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   WHAT DO YOU DO after finally kissing the girl you've been wanting for over a year? The girl who reminded you you're still a teen with the ability to have a crush?

           Well, you be awkward about it.

           Of course.

           Breakfast consisting of peanut butter, soda and pickled vegetables sit in front of Koa. And to her right sits Beth Greene. A goofy smile sits across Beth's face as she pops open the peanut butter. Koa has her lips pulled to the side, hiding her emerging smile.

           Beth leans forward, "Koa—"

            The cans to the front door rattle, springing all three into action. Their faces drop. Daryl grabs his bow and Koa wisp out her blade. Beth stands up and Daryl turns to the teens, "Stay," He says and hops out of the room.

            Beth and Koa exchange a look and gulp. The blonde steps froward, hand hovering above Koa's forearm, "Was last night—"

           "It's just a damn dog," Daryl calls out, cutting off Beth but getting the girl's attentions. At the news of it being a dog, the girls dash towards the door but by the time they get there, the door is being closed and there is no dog to be found.

Disappointment rises in Koa's chest. "He wouldn't come in?" Beth asks, leaning slightly onto Koa for support.

                  "I told you guys to stay back," Daryl responds. Koa puts her lip out, "No way. I wanna see a dog." Beth's grin beams, "Yeah, you said there was a dog." Daryl sighs at the two girls and their disappointed expressions, "Maybe he'll come back."

            "We can lure him with peanut butter. Dogs love peanut butter," Koa shrugs as they make their way back to the kitchen. "If I leave a can of peanut butter out, we're gettin' a lot more than some shaggy dog, Finch," Daryl says, shoving a spoon of said food into his mouth, "Eat up."

                      BETH HAS TRIED TO bring up last night. The lingering question of what are we remains in the air like a slow poison.

                        But Koa gives finding a way to avoid it. To go around it because she doesn't know what to do from here. She didn't think she'd get this far to be fair. The sun has settled once more and soda is Koa's dinner. Food just doesn't seem plausible right now for her.

                    Koa is leaned back, soda pouring into her mouth as she looks at Beth through the clear, plastic part of the bottle. "I'm gonna leave a thank you note," Beth speaks gently. Koa puts the bottle down, peering over to see what the blonde writes. "Why?" Daryl asks. "For when they come back," Beth replies. Koa laughs, "Thank you for letting us devour your soda and," She points at Daryl, "....pig's feet."

                           Beth giggles, continuing to write her note, "If they come back. Even if they're not coming back, I still want to say thanks." A shaky breath leaves Koa's mouth. Everything Beth does, she's reminded how much she likes her. She can still feel her lips against hers. Koa misses it. She wants to feel them again but she's terrified. Koa is so close, so close that she feels the need to run. To not ruin Beth or for Beth to not ruin her.

                        "Maybe you don't have to leave that," Daryl speaks. Koa raises an eyebrow, "You want to stay in the funeral home? I mean, beds are comfy." Daryl smirks in amusement, "We could stick around for a while. They come back, we just make it work. They may be nuts, but maybe it'll be alright."

                        Koa bites the inside of her cheek. She wants to have some sort of home but what is one without Carl or Sadie or Glenn or Rick? What is four walls without the rest of their family? But Beth seems excited at the idea, so, Koa keeps her mouth shut. "So you do think there are still good people around," Beth chirps, turning to glance at Koa who spares her a fake smile.

                      She chuckles, "What changed your mind?" Daryl ponders for a moment, eating some food. His eyes bounce from Koa to Beth, staying on the blonde, "You know." Koa furrows her brows, drinking more soda as she watches the conversation. "What?" Beth cluelessly asks. Daryl just glances between the teens, gulping, "I don't know," He mumbles.

                     "Don't...." Beth copies his mumbles, "What changed your mind?" Koa clenches her jaw, feeling Daryl's eyes on her and Beth. It clicks faster for Beth and she lets out an Oh of realization. Koa thinks for a moment and then it also clicks.

                    Was it them? Beth? Both of them?

                     Koa would've never thought the musty man with a crossbow at the first camp would end up meaning so much to her—he had no idea anyone would ever mean much to him that wasn't Merle.

                           The cans rattle, grabbing their attention. As well as a quiet bark. Koa's eyes widen, "The dog!" She says excitedly, grabbing the peanut butter, "Come on, Dixon!" Daryl sighs, "I'm giving this mutt one more chance."

                        The two walk towards the door. A bright smile is on Koa's face as she holds the jar of peanut butter. "If this dog don't listen, we ain't keepin' it," Daryl groans. "Don't doubt him," Koa clicks her tongue. Daryl swings open the door and Koa's heart drops. Snarls ring in her ears as she stares at the group of walkers. She gasps, grabbing her pig gutter from her pocket as Daryl slams the door shut.

