Beth's Old Sweet Shoppe

Chapter 11:

Chapter 11:

As the day drags on and business slow moving, Beth does stock and starts baking more cupcakes for Monday, she'll refrigerate them before topping them with icing to sell them. It's been another week and Jake has finally come, full circle, in being his old self. Getting ready to close for the day, Beth notices a car park in front of Daryl's apartment.

Stepping closer to the window and watching across the street, Bob and Tyreese help Daryl up to his apartment. From afar he looks weakened and hurting, which Beth knows why. looking at Jake play with a ball she bought him, she smiles and watches as the guys leave.

"Come on Jake, let's go see yer Daddy."

Empty. Lonely. Quiet. The dog is missing and the place seems like a barren desert- no life inhabiting it. From his spot on the couch, Daryl can barely stand the pain in his chest and stomach as he tries to figure out where Jake is. Did someone just kidnap him? Did he get out and run away? His thought are interrupted when a knock on the door pulls him from his worried and frazzled thoughts. He struggles to get up, but eventually the door opens itself and Jake comes running in.

"Hey buddy...fsss ow...where ya been?" Daryl pets the dog as he bounces about in his happiest manor and when Daryl looks up he finds Beth leaning against his door, looking at her hands sadly. He pulls away from Jake and sits back, looking at her and then the ceiling.

"I hope you don't mind...I took care of Jake for you..." She quietly says as she plays with her hands.

"What do you want for yer troubles?" He sits up and pulls out his wallet with a stern look on his face.

"Daryl...you owe me nothing..." She says shyly and embarrassed.

"No, I must owe you something....or is it on the house cause I'm just some pitiful sap who fell for the candy girl's tricks. Only to find out that the treat is far less exciting than the actual sweet itself." He growls and she hunkers down. She hasn't been verbally abused in weeks and this just opens old scars.

"Daryl...I'm sorry...."

"No. Ya know what I'm sorry." He stands up in a struggle and looks at her with narrow eyes. "I'm sorry I ever came to this God fer Saken town. But ya know what I'm really sorry for?"

She shakes her head and he hobbles I've to her, clutching his sides and backing her to the door.

"I'm sorry that you had to waste yer time getting me to believe any of this shit meant anything. That this town and you were worth something. It must really suck knowing you can't play damsel any more. Helped yer business I bet. People felt sorry for you cause you were weak and couldn't get away from that asshole... but ya know what? Yer not weak...yer quite strong Beth Greene....and yer a very good actor. Make people fall in love with you. Make em believe you love them and that they're something...well here." He shoves a wad of money down her shirt and gets in her face. "You don't have to pretend any more..."

Hobbling off to his window and looks out it as she just stands in the entrance of the apartment crying and trying to figure out what just happened. Then she gets mad. She's tired of being pushed around and taken advantage of and feeling like shit. Marching up to him he turns around pissed off and shove shoves him into the wall. Shoving the money at his chest. And hitting him hard. He's taken aback by it all and for her being a tiny woman, she hurts him pretty bad.

"Pretend to love you?!" She shoves him. "PRETEND! I did fall go you! You DICK! Yer the one who hurts people! Yer the asshole! You made me actually want you. To actually get away from that asshole! And for what?"

She gives him harder, hitting his bullet wound and causing him to slide down the wall to wooden floor.

"To end up with a bigger redneck jerk! You make me feel just a shitty as he did! I came to say sorry for saying what I had, but ya know what? Ye jus a jerk Daryl Dixon! A big, stupid, jerk who made me feel like I was important and worth being here!" She starts to cry and wipes her face. "Well fuck you Daryl! I ain't being the victim any more...I ain't being nothing."