Fall Right In - Chapter 7 (The Walking Dead, Beth Greene/Daryl Dixon)

Title: Fall Right In
Author: Abelina/Abby/Abelinajt
Fandom/Pairing: The Walking Dead - Beth Greene/Daryl Dixon (Bethyl)
Setting: Season 4, Alone-divergence.
Warnings: None this chapter.
Rating: M
Summary: If Beth hadn’t interrupted him when she did, calling him back with the melody of her voice, he might’ve done something dumb like opening the door for a doomed dog and maybe dooming them both while he was at it. Beth and Daryl escape the funeral home together. An Alone-divergence Bethyl story.
Notes: Chapter title taken from lyrics to In Her Eyes by Josh Groban.
I am not a crossbow expert. I’ve never even seen one in real life. However in doing some research for this I’ve realized that the bolts (arrows) that Daryl uses on the show appear to have field points on them (meant for practice and not hunting), which just doesn’t seem like something an actual Daryl would use. Anyway, so for the purposes of this story, Daryl’s bolts have fixed blade broadheads on them, which would actually let him both hunt food and kill walkers. (Between writing this note and posting this chapter, I have now held several crossbows, including one like Daryl’s. Still doesn’t make me an expert, alas.)
All Chapters Here

Fall Right In
Chapter 7 – She Stares through My Shadow

*~*

Though the sky was clear of clouds, the morning air held a chill of autumn, more than the previous days had, and Daryl felt the metallic tang of it in his lungs when he stepped out of the cabin. He paused a minute, halfway down the steps, to just breathe it in, and behind him heard Beth doing the same thing. She smiled at him when he looked over his shoulder at her, standing in the doorway, loose ends of her hair fluttering in the breeze.

He nodded back at her and she gave him a little wave before securing the door shut behind him, heavy iron scraping over solid wood, and after another deep, refreshing breath, Daryl finished his descent into the grass. As he passed over the threshold into the woods, using the same vague trailhead as yesterday, the deep greens and browns of the forest welcomed him. Again he paused to breathe, feeling the pulse of the trees in his bones, the scent of them deep in his lungs. Nothing had changed, aside from the sleep he hadn’t known how badly he needed, but it seemed like years had passed since yesterday, since the storm raging inside him had driven him out here with skin too thick, lungs too shallow to feel the sanctity of woods in the way he craved. Well, he felt it now, right down to the depths of him. Right down to the marrow.

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To be continued in chapter 8>>