A/N - This is my first AU for TWD fandom, it's one of a few idea's that just popped in to my head that I will be experimenting with, if people like it, I can turn it in to a longer story? The plan would be for a Bethyl slow burn, but, will also feature a mystery story as a back drop! Most other characters will pop up too. (Rick is married to Andrea, as Lori didn't really fit the part I wanted for Rick's wife here.)

Hope you enjoy and please leave a review with feedback/suggestions, or PM me :)

Beth Greene, let out a long breath, blowing her silky blonde hair away from her face to cool her forehead, as she sunk her chin into her hand. After flashing a smile and saying goodbye to the latest patient to leave Andrea's office, she glanced down at the blank screen on her iphone, pulling it out from where it had been tucked away under a pile of papers on her desk she could see the time on it showed it was still another good hour until the bright sun outside the window started to fade. It was proving to be another slow afternoon and she was starting to get used to the idea again that nothing happened around this place.

Beth was back in the sleepy Georgia town she had grown up in for the summer holidays from Atlanta where she had been studying nursing. She was working for the local town doctor, Andrea Grimes over the summer months while she looked for a more permeant position.

...

Drumming her pen on the edge of her key board, her eyes flicked to the empty street outside in a weak attempt to take her mind off her screen, but she was unable to stop herself as she pushed the button on her smart phone again for what must have been the hundredth time that day, lighting it up to see there were still no messages or missed calls.

"It isn't going to make it ring any faster, the more you stare at it," Andrea suddenly said, bursting out of the door to her office, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Beth, fixing her with a knowing smile as she dropped a pile of papers on to her desk.

"Oh, I err..was just," Beth responded, sounding flustered as she jumped a little in embarrassment that her boss had caught her daydreaming as she swept a loose wisp of her blonde hair away from her face.

Beth liked Andrea, she had been a little intimidated by her in the first couple of weeks that she had worked for the older blonde, Andrea was so smart and glamorous, and unlike Beth she always seemed to know the right thing to say. But she had turned out to be a fair boss and had been good to Beth, gossiping with her in the mornings before the patients arrived, giving her advice about her nursing degree amongst other things, as well as letting her take time off when she had needed it, no questions asked. Beth couldn't have asked for more.

"Beth, it's okay, I was your age once too, not so long ago," Andrea said with a chuckle, and she perched against the side of Beth's desk, from where it was placed at the centre of the reception to her office.

Beth gulped, taking in a waft of Andrea's expensive perfume."It's just, he said he'd text, and that was over a week ago now, he's probably been busy or something, so I was just wondering whether maybe I should just text him or something?" Beth asked a little breathlessly, fiddling with her nails, her big inquisitive blue eyes looking up to meet Andrea's green ones straight on.

Beth honestly had no idea why Zach the good-looking and funny guy she'd had a date with the week before, hadn't called. He'd seemed so nice and interested in her, she'd felt certain he would. But every night since their date, she'd gone to bed filled with disappointment that she'd heard nothing from him. It wasn't even as though she liked him all that much, but ever since her childhood boyfriend Jimmy had broken her heart, he'd been the first guy that had seemed genuinely interested in actually getting to know her and not just fooling around.

"This is silly, I don't even know if I like him that much anyway," Beth added, glancing at Andrea's smiling face. Wishing she could be more like the pretty doctor, with her perfect curvy figure in her designer blouse, charcoal grey pencil skirt and christian louboutin heels. Andrea was a far cry from the mess Beth always felt, struggling to find anything to suit her shapeless figure, no wonder she was the kind of girl guys didn't call back, she thought miserably.

"Beth, he'll text you," Andrea said confidently. "It might not be straight away, but sooner or later, he'll call, because they always do, once they realise what they're missing."

She paused, her smile widening, "But, Beth, when he does, you're just going have to work out if you actually want to text him back," she said, with a sparkle in her eye.

"You really think?" Beth questioned quietly, a puzzled look crossing her pretty features.

"Uh-huh," Andrea replied, "But, even if he doesn't, someone else, someone better, will come along soon enough anyway. You're a catch, Beth."

Beth blushed, she wasn't so sure she agreed with her boss.

"Anyway, I just came out to say the last patient cancelled, so you can go home early," Andrea said.

Beth nodded, smiling at her boss, "Thanks."

"Although, I do have favour to ask. How do you feel about babysitting tonight? I know it's last minute, but Amy is working, and Rick's got the night off for the first time in ages..…" Andrea said, with hopeful eyes.

"Sure, I'd be happy to, I don't have any plans," Beth replied, her eyes wandering again to the the locked screen of her phone.

….

'"Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true," Beth sang softly, placing a sleeping baby Judith down in to her crib, kissing her lightly on her forehead, before tiptoeing out the room, closing the door gently behind her.

Walking across the landing, Beth glanced in to Andrea and Rick's bedroom, it was like most things in their home, immaculate, fresh and stylish. She turned to walk down the stairs, thinking how she couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of her boss, she seemed to have it all, a successful career, married to the handsome town sheriff, with a gorgeous baby daughter and beautiful home.

Beth sighed, wondering whether she would ever have those things. Right now, she felt as though she would be alone forever, painfully aware of the cold metal of her phone from where it was pressed against her thigh in her shorts pocket, reminding her there was still no word from Zach.

