Creak. Creak. Creak. Slouching in the white, wooden porch rocking chair Beth watched the clouds in the distance. Eyes unfocused. Hands laying limp in her lap. Hair casually pulled into a side ponytail, errant strands of honey framing her face. One sneaker carelessly discarded on the floor. Her foot wrapped in a white, lace trimmed anklet tucked up under her leg at the knee. A forgotten glass of lemonade warming on the table beside her. An idyllic picture of tranquility.

"Hey! Girl! This Doc Herschel's place!?" Harsh words growled in an urgent tone startled her from her daydreams. Beth instinctively hugged her knees to her chest. As if they could protect her. Head jerking back, she found herself looking up into a rough face with the most intense eyes she had ever seen. And she was temporarily rendered mute. The unexpected feel of something warm and sticky against her leg, caused Beth to inhale sharply. Pulling her legs in even tighter to her chest, a downward glance revealed Rough Face was holding an armful of fur. A dog. Louder now, more urgent, "Girl, I'm talkin' to you. Where's Doc Hers…"

"Is that a dog? Is it bleeding?" Beth shot out of the chair as if it were on fire, reaching momentarily towards the dog, then turning to yank open the screen door. A hand on the doorframe, her ponytail whipping around her neck. Screaming, "Daddy! Come quick! Bring your bag!" Releasing the door it slammed against the frame. Turning to look back at the rough, unkempt man in front of her. Insistent, "What happened?"

"I dunno. I found her like this." His voice low, defensive. His eyes downcast. Beth couldn't tell if he was looking at the ground or the dog. Or lying. Beth let her eyes roll over him, unabashedly staring, as she collected her thoughts. Sorting out what she saw, what he said, if she believed that he really just found the dog like that. Hurt. Or if he was the one to hurt her, even accidentally. Studying him she found something tender in the way he held the dog, something in his posture, his face that spoke to her.

With another slam of the door, Herschel burst out onto the wide porch. The gentleness of his actions as he approached the dog betrayed his size. After a quick rudimentary check, Herschel pulled the door back open. With a wave of his hand, he ushered Rough Face inside, saying "Put her over on the table. Careful now. Maggie! I need you." Abruptly, Rough Face was dismissed, Hershel's total attention was focused on his patient.

Standing outside on the porch, Beth looked through the screen at her father and Maggie moving around the dark dog stretched out on the table. Rough Face standing off to the side, his head hanging. Shoulders slumped. Beth whispered to herself "We all got jobs to do," as she straightened herself to her full height. Quietly opening the screen door, she slipped inside. Silently moving to stand next to Rough Face, her hand wrapping around his. With a slight smile up at him, Beth lightly tugged at his hand, saying "Come on. Let's give them room to work."

With a last look over his shoulder, Rough Face allowed Beth to lead him outside to the porch. Pausing in front of one of the white rocking chairs, he pulled his crossbow from his back and propped it against the railing. Beth watched as he awkwardly dusted at his jeans before pulling the chair towards the door and sinking to sit on the edge. Boots restlessly tapping, his eyes darted between her and the screen door, as if he wanted to make sure no one escaped.

Perching on the edge of the other chair, Beth pulled her abandoned shoe on, saying "How about some lemonade while we wait. It's nice and cold." With a grunt, Rough Face nodded. Sighing, Beth scurried around to the back door. Grateful for the opportunity to collect herself. Carrying two fresh glasses of iced lemonade, Beth smoothed out her face before walking back out onto the porch. Holding out a glass, she said "I'm Beth."

"Daryl." His eyes everywhere but on her.

"Daryl," his name flowed off her tongue. "So, um, she seems like a nice dog." Trying not to stare, Beth noticed that he seemed to be covered by a layer of grime. As if he'd been in the woods a while.

The sweat from his glass dripping, Daryl rubbed it into his jeans. His mouth twisted in a scowl. "She ain't mine." He growled.

Beth forced her lips into a semblance of a smile as she nodded, saying "Oh. I didn't, um…"

Almost defensively, Daryl inhaled as he turned to stare at her. Setting the glass on the floor, hands starting to clench, practically spitting, "It wasn't me." Before turning to look back at the door.

In a low, soothing voice "I believe you." Lightly rocking. Sitting in silence. Beth pressed the side of her glass to her cheek before setting it on the table. Her eyes sliding to the corners, unable to resist sneaking a peak at his profile. His rough face making her wonder if he'd had a hard life. "So, um… That's a nice looking crossbow. I've never seen one up close before." As she spoke, Daryl's head seemed to swivel back towards her, his eyes drifting over her face. And lower. The intensity of his gaze causing her to stutter, "Is it um, uh is it hunting season?"

As she finished speaking, the porch door banged open again. Herschel was drying his hands on a towel as he stepped out onto the porch. His mouth tight, face drawn. "I think she'll be fine. There's still work to do, but first I want to know who shot her." His eyes boring into Daryl, it was obvious that he thought Daryl was the guilty party.

Eyes focused, Daryl sprang from the rocking chair, "It wasn't me!" The two men squaring off, eye to eye, chest to chest. The accuser and the accused. Their strained silence broken by the arrival of a big bull of a man.

Muscular arms protruded from under his dingy wife-beater, a shotgun casually slung over his shoulder as he appeared at the side of the porch. Standing, Beth stared at the sweat gleaming on the upper lip of his thick, meaty face as he bellowed from the grass, "Hey there little brother! You drag that damn dog all the way up here? I told you to just leave her." In that moment, Beth knew that he was the one responsible for hurting the dog.

Without moving or breaking eye contact, Daryl yelled "Shut up, Merle!" Then muttered under his breath, "Jackass." His hands loosely clenched by his sides, elbows slightly bent, he continued to glare at Herschel, as Merle's laughter filled the air around them.

Moving to stand between the two men Beth said, "Daddy, Daryl didn't do it." With a quick glance over the railing, she continued "It was someone else. Daryl just found her." As she spoke Daryl's face and fists began to relax. An action which did not escape the attention of her father. Or Merle.

Stepping back, Herschel exhaled as he turned to look at his daughter's open face. "Daryl?" His scowl melting into an exasperated smile, "So, you're out here making friends."

"Daddy!" Her voice raising slightly.

Chuckling, Merle started up the porch steps saying "Looks like Darleena's got his self a little girlfriend." Reaching the top step, he rested heavily against the railing, a wicked grin creasing his face.

Daryl growled over Beth's shoulder, "I said shut up Merle." His eyes coming around to meet Beth's.

Unable, unwilling to pull her eyes away, Beth stared into Daryl as she said "Go inside and finish taking care of the dog, Daddy."

Turning from Beth, Herschel focused his attention back on Daryl, "My daughter believes you. I don't know why, but she does. And… That's enough for me." With a huff, Herschel scanned Merle's face before turning and going back in the house. The screen door slamming behind him.

Beth and Daryl's continued silent appraisal of each other was suddenly broken by the unexpected whine of the TV from inside the house. The panic in the newscaster's voice drawing Beth, Daryl and even Merle to the window. Squinting through the screen, the three of them stared at the TV. At the breaking news report about a mysterious new virus. At the newscaster urging people to stay calm and make their way to the Refugee Center in Atlanta.

Standing between Daryl and Merle, Beth felt more than saw the brothers look at each other, and simultaneously shake their heads no.

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this chapter submitted by arrowsandangels