Her light, his fire

4

Suggested Music:
(Retrograde -James Blake)

THEN-
I sat at the side of Daryl's bed as I held his hand, it had been two days since it happened. "Do you remember that house? The white funeral home? We found so much food." I felt a tear run down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away with my free hand. "I remember playing the piano, you stood there for so long watching. I knew you were there, but I didn't want to scare you away. You were so sweet those few days.. you took care of me when I needed you the most Daryl... I could never forget that.." I whispered. "I will take care of you Daryl." I squeezed his hand and laid my head on the bed, I closed my eyes and felt the remaining tears rolling down the sheets beneath my face and down the side of my neck. "Beth.." Kate called outside the door. "I'm coming." I said as I lifted my head and gave his hand another squeeze, I stood up, wiped my face, and headed out the room. "Negan is waiting for you outside, they are ready for the run." She said. "Thank you." I said pushing past her, she quickly grabbed my arm and stopped me. She took a couple steps and wiped off a tear still remaining on my cheek. "He'll pull through." She reassured me. "Watch him while I'm gone." I said with a half smile. She nodded her head and went inside his room. I headed out to where Negan was, there was five other men with us. We got into a truck and headed out of the sanctuary to a location I wasn't told of. We finally pulled up to a fenced farm that had "We belong to Negan." written on the wood with red paint. "Where are we?" I asked Negan. "Picking up what belongs to me." Negan said as he opened the van door and grabbed his bat. I got out as well and watched the gates slowly open. A older man stood there with three pigs, a younger boy standing with his mother and two other women.
"Negan." The man said, he quickly got on his knees and so did the rest of his people. The saviors stood behind me as I watched Negan look over the pigs.
"Where's the fourth one?" Negan asked.
"We don't know." The man said.
"You don't know? The deal was four pigs, you only have three." Negan said swaying his bat.
"I know! And I understand, but we lost him when the horde came through, we will make up for it I promise!" The man pleaded keeping his head hung low. It made me sick watching Negan flaunt over the man as if he was more powerful, more worthy of life. I looked down at my boots not wanting to be involved in whatever sick games Negan wanted me to be in. "Beth." Negan called, hearing my name being called made my attention fly to the voice which it came from. "You will do anything to protect him right? and I'll do anything to protect my fucking rules! And you broke the rules!" Negan yelled down at the man, I knew he wasn't just talking to the man, this was my punishment as well. His voice made the people jump as the older man began shaking. "Now what the hell do I do with you? I'm missing a goddamn pig, you got another?" Negan shouted. "No I don't." The man began to cry. I Negan looked at me and gestured me over. "This is Beth, now she did some really dumb shit and now you, your gonna pay for your shit, her shit, my SHIT, and every other shit there is left in this shitty world." Negan said as he pulled me over, my body stiff as he grabbed me. "See that little boy, that's our fourth piggy." Negan said pointing his bat at the boy. "No!" The woman cried. Two of the saviors went over to the boy and pulled him away. He was no older then fourteen, his hair was dark and curly, his eyes full of color, his body skinny in frame. "Please don't! It won't happen again!" The man cried. The boy began to shake and screamed out "mommy!" as they dragged him over, pushed him down to his knees. He stared up at me with pleading eyes as if I was the only thing that could save him now. "Negan.." I whispered. "Now choose, choose to save this piggy's life, or save your favorite little piggy." Negan said. "I..." I mumbled my heart racing, hands sweating. "The boy or Daryl? Make the call!" He shouted. "I can't.." I whispered. "Make the call!" Negan said shoving the bat into my hands. I could hear everyone yelling, the women pleading, the father crying out his sons name, and the boy, the boy stared up at me tears and snot running down his face. "Negan please!" I cried out. "Make the call!" Negan said, he forcibly grabbed my right arm as he stood behind me, I could feel his breath on my neck as he forced my arm raising the bat wrapped in barbed wire. "Don't make Lucille wait." He growled. Negan let my arm go as I held the bat high in the air, I closed my eyes and so did the boy, I took a deep breathe and let out what sounded like a scream and a cry all in one, "I'm sorry.." I cried out as I went to swing, but then I felt the grip of another hand. I opened my eyes to see Negan holding onto the middle of the bat. "Well goddamn, I didn't know you had it in you." He said with a chuckle. "Now that's the type of shit I wanna see." Negan took the bat from my hands slowly and ran a hand through my hair moving it behind my ear. The boy opened his eyes and stared into mine. "Thank you.." the boy whispered.
Then he swung, I felt my body completely freeze. The blood flew across my face, my eyes widening as I looked down at the boy, his head was cracked open on the right side like a broken egg, his mouth wide open, his eyes searching and scanning around for his parents, he was in shock. I felt my body just go completely numb, I wanted to cry, to scream, to do anything but I couldn't, then he swung again and that's when it kicked in. I felt my stomach churning, his mothered screamed so loudly, it pierced my ears. Negan swung repeatedly till the boys head was nothing left but a pile of mush.
"Now find that goddamn pig, well be back tomorrow." Negan ruthlessly said. I turned on my heels, and rushed back to the truck, my head pounding, my eyes filling with tears, my stomach feeling so empty. I couldn't speak. I felt my stomach give up and I felt it rise up, I leaned forward putting my hands on my knees over by the truck and threw up. The saviors grabbed the pigs and put them in the back of the van. Negan looked at me, threw the bat in the car and got in the drivers seat. Once I was done throwing up I got into the van and sat there. "That was your choice, I didn't want to kill the boy. That was on you Beth." Negan said. I stared out the windshield window as he spoke to me, he began to reverse out the driveway, I watched the mother crawl to her son holding him to her chest, her husband holding on to her, the woman lifted her head and stared me down. Tears running down her face. I slowly looked away as we pulled off.

NOW-
Daryl stood in the river with the spear in his hand, he raised it then threw it down piercing a fish. He raised it out of the water and examined it, until a walker began to reach for him, he snapped the spear in half and slid the in into the walkers head. Daryl looked down before waking out of the river. He searched the woods for food, spotting a bird in a nest.

THEN-
"Daryl.." I whispered as I sat beside him, I slowly placed my hand into his and I felt my eyes beginning to water. When I parted my lips to speak I felt myself break down, the tears streamed down my face. "I had to do it.. I had to do it." I cried. I let go of his hand and laid my head on his chest and continued to cry. "I want to go home." I kept repeating as I just broke down. I felt a hand brush across my back, it made my body tense as I slowly lifted my head, Daryl was staring down at me, his eyes low. "What you cryin' for girl?" He whispered, his voice rough and raspy. I felt my eyebrows raise as a smile spread across my face. I shoved my arms around him, half my body on his, trying to keep pressure off of him as best as I could. He wrapped his one arm around me and held me tightly. "Beth?" He softly said. "you alright?" He asked. As I slowly pulled away to look at him. The tears kept pouring as I went to speak. "Your awake.." I cried. "I'm awake, you not getting rid of me that easy." He growled. I smiled again and placed a hand on his face. "I'm glad you're okay." I whispered. He lifted his arm and ran it across my face wiping my tears. "Ain't I tell you to quit all that fussin' ?" Daryl said. He went to wipe another tear as I caught his hand and held it in mines. He stared at our hands before his eyes met with mine, I slowly pulled away. "Don't be riskin' anythin' for me. You do what's right, don't fall into Negans bullshit." He softly said. "I'll be alright." I slowly let his hand go as I moved back into my seat my mind racing over the things that happened today. "I won't..." I lied. "I know. You gotta keep that hope Beth. That light.. keep on fighting." Daryl softly said.