Beth's Old Sweet Shoppe

Chapter 9:

Chapter 9:

Sitting in her apartment, Beth cries and cries, but the pain in her heart doesn't subside at all. She's asked Maggie to manage the shop for the rest of the week, claiming she's sick, but really avoiding Daryl Fucking Dixon. She's hurt that he wanted Gareth gone. Yeah, Gareth hurt her pretty bad the day he died, but up to that day he was relatively becoming normal like he was when they first started dating. He could've changed, but Daryl antagonized him to shoot, so Jim could kill him. Then on top if all this, Daryl burrowed his way into her and made her feel wonderful. Now she feels terrible and dead inside.

Daryl has been trying to get ahold of Beth for the passed week. He's stopped into the shop everyday at several different times. He's called, emailed, and written her letters apologizing, but she never responds. He should've kept his mouth shut, but he was beginning to feel guilty, which is why he stopped them from going any further than their make out session on the couch that day. Now what? The only person he's ever felt anything for hates him and wants him dead.

"Base to Dixon Grimes, we have an 808 in progress. Three gunman and two hostages. Need backup."

"10/4 we're on our way. Over." Rick says over the CB as they turn on the lights and head toward the General Store. Daryl isn't in it today as they get out of the car and hide behind the front of it with the over head radio. "This is the Senonia Police Force. Please let the hostages go and come out with yer hands up."

One of the gun man drags a lil girl to the window and Rick chokes on air.

"Shit, that's Sophia...there's Carl! Fuck!" Rick begins to panic and Daryl can do what he's done before in this situation.Throwing his hands up he leaves the safety of the car and the crowd behind the yellow tape is starting to panic. "Daryl!"

"I'm getting yer kid and Sophia." Daryl continues to walk with his hands in the air and he slowly walks up the steps and knocks on the door. The gunman that has Sophia looks confused behind his mask. "You wanna trade! Me for them!"

"No man! We want the cash and blood." The masked guy couldn't be older than 20 and the other two even younger.

"No. Yer gonna hand them over and take me instead man. These two have nothing."

"You can have girl...but that's it."

"I want them both man."

"No. Girl or we blow both their brains out." He points the gun at her head and the other guy points his gun at Carl's head. Daryl nods.

"What do you want for the boy also?" Daryl asks as he looking around the store and in the glass he can see Carol in the crowd crying and the Greene's besides Beth nervously holding her.

"We want his blood man. Take the girl, we just want him." The one yells.

"Nah, can't do that. Let me come in." He starts opening the door and they ready the trigger. Stepping inside the store, Daryl keeps his hands up. "Let's talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about! We want the boy dead! Take the girl. And go."

"Imma send the girl out, but I'm not going. You'll get a lot more for me than them guys." He starts to grab Sophia, who's crying and they let her into his arms, and he slowly goes to the door, with them pointing their guns at Daryl the whole time. Opening the door, he tells Sophia to run and she does. Getting out she runs to Carol, who's crying hysterically and holding her close. "Now the boy."

"Fuck you! I'm in charge here!" The guy shoves the gun in Daryl's face and the crowd outside gasps.

"Okay, yer in charge...can I just see if he's hurt...his eye looks pretty bad." The guys look at each other and then step back so Daryl can go to Carl, but all guns are point on him. "You okay?"

"My side hurts...they got knifes too." He lifts up his hand and shows some blood on it from a stab wound. "My dad out there?"

"Yeah buddy...he's there." Daryl says trying not to panic. "Guys, he needs a hospital....you got the blood you wanted, he's hurt. Now let him go and we can discuss this like me."

"Fuck you! He's not going anywhere." Daryl stands up and nods his head.

"Okay..."Grabbing the one guns mans arm, he thrusts it forward and he shoots his friend in the shoulder. the other guy discharges his gun and it hits Daryl in the back and it goes clean through his stomach, but finding his strength to protect Carl, he throws the one guy to the ground and tackles the other guy and he shoots him again in the chest and they fall to the ground. Carl gets up an hobbles down to the police car and tells Rick what happened. Tyreese and Rick run up into the store and cuff the gunman and read them their Miranda Rights, while Jim comes in an gets the guy under Daryl. Sasha and Bob come in after it's cleared and start helping Daryl who's going into a pale state from losing blood.

"Stay with us Daryl! Daryl! Yer gonna be okay, just keep yer eyes on me. Keep them on me." Sasha repeats as they load him into the ambulance. The gunman are taking to the police station and Carl is in the other Ambulance going to the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctors rush to save Daryl, who flat lines three times on the table, but they keep bringing him back. After removing the bullet that was lodged just below his heart, they put him on morphine and an IV drip. He looks like shit laying in that hospital bed half alive.

All he thinks about is Beth and how sorry he is that he'll never get to apologize or tell her goodbye, or that maybe he loved her.

His world goes black and he escapes into the pain.

Sunday morning, walking into church, Beth feels ten times better about just having a week off. She finds herself a little more chipper and a whole lot more thoughtful as she takes her seat next to her father in their pew. But everyone seems somber this morning and service starts, not with hymnals or psalms, but with Father Gabriel coming out to the stand, which is unlike a normal service.

"Today, we pray for a fighter who has given all he can to save the lives around him." Gabriel starts off and Beth just looks around. In the pew in front of her Carol closely holds Sophia, who's crying soft sobs. "We pray today because last night as we know, tragedy struck our little town."

Beth doesn't understand exactly what's happening but she notice people missing. Rick and three high school boys. Carl. Looking up she begins to shake a bit.

"Last night, three of our seniors took flight in a self revenged battle to make a point. They held two of our younger members, Sophia Peletier and Carl Grimes hostage for almost an hour. And as many of us were giving up hope, one man stepped forward to risk all he had to save these two. After hard negations and a struggle to gain power, Carl emerged from that store, hurt, but alive and the three seniors hurt, but alive. So today we pray for not only the sinners and Carl, but a great deal for the man who selfless risked his life to save these children. If we may now now our heads and pray for a full recovery of Officer Daryl Dixon, who I last heard was put into an induced coma to heal after dying three times last night on the operating table. Let's pray he finds peace in either our world or amongst God and pray no more pain comes to our dear fighter. Let us pray" They bow their heads, but Beth is paralyzed. Her heart almost stops as silence fills the room. She hadn't hear any of that happened last night. She hadn't heard about Daryl or Sophia and Carl. Her body shakes and she feels as if she might pass out. Stumbling from the church, she makes it outside and throws up in the trash can. How could he do that? Why would he risk everything like that?

Wait...she's the reason why. She said she wished it was Daryl who died and not Gareth. This is her fault and she feels terrible. Going to her apartment, she tries to think rationally about everything, but can't. What about Jake? He probably hasn't been out today or fed last night. Going back downstairs and across the park, Beth opens the gate and let's herself into Daryl's apartment where Jake is sitting on the couch. Going to him she sits down and he lays his head on her lap and cries a bit.

"I know Jake....I...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." She starts to cry and the dog licks her tears away and she pets him sweetly. "Come on...you need fed and watered."

She fills his dish up and let's him go out to the bathroom. Sitting at the counter, she feels her heart breaking even more. How could she just let this happen? Wish or something like this to happen? Letting Jake in, he doesn't seem himself either. He's sulky and gloomy, not rambunctious and loving. Beth just can't stop blaming herself, and she should.