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Beth is humming a Christmas song to Judith; according to their calendar, Christmas is today. Carl had the idea for Secret Santa, and everyone agreed. She drew Daryl’s name, getting to shop for him was not easy until she found something at a gas station. She is lucky her daddy let her go out to look for a gift for him at all. She hates being treated like a kid; she’s 18, for God’s sake.
She hopes he likes it. She looks down at the toddler in her arms. They’ve been at the prison for over a year now; this is Judith's second Christmas here. She walks into the living area they created. If it weren’t for Merle warning them about the Governor, they would have lost the prison.
A couple of months ago, Merle, Daryl, Michonne and some others went to Woodbury and killed the Governor and his soldiers. They could have gone to Woodbury and lived there, but they opted to stay here. They have since made it more secure and homely. She looks up and sees Daryl walk towards his cell. He has been invading her dreams lately, and the crush she had on him on the farm has developed into more. But she knows she will never be more than a kid to him, and it saddens her.
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Daryl is fidgeting. He drew Beth’s name, and he hopes she likes his gift. To be honest, his gift has another meaning. He hopes that with this gift, he can spend some time alone with her. Truth is, he likes Beth; he likes her a whole lot. Merle has been teasing him for weeks now, but he ignored him. He sure as hell ain’t gonna take advice from him. He even talked to Hershel about his intentions, and that conversation was mortifying to him, but he got his blessings. He wants to give Beth her gift privately, but unfortunately for him, Hershel and Carol want to exchange gifts in the living area. Bonding and family time, they said.
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Glenn and Carl are handing out gifts. Beth is stumped at the big box with her name on it. Daryl looks at his wrapped gift, he recognizes Beth’s handwriting, and he already knows that he’ll like whatever she got him. Carol tells them to open the gifts. Daryl rips open the wrapping paper and removes a new leather vest. He removes his current shirt and puts the new one on. It fits him like a glove.
Beth opens the box, and her eyes go wide. In the box lies a bow. She takes it out of the box; it’s smaller than Daryl’s and lighter. She just knows this is from Daryl, he would gift her something practical, and she has asked him once if he would teach her. She looks at him, and he is staring back at her. She gives him a small smile, and he nods. She thinks that he’s blushing, but that can’t be.
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Daryl is outside, smoking a cigarette. He hears the door open and close. A few moments later, Beth is standing next to him. They are standing there in comfortable silence. Beth shivers, and Daryl does something he has not done before: he puts an arm around her and tugs her close. Beth is surprised at first but quickly leans into him, “It’s not fair that you are so warm.” He chuckles, “Need more meat on your bones.”
She snorts and closes her eyes. He finishes his cigarette, “Thank you for the vest.” She hums, “Thank you for the bow. I like it.” She turns to face him, “Will you teach me?” He nods, “Was my plan.” Now she can see that he’s blushing. “Daryl?” He feels uncomfortable, “I like ya a lot, Beth and I..” She cuts him off with a kiss, “I like ya a lot too.” He is surprised, “You do?” She nods, and he kisses her again.