                           "Beth! Beth!" Daryl yells. Koa helps him keep the door closed, groaning as the walkers slam against the feeble door. Beth rushes over, tossing Daryl his weapon. A decaying hand is grabbing at Daryl. He pushes Koa away and towards Beth, "Run!" Beth grabs Koa's arm as they dash through the funeral home. The walkers enter the building, Koa can hear them getting closer as she and Beth grab as much as they can.

                            "Pry open a window! Grab your shit!" Daryl yells over the snarls of hungry walkers. "We're not leaving you!" Beth yells back. "Go out. Up the road. I'll meet you there!" Daryl adds. Koa and Beth try and navigate the dark building as best as they can. The group of walkers are eerily close. Koa and Beth grab their bags as Daryl leads the walkers down to the basement.

                          Koa can hear Daryl struggling with the walkers. Fear rises in her throat, the fear of losing someone else. They're at the door when Koa pushes Beth forward. She stumbles back, "Koa—"

                     "I have to help Daryl. Go. Go!" Koa pushes her out of the building. "Koa! Damnit!" Beth curses, watching the girl disappear. Koa ignores the Greene's pleas and runs towards the basement. The groans and snarls of hungry walkers are loud in her head. Adrenaline is rushing through her, handle of her blade gripped tightly. She turns the corner, seeing the group of walkers having Daryl cornered.

                          There's a lot. Too many for just her blade. With shallow breaths, she runs upstairs and towards the fireplace. Her panicked eyes land on the fire poke. Swiftly, Koa grabs it and rushes back downstairs. Daryl is hiding behind a surgical table as the walkers grab at him. Despite her shaky breaths, Koa's shoes hit the floor and she quickly stabs a walker in the head until it stops moving.

                          It falls to the ground, grabbing the attention of other walkers. "Koa, run!" Daryl yells, stabbing another walker. "No!" Koa responds, stabbing a walker right between the eyes until it's groaning stops. She repeats this, stabbing them in the head until her and Daryl have a clear getaway. Once enough are dead, Daryl crawls under the table and grabs Koa's arms, dragging her outside.

                       Dark blood coats Koa's face and clothes as they stumble outside in the dark. Her eyes wander for any sight of Beth the closer they get to the street. "Where's Beth?" Koa fearfully asks, throat drying up. Daryl pulls her forward when she sees Beth's black bag left in the street.

                       Koa goes dizzy, feeling nauseated as she stares at Beth's items spread out in the street. Tires squeal down the road. Without even thinking, Koa runs after the car, Daryl shouting for Beth behind her as they attempt to chase a car on foot. It doesn't matter to Koa how much her body hurts as she runs after the car.

                       The red backlights shine on them, refusing to give up.

                     Even as day breaks and it feels like Koa might die. Even as Daryl pants and is coated in sweat.

                     Koa doesn't know how long they ran. They lost sight of Beth awhile ago. But the thought of seeing her again kept her going. The feeling of her lips against hers and asking Beth to be her girlfriend kept her going.

                           She hasn't been able to catch her breath in hours, even as Daryl slows down, landing on the street. Koa spins around, "Daryl, come on—"

                     "Finch—"

                     "Daryl! Get up!" Koa lets out a strained yell. It's only then that she realizes the tears she's been holding back. The way her body shakes with fear and anger. Daryl glares up at her, "This is your fault. You left her! I told you to stay with her!"

                          Koa gulps, hearing the words she's been saying to herself all night and day outloud. "I was trying to fucking help you!" She retorts. Daryl pushes himself up, "Yeah? I didn't fucking need it and now look!" He flails his arms around, lip quivering. Koa can feel that Walsh anger making it's way up her throat to hide her fear. But this isn't what Beth would want. She wouldn't want them arguing.

                    This is her fault, he's right. She could've just stayed with Beth or maybe spoke about the night prior and it could've been different.

                           "I—" She croaks out. She has no energy to fight. She just wants Beth back. She wants Carl and Sadie and Rick back. She wants Uncle Shane to tell her she should have told Beth the truth. To tell Lori or Glenn or Maggie they finally kissed. To hold Judith. For Nellie to call her dumb and Michonne to tell her to stop.

                         The crying starts involuntarily and so does her knees falling weak. She hits the ground, curling up. Sobs wrack through her body.

                    This is her fault. All her fault.

                  Daryl gulps, sitting down next to the girl in defeat. No words are exchanged but Koa's cries fill up the silence.

               Gravel digs into the palms of her hands, both their heads down. The ringing in her ears is so loud that she doesn't hear the sounds of boots approaching them.

