I Made It!

Chapter 25: Missing

She tossed and turned all night. Without him beside her, holding onto her waist tightly- she feels lost and unsafe. Irrational isn't it? But not quite. He was like a fortress, holding her firmly and blocking her from the terrible world around them. His eyes were two stars lighting her way in darkness- but alas, they have gone away.

How is it that she could feel so in love with a man she barely knows- one who always scorned her at best? Why is it that though the truth was obvious before to her- that it burns her flesh deeper than if it were molten lava muxed with acid?

Rolling on her side, Beth doesn't even know if she truly knows what love is. She never really loved her past boyfriends- and family love is different than what she feels for Daryl Dixon. So what is love now that her chances of finding out are dead?

"Beth? You up?" Maggie sweetly calls to her as she enters the room from the hallway.

"Yeah...been up since yesterday." She feigns a smile and sits up against the headboard.

"Listen, about Daryl..."

"It was nothing Mags. We both were just confused- we kissed- that was it. I mean nothing to him and...and he means nothing to me. I'm fine." She tries so hard to sound confident, but her heart is breaking with every word. Maggie sadly smiles and hands Beth a music box- the music box. "What's this?"

"It's a music box Daryl found a while back- after we thought you died. It was broken, but he said he'd knew you'd love it. It started working the day Aaron found us- it gave me hope that we'd find you- and in a way, we did." Maggie holds Beth's hand and they gaze at each other. "He hurt you and that upsets me, but...but I know you do mean something to him. Or else he wouldn't have done what he did to that awful woman- he maybe rough and a big ass sometimes- but you seemed to be the only thing he was thinking about all those months- he never stopped crying for you. Hell, he never healed."

"Maggie...do...do you think that Daryl just doesn't know how to feel emotions like love?"

"I wouldn't say that at all. The reason we found you was cause Daryl ran off half crazed trying to find you. I just think he's never had an opportunity to love anyone. Now I'm still upset with him from yesterday- but ya know- I think whatever you two feel, will be just fine." Kissing her forehead, Maggie leaves and. Eth just stares at the music box in her hands.

Maybe he does love me....

The hard floor of the treehouse wasn't remotely the reason why Daryl didn't sleep last night. All night he thought of that blonde girl who took his heart before he even knew he had one- metaphorically speaking. All through his head ran images of what he wanted from that girl. At one point it came down to a baby.

Yeah, he was hiding in the middle of the woods- like a coward- from a girl and her sister, but it was because he couldn't hurt her anymore than he aleady had. True, he should have approached her in the bedroom after he geard her crying her eyes out. He should have corrected her when she said he could never love her and that she should have just died. The thoughg erks him even more than losing her again.

What am I missing? I can't be considered a normal human being when I obvious don't know how to communicate like one.

Getting up, he tiredly climbs down the ladder and turns to head back to Alexandria. As he starts walking, he realizes that something isn't right. Turning atound slowly, he notices a man with weird white face paint- black and red markings painted on it also- standing behind him looking blood thirsty with a baseball bat covered in nails. As he's about to turn around and run, the man with the bat sprints at him and Daryl turns racing in the opposite direction.

Shit! I can't go back to Alexandria- he migjt have others who will destroy it. Fuck!

He runs away from Alexandria and tries to figure out a way to save himself, but more importantly save Beth from this unknown psychopath.

Fuck!