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Beth got cocky. For once, she'd truly been able to use the upper hand knowing the future gave to her. But she got cocky.
She bravely, calmly, stupidly led Merle Dixon to the room that held his brother. Having seen Glenn after he and her sister were kidnapped by the sociopathic Governor, Beth felt confident in her ability to process whatever scene was behind that door.
But she was wrong.
As Merle pushed her still half naked form into the room, the Governor's arm was pulled back, like he was about to throw a 90 mile-an-hour baseball. The commotion caused him to freeze mid-punch, and turn around. A fascinated smile spread across his lips, his face was marred with what she could only assume was Daryl's blood. The sight of Beth's ivory skin and perky breasts poking from around her arms kept the Governor from noticing Merle burst past her. The Governor looked at her like a ravenous beast that had just sighted its first prey in ages. His eyes lit up with a blazing fire that made Beth feel violated. He was practically licking his chops. Which is why Merle was able to knock him clear off his feet with a mere push of the shoulder.
"That's my brother!"
The Governor was angry for a fleeting moment, looking back at Merle with muscles taut and ready to attack. But then he thought better of it, and turned his attention back to the blonde figure in the doorway. As he sauntered over toward her, Beth was given her first look at Daryl. Merle was behind him, attempting to free him from his restraints. She could hear Daryl whispering something about cigarettes. I didn't take them, Merle.
She felt like her lungs collapsed in that moment, like her heart fell to her stomach and dissolved into ashes. Her legs gave way under her and a small gasp fell from her lips.
"Woah, there, little lady," the Governor chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her from falling.
Beth heard Daryl growling from behind the Governor and wiggled in his arms to see him. The look in his eyes made Beth's lower belly burn with need. It was the scariest look she'd ever seen, but it showed her that he felt at least of a fraction for her what she felt for him. It was a strange time to realize this, while the Governor held her and breathed menacingly in her ear. Her body suddenly sprang to life, grasping at the Governor's shoulders and trying to push away from him.
"What the fuck did you do to my brother?" Merle yelled, having freed Daryl and now turning to the Governor. The man stiffened around her, and then turned suddenly, leaving her unbalanced, forcing her to uncover herself for just a moment as she found her center. The Governor took a few giant steps and was nose-to-nose with Merle by the time Beth had readjusted herself, her skin was sticky from the wounds on her stomach and arm Merle had inflicted earlier. She noticed her blood on the Governor's shirt. So did Daryl.
"C'mon Merle, this ain't your brother anymore. He abandoned you!"
"You don't know shit."
"I do! You told me! I'm your brother now. Ain't that right?"
Merle's jaw clenched and the Governor had a similar smile on his lips that he did when he looked at Beth. Manipulative. Evil. He strolled over to Daryl, who was still seated, and slapped the barrel of his gun against Daryl's temple. Daryl was barely lucid, only managing to move his legs away from the Governor. Beth yearned to go to him. But the Governor turned his attention back to her.
"Tell me where the prison is," the Governor spoke calmly, "or your boyfriend's dead."
Merle stepped forward, "I'm not gonna let you kill my brother."
The Governor laughed and cocked the gun. "Let me rephrase. Tell me where the prison is or I'll kill them both."
Beth looked to Merle, noticing his gun holster was empty. He must've chosen to torture her with the knife instead, and took the gun off of him so she wouldn't attempt to get it. She suddenly felt hot, wet tears streaming down her cheeks. She was so frustrated! So stupid! Daryl was barely conscious from the beating he'd endured and it was all her fault.
"I'll tell you where the prison is," she cried, "but then you leave him alone."
She knew she was doing exactly what the Governor wanted — she hated herself for it — but she wasn't going to let Daryl die so she could win. The Governor found out the first time where the prison was, and she still had somewhat of an upper hand. She knew the Governor's tactics, knew how he operated. She would still save her father. But right now, she had to keep herself and Daryl alive.
After she gave up the location of their camp, the Governor grabbed Merle by the jacket and pulled him out of the room. As the men passed her, the Governor gave one last look to Beth's naked torso, and dragged a finger up her rib cage. "I'll be back for you," he whispered, before pushing Merle out of the room mumbling something about "your brother."
As they were left alone, Beth rushed to Daryl's side, dropping to her knees in front of him.
His eyelids were puffy and heavy, he could barely hold her gaze, or his head up for that matter. "Sorry about this," she whispered as she used one hand to quickly rip the hem of his shirt, as she didn't have one. She tore pieces of cloth away and used them to dab gently at the blood caking on his face, trying to keep one arm around her exposed chest. He struggled against her. At first, Beth thought he was afraid or that she was hurting him even more than he already was. She tried to be more gentle.