                        "Well, lookit here," A deep voice says. Koa snaps her head up, seeing a biker looking man with gray hair and a rifle. The tears stop and a glare forms instead. Her hand falls to her blade, feet moving to stand up even before Daryl does. The man grins evilly as more men approach them, surrounding them in a circle.    

                        Koa stands her ground, examining each of the men, wondering if they're the ones that took Beth.

                     Anger prevails over self preservation. Finding Beth prevails over self preservation. "Where the fuck is she?" Koa spits out, not showing her blade yet but keeping the handle safe. The men don't flinch. It's just a teenage girl.

                             The seemingly leader steps closer to Koa, who doesn't flinch either. "Who? You missin' someone?" He chuckles. "Do you fuckin' have her?" Koa steps forward, glaring right up at the man. Daryl is still down on the ground, until the man takes another step towards Koa. Suddenly, he's hit, landing on the ground in front of his buddies.

                       Guns cock around them. Koa exposes her pig gutter, keeping her hands up and head on a swivel. Daryl has his crossbow pointed up, standing over the man.

                         "Damnit! Hold up!" The knocked down man yells. Koa narrows her eyes on each of the men, looking at the one who also has a bow. "I'm claiming the vest," He speaks, "I like 'em wings," His greedy eyes fall to Koa, "And the girl—"

                       "Shut the fuck up!" Koa yells, directing the end of her blade at him. "Hold up," The leader says, wiping blood from his nose and laughing. Laughing like they just said the funniest shit he's heard in years. Daryl's bow follows him as he stands. "A bowman. I respect that. And your kid has some balls, man. See, a man with a rifle, he could have been some kind of photographer or soccer coach back in the day. But a bowman's a bowman through and through. What you got there? 150-pound draw weight?" The gruff man remarks.

                              This guy doesn't scare Koa, no, but he definitely creeps her out. On top of the fact he might have taken Beth, he just looks like the kind of guy to sit outside a gas station or bar and catcall barely legal girls. The kind of guy that Uncle Shane used to curse at when they'd stare at Koa or Sadie for a second too long.

                               Her pig gutter is still pointed at the man in front of her, one of the younger guys of the group but her sight shifts between him and the leader. "I'll be donkey licked if that don't fire at least 300 feet per second," He adds, unphased by the weapon in his face, "I've been looking for a weapon like that. Of course, I'd want a bit more ammo and minus the oblongata stains."

                           The man in front of Koa chuckles, a gross smirk working its way onto his face. Anger shakes in Koa's chest, glare digging into the men around her. If her hazel eyes could shoot lasers, they'd all be without a head at this point.

                         The other bow wielder leans into Koa's space. Her nostrils are flaring, knuckles white. She can hear the blood rushing to her head because of her tight grip on the handle of the blade. "You two get yourselves into some trouble?" The man says, exposing his yellowed teeth. So yellow Koa isn't even sure he brushed before the world ended.

                            Koa inhales sharply. Her own teeth begin to hurt at how hard she's clenching her jaw. "You pull that trigger, these boys gonna shoot you and your kid several times over. That what you want?" The leader threatens, blood sticking to his top lip from his nose. Koa and Daryl look over at each other for a small second, silently trying to find a way out of this. Whether it be murder or running.

                      "Come on, fella, suicide is stupid," The leader says. Koa shifts her attention to him. His eyes have darken and his small smile reminds her of every serial killer ever. He's an evil man. She can feel it in her bones and heart. "Why hurt yourself when you can hurt other people?" He asks with a sick smile. The blood has stained his white mustache but he does not seem to mind in the slightest. Koa's chest moves faster. These people don't have Beth. Something is telling her they don't and she's deciding to trust that.

                      But wherever they're about to end up, she feels as though it might be worse than where Beth did.

                         "Names Joe," He introduces himself. Koa watches for Daryl's next move. He puts down his bow, stepping back so he's closer to Koa. "Daryl," He says. They all look over at Koa, waiting for her to introduce herself. Lie. That's what her brain tells her. Lie because these men are evil, these men have done the worst of the worst and she fucking knows it. Having two cop uncle's has given her some insight in life and everything in her body is telling her to lie.

                      Koa bites her lip, thinking of a name as the men look at her like prey. Her sister's name bounces around but she's scared to use it, scared they'll find her along the way and suddenly there's two Sadies and both in danger.

                      The image of someone flashes through her mind, a gulp following it.

                  "Jennifer," Koa spits out, analyzing to see if anyone besides Daryl knows she's lying. But no one blinks, they just smile even wider.

                      The leader steps forward, grinning down at the two of them, "Well, a warm welcome to Jennifer and Daryl, hm, boys?"

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short chapter but i wanted to get another one out for y'all ☝🏻 the next few chapter will be sadie and glenn. back to daryl and koa and then we get nellie and the rest of them back 🤧❤️ also thank u for 16k!!!