his heart leapt at the sight.

"You play dirty, Dixon," she giggled, "That ain't how the game is supposed ta' be played."

"Says who, Girl? Ain't no rules to the paint game," he replied, his body tensing as the word dirty left her mouth.

"Says me," Beth teased, suddenly, and very boldly, putting an arm on each of his shoulders, linking her hands at the nape of his neck.

He suddenly felt… Strange. Not uncomfortable, but like he was trespassing on sacred ground or something. Beth was this angel. This beautiful angel that could make him laugh, and make him want to, maybe even take a little joy in, fixing up houses. That made him see the lights in the sky instead of worrying about what horrible memory of his hid in the darkness. He wondered briefly if he was influencing her in a some way similar to how she was influencing him. Thought he knew how bad it was to take advice from a Dixon, he saw that Beth was having a bit of trouble being as strong as he knew she was. If he was one thing, he was tough, he knew that. So maybe the one giving so much to Daryl was actually receiving something in return for once.

He liked that thought a lot.

"Daryl, I've been thinkin'..." Beth said, breaking his train of thought. "I mean, I know we kinda both know that we won't be able to stay here forever…" Daryl tried to ignore the sadness that swirled in his gut as she said those words, but she was quick to continue. "But maybe… Maybe we could stay here for a while longer… Together."

He immediately pulled away, moving back to sit a small ways away from Beth. That little red light in the back of his mind flashing like no tomorrow.

Together.

God… He never thought he could enjoy a word so much. It was almost painful. But that's kind of how he felt every time he looked at her.

"This place… It's my family's," Beth said. "My Daddy used to take the whole family, me, Maggie, Shawnn, Momma and I, out here during the summer. We'd go fishin' in the lake just down the path in the back, and we'd sing songs by a campfire at night."

Daryl looked at Beth, who was now also sitting up, her eyes looking off into the distance. He could tell the memories were not bad ones, but they were painful nonetheless, for whatever reason.

"My parents and Shawn all died in a car accident last summer while they were drivin; Shawn back to college 'cause his was havin' some trouble," she said, her voice quievering, and her bottom lip following in suit.

He saw the tears well up in her eyes and spill over onto her cheeks. Her face contorting suddenly in sadness. "I know… The good memories shouldn't make me wanna cry… But they do!" She laughed incredulously, wiping at her cheeks and nose and eyes. "God, Ai'm such'a baby…"

"Nah," Daryl said instantly, feeling the need to defend her, even if it was from herself. "Ya' lost some important people, and ya' can't have anymore memories with them. That ain't right. Ain't how it's supposed ta' be. Cryin'... It's natural."

She looked over at him, her eyes bright from crying, and her cheeks almost as red as the rims of her eyes. She smiled at him, and his heart softened instantly. She had just shared something very painful with him, without asking for anything in return.

He just scooted closer to her and pulled her into his side. She laced their fingers together and sighed, still crying, but much less so now that Daryl was truly by her side.

Daryl, feeling very much like he had not given as much as Beth did, but not knowing how much he was ready to give, decided to offer up something.

"My Daddy used to beat me pretty bad," he said quietly, not looking at Beth but knowing she had turned her gaze his direction. "Real bad. One time I couldn't even get up."

Suddenly, he felt something wonderfully soft press against his cheek. He turned his head, his gaze instantly connecting with her beautiful blue eyes.

He cleared his throat, tightening his his grip on her hand.

After a few moments sitting like that, Daryl cleared his throat, glancing her way before saying. "I think we could stay here a while… Ya' know… Together. Before I gotta go do mah' own thang…"

She smiled at him, her eyes lighting up again. "I like you, Daryl Dixon."

Daryl smiled back. Small, but full of meaning. "I like you too, Beth Greene."

"No, Daryl," Beth said, turning to face him completely, suddenly looking very serious "I really like you Daryl. In a, 'I'm interested in you' kinda way."

Daryl stared at her, his eyes wide as her words sunk in, her sharp blue gaze staring deep into his. Only one syllable could make it's way from his lips, "Oh."