"I didn't take the cigarettes, Ma," Daryl said. Beth looked at him confused, and what she saw was a little boy hidden inside a grown man's body. A scared little boy who was beaten regularly for stupid things or "crimes" he didn't commit. Her heart broke for him, as it always did when she thought of his childhood. Sometimes she didn't think she could bare the pain seeing him in pain caused her.
Beth shushed him lovingly. "Don't worry, okay? You're safe now." She continued her attempt at cleaning his wounds. He still seemed to be lost in his memories. Quietly she began to sing the song he'd sung at the Walmart a few months ago as she lost herself in his skin. "And we'll buy a beer to shotgun, and we'll lay in the lawn and we'll be goooood."
Daryl started to hum along with her and she looked up at him suddenly. He was back. Her Daryl. But the pain was still there. And he continued to struggle until one side of his vest fell off of his shoulder. When she made her way to help him back into it, she finally realized what he'd been doing all along. His eyes pleaded with her. Take it.
She got to her feet and walked behind him, only then taking her one arm away from her chest, and using both hands to help him out of his vest. Beth shrugged it over her shoulders. It engulfed her easily. It was warm. It smelled like him. The leather was rough on her nipples and she had to force herself not to get aroused, to stay cool, she still had to get them out of there alive — before the Governor came back for her.
Beth faced Daryl once more, a little more clothed now. "Can you stand?" she asked, dipping down so they were shoulder-to-shoulder, and slithering her arms under his. Daryl nodded, knowing full well they had to move quickly. They were struggling toward the door, and Beth was trying to come up with ways on the fly she could get it open if it was locked, but she was mostly just hoping it wasn't, when it suddenly swung open in front of them. She stopped dead, but before she could even shriek in fear she recognized Rick. She saw Glenn and Maggie and T-Dog! She suddenly felt Daryl's full weight, she felt the adrenaline oozing out of her body and her bones were suddenly weary. They were saved.
Rick and Glenn took Daryl out of Beth's arms, easily carrying him with his limp and injured leg out the door. T-Dog had their back. Maggie rushed toward Beth's side and pulled the two flaps of the vest shut. "Oh Bethy, what did they do to you!? I'm going to kill every last one of them."
"I'm fine," Beth said, as Maggie found the gashes in her skin and scoffed. "I just want to go home."
Maggie looked straight at her sister, cradled Beth's face in her hands for a second, and then nodded. She took Beth's hand and led her out, which is when she saw Merle. She jumped and Maggie put her free hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. He helped us get in."
Merle had been facing away from them, now Beth could see he was standing watch for them and he turned around, smiled at her as if nothing had ever happened. They were even now, in Merle's mind.
"T-Dog's alive?" Beth asked Maggie as they made their way through empty hallways, following closely behind the men.
Maggie nodded. "Him and Carol got stuck, surrounded, in another cell block. They got back yesterday starved and dehydrated but otherwise alright. Carol and Daddy are watching Judith. He didn't want T-Dog to come, but T-Dog said he was fine."
She had no idea how T-Dog made it out of his adventure with Carol alive. That wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Part of her wished she could take credit for it, but she knew it was all timing. Things were evolving as they strayed further from the original timeline. Certain things were eerily the same, but this showed Beth that everything that happens, happens for a reason, because a certain thing meant this and that at a certain time. She'd never taken much stock in the butterfly effect, the one that said a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the world could cause a hurricane on another side. But this whole experience showed her that time was fragile. One move meant life or death, a string of moments might be tied together that could also mean life or death — for herself and others. Her life felt like a twisted game.
As the group made its way out of Woodbury, they met up with the katana-swinging woman Beth hadn’t seen in such a long time. Her heart swelled and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she was reunited with Michonne. Maggie told her the woman had come from Woodbury, seen the Governor take Beth and Daryl, and brought some of the supplies they had gathered back to the prison—just as before. Rick of course was wary to trust her, but when Maggie heard her sister had been kidnapped, she was going with or without Rick.
Beth listened to Maggie's hushed story halfheartedly. Maggie became a real chatterbox when she didn't know what to say. She talked about everything else to avoid an issue she didn't want to face. Beth wondered if Maggie thought she'd been raped. Or if it really mattered. She felt dirty all over. Like she'd been violated in more ways than just one.
It felt like the longest walk of the century before they got to two cars. Maggie, Glenn, Michonne, and Beth got in one; Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl in the other. Beth wanted to protest being separated from Daryl again, but didn't because it made more sense. Neither could fight even if they needed to.
The women sat in the back seat, and Beth curled up against her sister. Michonne remained silent, and just stared stoically out the window. Maggie also stayed alert, but kept making quick, worried glances toward Beth. But the girl quickly fell asleep and didn't wake up again until she was back in her cell at the prison.