Scooping her long blonde hair up into a messy ponytail, she made her way in to the kitchen, opening the fridge to help herself to a drink, welcoming the sharp blast of ice cold air against her warm skin. When she suddenly heard the doorbell ring.

She froze, Rick and Andrea hadn't said they were expecting anyone.

Making her way to the door, she wondered whether possibly it was Amy, Andrea's younger sister and Beth's friend, although Beth was fairy certain Amy had said she was working at their local diner that night. She opened the door to see it wasn't Amy, but Daryl Dixon stood there. Rick's quiet and surly deputy sheriff.

"Hi,' she said surprised, her voice a little wobbly, her big blue eyes wide and blinking, as she looked at him stood in front of her, the glow from the setting sun behind him bouncing off his masculine face, and she wasn't quite sure why but Beth's heart rate suddenly sped up dramatically.

In the short time she'd been home for the holidays, she knew him well enough to say hello to, but that was about it, he was pretty unfriendly and by all accounts had caused quite a few heads to turn, when Rick had taken him on as his deputy.

He nodded at her in response, a little hair falling over his eyes as a surprised look crossed his face too, he clearly hadn't been expecting to see her there. He moved his head and his dark hair flipped back against his forehead, "Rick in?" he asked, in a low gruff voice.

"No, they've gone out," Beth replied, aware she was still staring straight at him like an idiot.

She wasn't sure if she had ever seen him out of his sheriff's uniform before. He was wearing a simple and modern looking leather jacket over a dark blue shirt, and dark washed jeans. His eyes were a deep shade of blue. They had an intense look in them as he shifted awkwardly on the spot, catching her eye straight on for the briefest moment, before he looked away.

Beth could tell her inquisitive gaze was making him feel uncomfortable. Since she had been back, she hadn't had much to do with the quiet and mysterious new sheriff. Like most people in their small town, she had been a little surprised to hear he was Merle Dixon's brother. But not for the same reasons. Beth had only been surprised because she hadn't been aware that the loud and obnoxious Merle Dixon had a younger brother, and Daryl couldn't be more different to the brash and over confident redneck that he was related to.

He cleared his throat, looking in her direction again. "Could you see that he get's this?" he asked, his voice although rough and laced with southern drawl, was strangely quiet and polite, as he held up an A4 brown envelope.

Beth didn't respond straight away, a little taken aback with the butterflies growing in her stomach. A gentle evening breeze blowing a loose strand of her blonde hair across her face.

"Su-sure," she stammered, brushing at her hair with her fingers, she flashed him another shy smile and her eyelashes fluttered as she reached out to take the envelope from him, clumsily brushing the rough skin on his hand, causing an electric current to shoot through her as the butterflies increased and her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink.

"Thanks," he said, nodding again, his blue eyes glancing back at her through the edges of his long hair.

"You're welcome," Beth responded, her own blue eyes sparkling from where she was stood in the doorway dressed in her little denim shorts and white blouse.

Although, this was the first time she had heard him speak properly, or had any real interaction with the older guy. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't noticed him from afar. When he'd been out and about with Rick, or just around town on his own, there had been something about him that had strangely caught Beth's eye, even though he was nothing like the usual type of guys she would crush on, something about him had made her curious, he seemed so distant and mysterious. But she'd tried not to give it too much thought, due to his unapproachable vibe.

Amy had said she thought he was a little arrogant, bordering on rude, and to stay away from him. He wasn't like Shane, Rick's other deputy, who was always more than friendly and approachable.

But looking at Daryl Dixon now, Beth realised she had never noticed just how attractive he actually was. Sexy even, he was so damn sexy, she thought.

She looked away, trying not to choke on her attraction.

"You can come in, if you like, wait for them, they shouldn't be long," Beth suddenly blurted out brightly, before mentally kicking herself as she immediately saw his gaze flicker away from her. Why would he want to come in and spend any sort of time with me? her insecurities flared up. He probably had far more exciting places to be.

"S'okay, thanks, if you could just see he gets that, it's quite important," he muttered, his tone serious as he looked back to the envelope.

Beth nodded, her blonde ponytail shaking, as she felt another subtle bush rise in her cheeks, "Sure," she muttered, "Sure, I will."

"Thanks," he said again, as he turned to walk silently down the steps away from the house.

Beth stared after him for a moment, before closing the door and making her way back inside, clutching the envelope tightly in her hands, she wondered what could be inside.

...

Sinking into the large comfortable sofa in Andrea and Rick's living room, Beth looked down to see the baby monitor to her side was still quiet. She had tried for the past couple of hours to concentrate on the television screen in front of her, but her mind kept wandering back to her brief encounter earlier with the new deputy sheriff, Daryl Dixon. Curiosity burning inside her.

Why had Rick taken him on, when his family had such a bad reputation?

Beth wondered just what Daryl's story was. Why he was seemingly so different to his loud mouthed, pervy brother? She also couldn't help but wonder if he was dating anyone. She was pretty sure he wasn't married, but a guy like that would certainly have a girlfriend. The thought of that, strangely caused a brief pang of jealousy to hit Beth.

Suddenly her phone lit up and vibrated from where it was still in her shorts pocket, snapping her out of her daydream. She quickly dug it out to see that it was a text from Andrea to say they were going to be late.

Placing it back into her pocket, Beth couldn't help but smile slightly as she realised for the first time in ages, she hadn't felt the need to miserably check for messages all evening.

Maybe, this summer wasn't going to be quite as dull as she had thought after all...

Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a review :)